'VIOLENCE.
I've lived in some places where violence was a 'normal' way of people communicating.
The risk of being in the middle when it 'kicked off' was ever present.
As a result,everyone was switched on and 'keyed up'.
The result of that tension and expectancy was often a shorter fuse,if you like-and people tended to err on the side of caution and 'go' a little earlier than they otherwise might.
Flight often was difficult,because the center of activity was where we lived.
It was possible,but within a community with numerous predators-LONG TERM one could be better off NOT leaving the scene on terms of perceived 'weakness',as this could set you up as a target later.
I fought-in fairness-too much,and sort of painted myself into a corner.
If I suddenly changed my tactic and tried to 'blend in' and be passive/submissive,people would have seen this as a moment to make their bid(just like dogs).
I had made enemies,and had to live with the results.
Eventually(as has happened a few times),I actually had groups 'looking for me'.
The best I could hope for was to carry a weapon,use it and probably end up in prison for a long time.
The worst,kicked into a coma or stabbed to death.
Either way,living waiting for that wasn't an option.
I was ready to leave the country anyway(I've never liked living in Britain),and this was the spur I needed.
So,this time I chose 'flight'(literally,from Gatwick!).
Basically then,we have 3 options when it comes to dealing with aggression/threat;
FIGHT,FLIGHT or FREEZE.
All 3 CAN have their place,but if the 'kick off' is unavoidable,only the first two are valid.
It can work to just cover up and 'ride' the kicking,but it's hardly the option of choice if we can do otherwise.
One only has to look at the rate of success(or failiure)of the freeze tactic employed by many people in the face of aggression.
It doesn't help them.
There's no honour these days in your average attacker,and submissiveness generally won't win a person anything more than a brutal and sustained beating.
Fight and flight have their place,and it's really up to each one of us to decide that place.
Ideally the best strategy is avoidance.
I'm frankly sick of violence,and am pretty careful where I go and who I talk with.
If I need to fight,I'd rather get it over and done with quickly,and have no compassion for a predator.
As with all survival,the mindset we have is the key to victory.
I'm not going to write any more on this subject here.
Books like 'Streetwise' by Peter Consterdine,'Dead or Alive' by Geoff Thompson and the excellent website and Forum of Dennis Martin spell things out better than I ever could.
All 3 of these men have extensive experience dealing professionally with violence,and provide the foundation for any 'system' we can build.
Check out these sources of info.,factor awareness and preparedness into your survival mindset and good luck!'

'Derek Crankshaft'

 http://personalsurvivalblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/violence.html