"Every avoided fight is a won one"

Self-defense is something that needs to be learned well before it's needed. And even then, there's no guarantee that you'll win a confrontation. Today we have Ingo Schmied in the interview, who is a close combat trainer and trains in the Philippine martial art of Pekiti Tirsia Kali. With TACTICAL TRAINING SCHMIED, he also offers a full range of tactical training, including de-escalation training. Given the current focus on the "Gray Man Theory," we are particularly interested in how one can win by avoiding conflict.

Gray Man Theory - here's the article on it

SPARTANAT: Ingo, you are a close combat trainer. What is your practical background and what are your experiences?

I have gained experience in various close combat systems during my time in the Austrian Armed Forces and a few years ago I came across the Philippine martial art of Pekiti Tirsia Kali. I have been training in this system intensely since then. In Tyrol, I represent the Pekiti Trisia Tactical Association led by Chairman Tuhon Jared Wihongi.

SPARTANAT: In the past two years, there has been a great need in the population for self-protection. How do you assess this desire?

The subjective sense of security in society has certainly changed significantly. People need security in their everyday lives, both professionally and personally. Due to the increased occurrence of violence and dangerous situations in public, which are primarily spread through various media, people are more concerned about their safety.

"The best tools are not very useful if the handling is not automated and the will to survive a dangerous situation is not very strong."

After the incidents around New Year's 2015/2016 in Cologne, where many women fell victim to sexual violence, a huge marketing hype was triggered, and self-defense tools and courses are offered everywhere. Even retail chains that have never had such items in their assortment now sell all sorts of defense tools, magazines and newspapers regularly publish articles on this subject. Sellers and journalists give safety tips and advice on what to do. However, sometimes dangerous half-knowledge is spread.

And people only receive very sparse information this way.

In theory, they are taught a lot, but in practice, it usually looks different. The best tools are not very useful if the handling is not automated and the will to survive a dangerous situation is not very strong.SPARTANAT: You not only teach self-defense, but also pay attention to violence prevention and de-escalation. Why is this so important?

Every started fight can be lost! Unfortunately, too many people still believe that you can learn to defend yourself in a few hours of training. However, that is not possible. That is why I focus on prevention in my courses. I teach ways and methods that can be integrated into everyday life at any time, thereby providing more attention and improved perception.

"Every started fight can be lost! Just learning techniques alone is not enough!"

Just learning techniques alone is not enough! Thousands of repetitions are required for each movement to automate it. And even then there is no guarantee that it is enough to protect yourself. Above all, every avoided fight is a won fight.

Many factors come together in every violent situation, especially when it comes to violence against women: physical prerequisites, environmental conditions, the factor of time, personal experiences, the psyche, and last but not least, the stress when facing a dangerous situation.SPARTANAT: No matter what you do, you can become a victim. But are there strategies to be inconspicuous and thus "avoid" a conflict?

Avoiding is good. We may need to incorporate some of the little things we learned as children into our everyday lives. I can still remember how my parents taught me to be careful with various objects. "Knife, fork, scissors, fire, light..." Or safety in traffic. How many adults, children, and teenagers move inattentively in their daily lives? Headphones, mobile phones, and the like distract us and make us inattentive.

In my courses, I always ask the participants the following question: "Why do people get injured? How do accidents happen? Why do we cut ourselves with a knife or bump our foot against a box in our house?" - "ATTENTION!!!"

Animals are far ahead of us in many ways. They pay attention to their senses and perceive their surroundings! We as humans, however, rely too much on technology and all kinds of technical aids.

We are already dependent on it. I find it absurd that there are considerations to project traffic light signals for pedestrians on the ground so that pedestrians can look even more at their display, instead of their surroundings.

I don't have to invent anything new to ensure my own safety. I just have to be aware of my surroundings and listen to my gut feeling. 100% security will never exist, but I can minimize the likelihood of becoming a victim by being attentive. Perpetrators are never invisible, they are just in the fog of our perception!

SPARTANAT: How far can one delay the point of responding to violence with violence?

As soon as I have a bad feeling, I try to avoid the situation and try to find another place or attract attention. However, if there is no way out of a physical confrontation, I must act decisively, flexibly, and with all severity. After all, it's about my life and nothing else. It is one of our human rights to protect our integrity, our own life, and that of our loved ones.SPARTANAT: Is there a general recommendation on how individuals can consciously and responsibly prepare for such escalations?

Train your perception and your attention. Listen to your gut feeling and come up with a plan for emergencies. Just hoping that something like this will never happen to you is not a plan! We make escape plans for a fire, we take first aid courses for an accident, but we don't make a plan for a physical confrontation??

"Better to be a coward a thousand times in life than traumatized for a lifetime!"

"Stay vigilant and observe your surroundings!"

INGO SCHMIED, 36, professional soldier in the Austrian Armed Forces with experience in foreign missions. Trained close combat trainer, firearms instructor, ordnance disposal trainer, and scenario trainer.

Authorized group leader of the Pekiti Trisia Tactical Association in Tyrol.

Additionally, he offers seminars, workshops, and training in practical shooting, self-defense courses and training, pepper spray handling, safety training, and special agency training under Tactical Training Schmied.TACTICAL TRAINING SCHMIED on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tactical-Training-Schmied

TEAM PEKITI on the internet: http://teampekiti.com/team-pekiti