Since the Donald entered the White House, America has gone from bad to worse as far as violence goes.

The rise of mob violence, riots, and outright targeting of people by domestic terrorist groups – like Antifa, Communists, Black Lives Matter, and other Soros-funded radical far-left groups – isn’t to be taken lightly.

We saw Berkeley blow up in riots because Milo Yiannopoulos was invited to speak there. We saw mobs rioting in Portland. We saw Washington D.C. trashed at the Women’s March and inauguration riots, and we saw violent leftists attack people at a College Republicans event at NYU where Gavin Mcinnes was speaking.

Essentially, we’ve seen every major urban city on the both coasts explode with violence. Until these jobless, bandanna wearing, woman-beating losers get arrested, America’s urban centers will continue to see violence as they continue to rage against freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and well…just plain freedom.

Just look at some of the action from the past few days and weeks:

https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/827305438051983360

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/797869339621801985

Very disturbing to see a woman punched in the face at Edmonton protest yesterday. I condemn such hatred & violence. https://t.co/cXKnO2f1EK

— Jason Kenney (@jkenney) January 23, 2017

BEHOLD Fascists Version Of Free Speech At That Bastian Of Tolerance #UCBerkeley #MiloAtBerkely #BerkelyRiots Milo Be Flattered They FEAR YOU pic.twitter.com/5VUebMnxTO

— FIGHT LIKE A FLYNN !!!! (@LeahR77) February 2, 2017

https://twitter.com/2016Deplorables/status/827175873426001920

https://twitter.com/ProudBoysUSA/status/827356397541216257

You get the idea.

So, what’s a God-fearing, America-loving, tolerant and decent person to do when these riots (not “protests”) break out? Here are a few tips I’ve gleaned over the years from law enforcement officers, weapons experts, martial artists, spec-ops guys, and SWAT Team members on how to protect yourself and your family when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.

How to Survive a Riot

1. Don’t go near it: If you don’t have to be there, don’t. There’s no honor in putting yourself in harm’s way, taking a brick to the head, and getting put in a coma. If you can stay away, do it. Leave the ego at home. Don’t look for trouble, because you’ll find more than you can handle. This is about you going home to your loved ones, not them coming to see you in a hospital bed.
   
2. Situational awareness: Always know what’s going on around you. Always. At the grocery store, at red lights, in your driveway, when you’re out in public, in a parking lot, at the ATM, anywhere. If you see something that looks odd, stay away. If you see some people who look like they’re planning something or up to no good, you’re probably right. Walk proud, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t look like a victim (more on that below). Lock your car doors. Pull your head out of your app, and know who is around you. More on that here.
3. Every day carry (EDC): Depending on what state you live in, you’ll have certain options as far as what you carry with you every day when you leave the house. For me, living in a free state, I carry a .40 cal pistol with an extra magazine, a small pocket knife, a neck knife, and if I’m in the mood to be extremely safe I bring pepper spray. All concealed, all the time. You DO NOT want to get caught in a situation that requires you to defend yourself without the tools necessary to do it.
4. If you’re in it, don’t panic: If you find yourself out and about when violence breaks out, DO. NOT. PANIC. Panic doesn’t help. Rational thinking does. Don’t freak out and don’t freeze in place and wait for a beatdown. You need to act and act quickly. Which, brings me to my next point.
5. Master OODA Loop: If you’re a military guy or anyone who has received any kind of tactical training, you may have heard of OODA Loop. It stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act and has to do with how you handle yourself in a high-stress or crisis situation. Basically, it means that you assess the situation, weigh your options, and make a decision. Instead of me hashing it out here, go check out master military strategist John Boyd’s writing on it. You’ll be very glad you did.
6. Know that you ARE NOT safe: These rioters who trash their own cities and attack women? They ARE NOT like you. The Antifa thugs, Communists, and far-left progressives don’t like people like you. They hate freedom. They don’t care if children get hurt, or if you’re with your family; so don’t try to reason with them, because it won’t work. They are not rational, so don’t expect any favors. Valueless people act in valueless ways, and you could be shown no mercy. Know your enemy.
7. Run: This is your best option. If you can run, do it. Run away and do not stop until you’re sure you’re safe. There’s no honor in getting hurt in a riot.
8. Don’t wait for the police: If things are out of control, don’t expect the police or military to save you. You need to protect yourself and your family. In riots like we’ve seen recently, the police don’t know who the good guys are and who the bad ones are at first glance. And, oftentimes, they can’t get to you anyways. You need to take action because the police may be overwhelmed and have no way to immediately help you.
9. If you need to, join in: If you can’t get out or get away, and see no options, join in. Take off your Trump hat, and blend into the crowd – only for as long as you have to get out and get where you need to be. Again, this is about your safety. It’s about survival.
10. Don’t look like a target: Cowards in masks attack targets. It’s what cowards do. So, don’t look like one. If you’re hunched over with your face in your phone and not paying attention, that projects weakness and paints you as a target to rioters. Walk upright, look people in the eye, and don’t let people get close to you. If they do, issue strong verbal commands to show them you mean business and tell them to back off. Harsh language means something to these people. You’re speaking their language. So walk proud, watch for cues that you’re about to be attacked (e.g. posturing, looking around, change in stance, etc.), keep moving, maintain as much distance as you can from a would-be attacker, use strong verbal commands, and keep your head up. This has to do with something called “managing unknown contacts” (MUC). A man named “Tom “Kenobi” turned me onto this and you can read about it in depth here.
11. If you need to, hide: Plain and simple. If it’s so bad that you have no way to get out and there’s a SAFE place for you to lockdown for a while (maybe if you have young kids with you and can’t evade danger) then hide. A house, a locked door, anything where your safety is guaranteed. I wouldn’t recommend it most times but if you have to, hide and wait it out.
12. Never get backed into a corner: If you get put up against a wall or backed into a corner with a mob of violent morons coming at you, you’re going to take a beating. So, don’t do it. Evade, evade, evade. Always stay moving, and never stop until you’re safe.
13. If you can, stay in a pack: There’s strength in numbers. Stay with others or find some like-minded people and join them. Your chances of coming out unscathed and walking away are always better if you have others to help watch your back. Don’t get divided, help each other, and communicate as you’re navigating the riot.
14. Never start a fight, but know how to finish one: If you’re not already, you need to get trained so you’ll know how to fight if you have to. And, I’m not talking about Karate or Kung Fu. I’m talking about real life stuff that will let you incapacitate your attackers and save your life so you can go home to your loved ones. BJJ, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Aikido, and Krav Maga come to mind here. Learn how to fight. Never start it, but know how to finish it and get away.
15. Never brandish a weapon (unless you have to): This is last resort stuff. If you’re carrying a weapon (e.g. a gun, knife, ASP), you have to genuinely fear for your life and/or the life of others you’re with to legally use it. Remember, weapons are tools that you use when you need to. You’re not Rambo. And, no matter how you think a shootout will go down, it won’t go down that way. You’re not in the movies. If you have to fight, learn how to fight with your weapon. Sometimes you might not need to draw. But if you do, be sure you’ve been trained and know how to use it.

That’s all folks. Remember, in a mob or riot, your one goal is to get out alive. That’s it. These are some of the tactics that can help you do it. You’re not in it to fight (you’ll lose) and you’re not in it to prove your point or change hearts and minds (they won’t listen anyways).

Get out, stay alive, and go home.

That’s the plan.

—

Brian L. is a paleoconservative writer and startup marketing consultant who has a B.A. in Political Science, an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion, and a penchant for debunking humanity. Find him on Twitter.