IN-PERSON TRAINING
WOMEN’S AWARENESS & SELF PROTECTION TRAINING
YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL SECURITY
Society and world events demand that we become more aware of our surroundings and that we remain active in providing our own security. Therefore, whether you are safe or not is to some extent a matter of choice. Nobody chooses to become a victim of crime, but some people do make poor choices.
Failing to study your surroundings, to walk in risk areas, and to make a shortcut through a dark alley way are all a matter of choice, thus, safety is not fully prioritized. This is why it is said that people can, to a certain degree, choose whether to be safe or not. It is entirely dependent on your own priorities and how much effort you put into your own protection.
SO HOW SECURE CAN YOU BECOME?
Security can never be absolutely perfect and it is in fact not meant to be. What security procedures, physical training, advice, tips and guidelines can do for you is to provide you with a little bit more time, insight and awareness of the situation. It is simply a delaying tactic that will allow you to gather your thoughts, prepare to physically defend yourself, get assistance or possibly to escape the threat you are facing.
WE ALL HAVE A LIFE TO LIVE AND WILL ALWAYS BE SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN DANGERS
Every time we cross a road, we have to accept a certain level of risk – of course we try to mitigate this by looking both ways and waiting for a break in the traffic. If you want to go to work, socialize, date, shop for groceries, you have to accept that these ventures contain a level of risk and that you should do what you can to reduce this.
Nobody wakes up and thinks ‘today is the day I become a victim’ but unfortunately some do end up as victims. You also cannot constantly go around thinking “I am about to become a target any minute now”. You have to find a balance, and that balance can be obtained by being sufficiently aware to anticipate and detect threats as they emerge, think through what can happen, but not to let these thoughts paralyze you. You must live your life with a healthy respect of dangers, but not in constant fear.
UN – New York, USA
UN Compound – Dadaab, Kenya
UN – Rome, Italy
THE REAL DANGER FOR WOMEN DURING A STREET CRIME
Statistics show that women are far more likely to be the subject of a mugging or street robbery by a stranger than men. The reasons for this are twofold: firstly, women are less likely to fight back than men and secondly, most women carry their possessions in a more accessible manner e.g. mobile phone, iPad, purse etc. are carried in their handbag, not in internal coat/jacket pockets, trousers etc.
The real danger for women in street-crimes is not that they’ll lose their possessions but that the robbery itself may turn into a sexual assault. All criminals (barring terrorists) fear getting caught – this is often their only fear. If a mugger believes they can conduct a street robbery without getting caught, it usually means that they believe they’re not being observed. This can lead to the setting for a sexual assault or rape as violent criminals will take advantage of any situation they possibly can.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Dealing with the consequences of a sexual assault, or a violent attack, is not a small thing. It will change your life, it will traumatize you. Some victims of assault carry the devastating emotional effects for a lifetime while others seem to be able to move forward past the event after only a short period of time. How you act during an attack has an enormous impact on your emotional recovery process. Studies have shown that women who fought back during a violent attack even if they were unsuccessful in stopping the assault – suffered far less Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than women who did nothing.
WASP-T is a complete training program that will give you the tools to realize that you do have the physical ability to overcome the attack of a much larger, stronger attacker and you are worth fighting back for. More importantly, this program will show you that by just taking some time to think about your personal safety, changing some habits and behaviours, and implementing some basic but very effective preventative measures will mean that you may never have to test your physical abilities.
THE PREDATORY NATURE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Not all sexual predators are the same: some are motivated by power and a need to dominate and control women and inversely, to avoid being controlled by them, some are motivated by anger and a general hostility towards women, others by sadistic urges and the sexual gratification they experience when inflicting pain on their victim’s, others still by various fantasies (including the idea that a woman will actually enjoy what is happening to her).
At the heart of all sexual assaults however is the need for the assailant to demonstrate control and power. The sexual component is always a secondary need – at best – that is, it is a vehicle for relieving anger, satisfying a need to feel the pain/humiliation of another or reinforcing the predator’s self-image of masculinity and power. Sexual predators like all criminals have about them a sense of entitlement i.e. other individuals simply exist for their own benefit.
The WASP-T program will ’profile’ the different types of sexual predators, helping you to recognize their behaviours and processes along with looking at the various types of situations different predators create or manipulate from date/acquaintance rapists to those engaging in abductions.
UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITIES
Sexual assault statistics are on the increase globally – and the nature of the attacks are getting more and more violent. We will address specific gender based threats faced by employees of your organization.
Prosectra has delivered Women’s Awareness & Self Protection Training to women from a wide range of back grounds in four continents; Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, and Europe. We approach our training with cultural and religious sensitivities.
THE WASP-T 3 MODULE PRE-STUDY ELEARNING COURSE
As a pre-requisite to this course all participants are required to complete the Security for Women 3 module e-Learning course to gain a clear understanding of all elements discussed throughout the practical sessions such as predator processes, non-verbal signs of criminal intent, managing fear in high stress situations etc. A breakdown of the e-Learning course can be found immediately below:
MODULE 1: DEVELOP PREPAREDNESS
- understand that you are in charge of your own personal security, how criminals identify targets, making yourself a hard target, understanding the crime triangle, understanding the survival triangle, security awareness color codes, systematic awareness and developing a safety plan.
