Awareness and martial arts.?

Well, there is a fine line between awareness and paranoia. If you go around thinking you are going to be attacked any minute then that would be paranoia and no, you can not live this way, nor would I even consider this awareness.

Awareness is simply knowing what is going on around you. Awareness is relaxed knowing what is going on and being comfortable vs the tension of paranoia. There is an 'open' feeling to awareness, where there is a 'closed' feeling to paranoia.

If you are walking around always texting on your phone you are definitely not aware of surroundings. You are much too self centered and totally absorbed in your world and will also not have much awareness of anything happening outside of your immediate space.

There are some places where I am more aware than other places. I don't consider taking simple precautions as awareness either, such as parking under a light at night, having your car keys ready when coming out of a store, knowing where exits are in a building, where you seat yourself in a bar, locking your doors at home or when leaving your car, etc.

Awareness is not about being on guard all the time it is also, believe it or not, about charity. Being aware that someone needs help and helping hones your skill of being aware when someone has bad intentions too. The helping part makes you used to have the courage to do something about a situation, any situation. If you are just aware and then just don't care to do anything this will delay your reaction to a bad situation too. Being aware and reacting appropriately has to be trained together.

First, no one is aware when they are asleep so no one is 24/7 aware.

Second, awareness is not just about being prepared to react to an attack. Awareness is a multi-faceted state of mind where you consciously and subconsciously are attuned to not just potential for danger, but everything from where everything or everyone in the room or your surrounding is located; where your points of egress are located, the mood or feel of a place, how you are sitting/standing, and even your state of being at each point in time when you are awake. It means if the lights go out in the room or in an airplane, you know where the emergency exits are. It means you're not some rude and crude idiot who stands in the doorway talking/texting on the phone and block people's way. It means you know how to not only act, but speak appropriately and sensitively to other people - do you remember all the times you spoken or said things you should not have? I bet you just let fly and not paid attention or been aware.

Compare all of the above (and they are not all the aspects of awareness) with unawareness such as people who go jogging/walking in dangerous neighborhood tuned out on their ipod. Or people who stay in a hotel they never stayed before and not bother to know where the fire exits are so they can get out if there were a fire at night and all the lights are out and the hallway filled with smoke. BTW: this happened to me before, but I knew where the nearest fire exit was so I'm alive today.

Last, all the techniques in the world will not help you if you are unaware. Everything you learn and train for in whatever martial art you study all assumes you will be aware to react. You can have perfect technique or have the speed of a cobra, but if you don't see or be aware of an attack coming at you, you will be hit. The one you don't see will always be the one that gets you.

Yes, absolutely. (Though, maybe you meant more like 16/7, as 8 of those hours I'm not really awake and cannot be aware...)

But my lifestyle is built on habits: I never sit with my back to a door, I always am careful walking at night, etc. And some situations I expect something to happen - a bar, or coaching a game, or refereeing. While these situations don't usually result in anything, the probability is much higher than if I were in a supermarket. Nonetheless, I'm always aware of my surroundings.

But I will say that there is a different kind of awareness as it applies to physical self-defense, as opposed to awareness in overall self-defense. This lifestyle thing, watch out in darkness, back to the door - that's general overall awareness.

The "awareness" that your instructor is usually talking about is awareness of your opponent in front of you. You maintain that awareness by seeing and touching. As he moves, so you move. That awareness is how you anticipate, invite, counter, pre-emptory strike, etc.

It also means being aware of other attackers, a weapon your opponent might have on him or which either of you might use from within the area around you, or of exits, or of innocent people, etc. This has overlap with, and is related to, the general awareness, because you are looking beyond what is attacking you.

I certainly do for a couple of reasons. First my job in the military and while overseas in some places required this for my own safety. At times I was even charged with the protection of others because of that job and some of its duties and was trained as an anti terrorism officer. Secondly is that I live less than 20 minutes from an area in this country that has one of the highest murder rates and crime rates in this country now for the past 4-5 years. Awareness and avoidance are really your first line of defense in trying to avoid situations that you might later find yourself in but wish you weren't. They can often times, but not always, go a long way in preventing some things from occurring and you not being a victim. Many of them are not difficult to follow or practice either and are really just simple things. Surveying the parking for instance just before you walk out the door of that store of the mall, noting if anyone is around your vehicle or between you and the path you will travel to it. Walking with confidence and staying aware of people around you as you walk down the sidewalk and especially those coming up behind you or those that have just passed and then turned around. Leaving a slight distance between you and the car in front of you when stopped in traffic or at a light. Being careful where you park your car and avoid parking it in really dark areas or areas where you know there has been trouble in the past. Locking your vehicle and making sure all windows are closed when getting out to get gas at the quick mart or gas station and keeping your phone with you in your pocket. Making three right turns if you suspect someone is following you. Knowing where the local police station is if you are in a strange area and going to be there for some time. Avoiding certain types of people or knowing when to leave if there is excessive drinking going on or drugs being used.

Many of these things are simple things and just require you to take a few seconds to look at things and not much trouble to practice. With time they become habits also but they can go a long way in helping you to not be caught in some situations and being a victim.

Well I always think it's good to have that piece of mind to know if you do get involved in a street fight you know what to do. If you want to know about self defense take up Kung fu it's all about self defense. Good luck

if you feel there is a suspicious peeps around you should be aware