The Reactionary Gap

Learn it, live it, love it.

Starting to think that Nightcafe may have me pigeon-holed.

In my earlier essay about the defensive use of keys, commenters are mentioning that situational awareness is vital in defensive situations. In this they are most correct — indeed, I would hold that it is vital in day-to-day life.

I will postulate, however, that situational awareness is nothing without its seldom-mentioned little brother the Reactionary Gap.

A “reactionary gap” is the space created by the use of distance and/or time which allows you to effectively and decisively react to aggression.

You can have all the situational awareness you like, but if you don’t use it to create a buffer zone that allows you to react and do something, then all the situational awareness in the world isn’t doing you any good.

So, how would one create a “reactionary gap”? The simplest method — and the one used instinctively by most people — is physical distance. You set a mental line at a distance determined by your personal observe, orient, decide, act cycle and you don’t let unknown contacts cross over that line without reacting in some way.¹

Unfortunately, today’s modern civilization — especially the urban varieties — don’t always allow for physical distance, so psychological distance becomes important.

“Psychological distance” is, for lack of a better phrase, the use of body language, posture, and mental awareness that causes a recognition of some measure of risk in potential violent contacts; and generally causes other folks to just not crowd you. A good example of this is standing sideways in a queue. People in general don’t stand as close to the side of a stranger as they will his front and back, so they give you space. When it comes to the critter side of the species, if a potential predator sees you, and your body language tells him that there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to get hurt if he initiates violence, this apprehension of injury will cause him to slip on hiding his intentions, to broadcast his plans, and may cause false starts, or trial runs.

All of these give an aware person enough of a buffer to react properly — however, effective psychological distance requires some amount of training, and an awareness of where it should be used, and when it should be moderated.²

When the physical or social terrain denies you the ability to maintain physical or psychological distance, then time becomes the key to your reactionary gap.

This is simply thus: an unknown contact is within your physical reactionary gap, and is close enough to act before you can react, but there are physical or social obstacles that slow him down.

The easiest way to visualize this is to think of a potential attacker three feet away — but there’s a pane of glass between you and him. In order to attack you, he has to step around the glass, which gives you the time to react.

Physical obstacles are everywhere — chairs, tables, counters, vehicles, even people can be physical obstacles, as well as a simple change in elevation.

I do deviate somewhat from the conventional wisdom on reactionary gaps, which holds that blocking vision is a physical obstacle. My issue with this — and please understand that I am not a professional trainer on this sort of thing — is that if critters can’t see me, I can’t see them. Which means when they pop into my vision, there may suddenly be four of them, or he may have acquired a weapon I didn’t know about — all of which change the dynamic substantially.

“Social obstacles” are, of course, obstacles generated by society, rather than physical ones. A cop, if he is close enough and aware, is a social obstacle; as are bouncers, packs of Marines, and powerful people who want peace and quiet in their general area.³

Despite this I do not consider social obstacles to be as effective as distance and physical obstacles, but your mileage, as they say, may vary.

Be that as it may: reactionary gap. If you’re in public, have one up, pay attention to it, adjust it as needed, and don’t let any unknown contacts violate it without immediately changing your position or reacting in some way.

Ian

1. You moving away, leaving the area, or otherwise repositioning is a reaction.

2. As a “for instance” psychological distance that would pass un-noticed in a Baptist church will start a fight in the projects.

3. I have happily smiled at a man who fervently wanted to beat me to death while we were both attending a party hosted by a gentleman who would have driven a railroad spike through the skull of anyone who disrupted the festivities.