Protection - Formidability

Just so you know, it was a coin toss for me as to which comes first, Formidability or Evasion. It depends on what happens around you, and when.

Being formidable is not about size, that helps of course, but that is not it. Among the most formidable people I ever met is a little lady named Tracy. No kidding.

In my misspent youth I was a brawler. I'm just big enough to irritate those very few shorter fellas that feel the need to take down a guy because he is taller. Years later I learned that many of the fights I got into were because I was an easy-going wuss. Well... after a tour in Vietnam something changed in me. Nobody picked fights with me anymore. Vietnam gave me a certain level of formidability.

Webster's on-line dictionary defines it this way: Formidability: formidable

1 : causing fear, dread, or apprehension
2 : having qualities that discourage approach or attack
3 : tending to inspire awe or wonder

Definition #2 is the subject of today's little chat. "Having qualities that discourage approach or attack." If you are seven feet tall with 300 pounds of solid muscle, that ought to do the trick.

But what about Tracy, at 5'6" and maybe 130 pounds? When we were camping one year, she stopped a bunch of bikers in their tracks, torn them a new one, and sent them packing with their heads hanging. I saw the whole thing (and thought I was gonna get killed protecting her - I never had to do a thing, whew!). Trust me, she has frozen this boy in his tracks with just a look. She has one of those aforementioned "qualities" so rudely not clarified by Mr. Webster.

Wouldn't it be cool to be a formidable creature when SHTF. Folks getting mugged right and left while you dance between the raindrops, so to speak.

Sorry, I don't have any instant formidability pills. Some guys that go off to war come back with it. It is more than simply self confidence, or a certain strut when walking. Lots of guys try to act like they have it, they mimic what they've seen on the tube. Nope, that don't work in a real pinch. You and I have seen many a "tough guy" melt when confronted for real. I've seen some little dogs with it. What the heck is this formidability thing?

I asked my lovely bride (of 35 years, last week) to define formidability for me. "Some creatures radiate a certain essence from their inner core." Excellent, but not clear enough for our purposes here today.

From The American Heritage Dictionary: #3 is: Difficult to undertake, surmount, or defeat: a formidable challenge; a formidable opponent.

The best definition for preparedness purposes is from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary: Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming.

In particular, I like the "deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking" part.

This is what I came up with. Suppose you are confronted with situation that requires you put someone down, or die yourself. That moment is not the time to decide whether or not you can take a human life. That soul searching choice had better be made long beforehand, long before you take up arms to defend yourself and/or your people. If you don't, you will die in the moment you are thinking about it. When you make the decision, in your soul, that you will do the deed, something changes inside you. You become a tad more formidable. Becoming a first rate marksman adds to this choice (it does not replace it!). Excelling in certain martial arts does the trick too. Part of this is self confidence, sure. Another part is the knowledge, as apposed to the belief, that you can, and will, take down your opponent. People can sense this, they can feel somehow that they are in real danger.

Considerable experience, real experience, at controlling a threat seems to be one of the common denominators of those with formidability. Another is courage, facing a threat whether you feel fear at the time or not. Tracy is not a physical threat, but she gets the job done rather well. Whatever her thing is, she has become really good at it.

When some yahoo starts talking tough, it is just talk. He is just trying to pump up his bravado to do what he thinks he can do, and has done so many times, but only in his dreams.

As soon as he says, "I'm gonna [whatever his threat is]", take the threat as real and beat on him till he is whimpering. Do not listen to him pump up his bravado, just do it. The down side to doing this is some of these tough talking critters are cowards. They may come back with friends, or try to hurt someone you care about, to hurt you however they can. Watch your back. The best way to stop this is to physically hurt this fool so much that he is not just a little scared, but terrified of you. Leave the area promptly. [My opinion only - this is not a recommendation.]

A policeman in uniform, with his holstered gun and all sorts gear on his belt, and especially dark sunglasses, looks formidable. Some of this is our human conditioning. Policemen are an "Authority", and oftentimes it is the person in the uniform as well.

A jovial cop is not particularly formidable, neither is one with attitude (the attitude is scary only because of the authority behind it). This is why, IMO, most cops try for the "poker face" non-expression. It works fairly well. We also presume cops have all sorts of training and expertise.

The objective here is to see that you and your people are safe and cared for, not getting into fire (or any other kind of) fights at every opportunity. Learn to become formidable: Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming.

With all this talk about protecting my people, I will fight for real Freedom, as opposed to the shackled so called "freedom" in America today.
Sam

The first layer of protection is Anonymity, second is Stealth, third Evasion, fourth Formidability, fifth is Guns, ammo and practiced skill.