- the body language of violent individuals, a woman’s intuition, knowing your environment, the non-verbal language, pre-attack indicators from a distance, pre-attack indicators in the eyes, knowing when someone is moving towards verbal aggression, knowing when someone is moving towards physical aggression.
- what is fear, biological vs psychological fear, how negative inner ’self-talk’ creates inertia, how fear and anger are chemically the same emotion, developing a fear management plan, what is tactical breathing and tactical scanning, how you act if trained or untrained in fear management, developing a survival mindset.
MODULE 2: UNDERSTAND THE THREAT
- understanding the characteristics of all predatory individuals, the 6 common processes used by financial and sexual predators from selection to attack, what are conscious and subconscious victim indicators, the 7 actions or behaviors used by predators in the grooming process, what are the 4 stages of violent crime awareness.
- how to stay safe when socializing/partying, the risks of Internet dating, how to develop safety strategies when meeting someone from online, the grooming process of sexual predators at work, what is the 3 part statement, why so many sexual predators never get caught, the importance of speaking out.
- what is stalking, what motivates all types of stalkers, what are acquaintance stalkers, what are post-relationship stalkers, what are stranger stalkers, how do they stalk and what you can do to take control, the types of surveillance they use, vandalism and burglary by stalkers, the steps to put a stop to stalking.
MODULE 3: MANAGE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
- understand the characteristics of domestic abuse, what barriers make it hard to leave, impact on victims, understand the cycle of abuse.
- indicators of abuse, resources available to victims, typical interventions against domestic violence, crisis response, support groups
DEVELOPING YOUR ABILITY TO PREDICT, IDENTIFY AND AVOID VIOLENCE
We at Prosectra have put years of research into finding the most effective response to a very important question…’how can we improve women’s safety and survivability before, during and after a violent attack. Through this research we have discovered that 4 key elements are required for any women’s personal security program to be effective and we include detailed presentations during our practical workshops on the following:
DEVELOPING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
- One of the most important aspects of personal security is situational awareness – awareness of yourself, your surroundings, and your potential attacker’s likely strategies. Our presentation focuses on how to establish baselines for any environment, how to look for anomalies, if that anomaly can potentially turn into a direct threat how to quickly and effectively put action plans in place to get to safety.
UNDERSTANDING PREDATORY PROCESSES
- The fact that predatory individuals follow a predictable process allows us to identify when we have been targeted as a potential victim, allowing us to remove ourselves from the situation and avoid a physical confrontation. If we can understand the decision-making process that predators use and their behaviours and actions which precede an assault, we should be able to avoid becoming the victim of a violent attack. Our presentation focuses on the specific signs and signals that precede an attack.
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTUITION
- Many times a person’s subconscious can notice subtle signs of danger that the conscious mind has difficulty quantifying or articulating. many victims of violent crime stated that they experienced such feelings of danger prior to the incident but chose to ignore them. Denial is often the result of a sophisticated intellectual equation (at a subconscious level). It’s really an exercise in trust: When we choose to trust our past experiences over what we perceive in a particular moment, we’re really telling ourselves that we don’t, in that moment, fully trust our senses or our interpretation of what they might be telling us. Our presentation focuses on always choosing safety. If you have a bad feeling, trust your intuition. If it turns out to be wrong, you’re still safe. If it turns out to be a real threat, you’re safer.
UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING FEAR
- Sudden danger in all humans triggers a flinch and then immediately a fear spike. The combination of both if left unchecked can devolve into anxiety and panic. Our inner voice starts telling us things like: What if I lose? What if it hurts? What if I fail? They’re too big! There is too many of them! Thoughts like these must be eliminated from your inner voices vocabulary for you to survive a violent attack. We must differentiate between the physiology of fear and the psychology of fear. Our presentation looks to train your ‘self-talk’ or ‘internal dialogue’ to be positive, assertive and motivating…..and above all else create action and get you to safety.
DEVELOPING YOUR PHYSICAL ABILITY
The physical techniques in the Security for Women program are suitable for women with no previous martial arts or self-defense experience (and all fitness levels), and are designed to get the novice or beginner to a high state of proficiency in the shortest possible time. We teach techniques according to principles and concepts, rather than just straight repetition. This speeds up and enhances the learning process.
TECHNIQUES ARE BASED ON NATURAL DEFENSIVE, REFLEXIVE ACTIONS
Our techniques are based on natural defensive, reflexive actions – things that the body will naturally do when attacked or threatened (such as flinch, pull back the hips, grab an attacking arm, etc.) All of Prosectras’ self-protection physical concepts are based on the idea that you should train according to the way in which you will actually respond and act when assaulted, not how you would like to or think you should. It is virtually impossible to un-train the body’s evolved natural responses, and is therefore better to work with them than against them.
THE ATTACKER ALWAYS HAS THE AMBUSH ADVANTAGE
Before developing your physical defensive strategies you must first understand that the attacker always has the ambush advantage. He knows when and how he will attack. You must also understand what your body will do prior to any training and how this ambush will trigger an emotional response; your natural survival response to danger.
If faced with an attacker twice your size who initiates a surprise attack, it’s just not feasible to rely on strength and power, your attacker will prevail every time. Also, real life is not like Hollywood, your first response will not be to defend with a complex motor skill; your survival instinct will trigger the emotional response.
I will help you understand how humans behave when ambushed and how to utilize your natural response to danger as an effective self-defense tactic. Only once you are psychologically in control of yourself can you transition to a complex motor skill. And what complex motor skill you use depends on your basic understanding of biomechanics, physiology and anatomy. The WASP-T program will break that down for you in a simple and easy to learn process.
UN – Ankara, Turkey
INGO – Gaziantep, Turkey
INGO – Port Moresby, PNG
5 CERTIFICATION LEVELS TO DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL SECURITY
LEVEL 1: DEFENDING THE MOST COMMON CONTROL HOLDS UTILIZED BY AN AGGRESSOR
- you will learn how to control distance – distance management is crucial in an attack, use posture and verbal strategies to enforce personal space, escapes to wrist/hair grabs, front and rear chokes and the critical physical and psychological techniques that will enable you to escape from an attacker who has pinned you to the ground.
LEVEL 2: DEFENDING AGAINST A VIOLENT, STRIKING AGGRESSOR
- If the restraining and controlling techniques utilized by the aggressor have failed to induce fear in his victim, he will easily transition to aggressive striking to get compliance. In LEVEL 2 of this program I will teach you how to defend various strikes standing and on the ground and help you understand the red and green zones of attack.
LEVEL 3: DISABLING AN AGGRESSOR WHEN IMMEDIATE ESCAPE IS NOT POSSIBLE
- Imagine for a moment you are sitting on the sofa with your children watching television and you are suddenly victim to a home invasion. The intruder enters the room and violently attacks you. Neutralizing the attack and immediately escaping the scene is just not possible, what about your children? I will teach you how to effectively incapacitate the aggressor utilizing simple but extremely effective chokes and submissions long enough for you to plan an escape strategy and get to safety.
LEVEL 4: DEFENDING AGAINST AN ARMED AGGRESSOR WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER
- If an aggressor’s objective is to steal your phone complying is your safest option but if you believe your life to be in danger then you must act. I can teach you simple but effective defense to gun, knife and blunt impact weapon attacks. When dealing with an aggressor who wishes to harm you with a weapon we always follow a simple strategy known as the 6 C’s: Phase 1 Cooperate, Comply then Capitalize Phase 2: Clear, Control and Counter.
LEVEL 5: UTILIZING EVERYDAY ITEMS AS IMPROVISED SELF-DEFENSE TOOLS AGAINST AN AGGRESSOR
- We are surrounded by useful everyday items in all areas of life. Mobile phone, keys, pen, umbrella, handbag/backpack, rolled up magazine, jacket, chair, coffee cup, stapler…the list is endless. Just think about how many objects you have on your persons or in the immediate vicinity in personal/working life. I will show you how easily these objects can be incorporated into your defense strategy to distract, disorientate or disable the aggressor long enough for you to escape.
START AT HOME!
PROSECTRA has developed the world-leading 3x module eLearning course Security for Women. Blended learning is that perfect combination of our online eLearning content and in-person skills sessions. This allows PROSECTRA to deliver a blended learning program. It starts with pre-study eLearning, ensuring all students have achieved a minimum standard and start at the same level.
EVOLVE IN THE CLASSROOM!
Our 2x day workshop – Part 1. The classroom theoretical sessions contain presentations, analysis, open discussions, individual exercises and group work. The focus is to increase awareness of the many potential threats women may face, how to predict, identify and avoid potentially dangerous situations, develop a survival mindset to make the right first critical decision if faced with violence.
FINISH WITH AN EXERCISE!
Our 2x day workshop – Part 2. You will learn how to control distance – distance management is crucial in an attack, use posture and verbal strategies to enforce personal space, escapes to wrist/hair grabs, front/rear chokes and the critical physical and psychological techniques that will enable you to escape from an attacker who has pinned you to the ground.
“First of all, I would like to commend Robert for organizing such a successful course, both the eLearning and the two group practical sessions which followed. Robert is a consummate security professional, yet he also has the sensitivity, tact and eloquence to deal handedly with a completely inexperienced female audience. Not for one moment during the training did I feel embarrassed, incapable or weak. Quite the contrary, Robert encouraged us all to feel empowered, perceptive and strong as individuals and as women. I particularly like the very gender-sensitive yet open way that he dealt with taboo issues regarding rape and sexual assault both in the eLearning course and in the practical exercises. This is an excellent course which I highly recommend to women of all ages and backgrounds. I believe it should even be a requirement for those UN staff who travel to field locations (as is the case for Basic and Advanced Security in the Field eLearning courses), and should be integrated into our standard training workshops (Workshop on Emergency Management or WEM) for Emergency Response Teams (ERT)”.
—Carolyn Wand, Senior Inspection Officer Inspector General’s Office (IGO) UNHCR Geneva