NEW BUSINESS IS LAUNCHED

This month I finally launched my new business, RED ZEN PERSONAL PROTECTION SOLUTIONS, something that I have wanted to do for a couple of years but was still heavily involved in my retail business up until now, and which I am now in the process of winding up.

The original idea for Red Zen was to offer women a unique self protection and awareness course, based on my collective experience and knowledge from nearly thirty-seven years as a martial arts student, thirty as a teacher, and twelve years in law enforcement, including work on the street dealing with volatile and violent offenders. I also have twenty-three years experience of running a Jersey based business.

I have been disappointed, over the years, with the offerings that I have experienced, by groups, individuals and clubs who run 'women's self defence courses'. Often, the courses consisted of teaching people a version of their own martial art, without understanding the difference between martial arts and self protection as a subject, the psychology of violence and the transfer of skills from the dojo* to the street. 

Because many martial arts, especially traditional styles, train in a very stylised way, one has to understand how to adapt what is learned in the dojo and transfer it to a real life scenario when you are put in fear, something that you cannot recreate in a training environment.

Some of the more modern martial arts appear, at first glance, to be better suited to combat in modern life, such as mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, however, even in a sport setting, one still has a referee and a set of rules. The fear factor experienced on the street will rarely make an appearance during competition, although these arts do have merit for pressure-testing within the rules set out by the relevant governing bodies. 

One other thing that I found sadly lacking during these courses was the total exclusion of lecture topics, offering the student common sense information relevant to real life, such as explaining to a member of the public their rights and responsibilities under the law pertaining to self defence and the use of reasonable force; what constitutes an assault; the definition of offensive weapons; communication, verbal and non verbal; dynamic risk assessments; how to control the fear factor, the fight or flight syndrome - the release of adrenaline; being a good witness; the aftermath of rape and sexual offences to name but a few. This is something that I offer in a tailor made system for women and vulnerable adults.

From a foundation of self protection and awareness for women, Red Zen will develop to offer a number of personal protection solutions to the general public as well as corporate clients, public sector employees and programmes for the education and safety of children and teachers in our schools.

The Red Zen website can be found at www.redzenpps.com

TRAVEL SAFE - Part 1

With my impending trip abroad fast approaching, I though it pertinent to run a short post on Travelling in Safety.

It is common for many people to treat travelling away from home in the same way that they see travelling around their own neighbourhood, ie feeling safe in their surroundings and relaxing any sort of internal alarm system. 

However, without trying to frighten people away from exploring new countries, you have to plan, both internally and externally, any trips abroad as if you are planning a military exercise. The army and police used to use the five 'P's which means, 'Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance', in the way that they approached any situation, and, travelling away from home should engender the same ethos.

Good planning means that you will be travelling with all the right documents, copies of important papers and the right clothing needed for the trip, and any equipment that you may require. It also means, equal importance is given to researching where you are going and how any laws, customs or traditions may affect you. The last thing that you want to do is offend anyone with your lack of knowledge of do's and don't's in the country that you are a guest in. Remember; you are a 'guest' in their country, nothing more.

To use my trip as an example; I will be travelling to Pilau Penang, an island to the west of the Malaysian peninsula. From what I have heard and researched, Penang is a diverse island with rain forests and habitation with a number of different cultures co-existing on this small island, including Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures. The capital is Georgetown (named after King George III). On this occasion, my first ever trip there, I will be travelling alone, however, I will be meeting friends who live on the island and so, it will not be the same as travelling alone without any prior personal contacts. As a female travelling alone (or even a male in many cases) I would always say that it is safer travelling in pairs or a group.

Several months before you leave for your trip, you should make sure that you have any travel Visa applications sent to the relevant Embassies to ensure that you are legally able to enter the country of choice. In this case I do not need a Visa to travel to Penang via Singapore from the United Kingdom. You should also seek medical advice and enquire as to what inoculations (jabs) are needed. The travel clinics (many Doctors' practices have them) will advise what injections are recommended and you then have a choice whether to take their advice or not. I would always recommend that you take everything that they advise. Do not take chances with your health or your life.

I will assume that if you are going somewhere that you have never visited before, you will be interested enough in the location to do some research on those destinations. With the internet, this has never been easier. More importantly, when you are checking out the activities that you want to do, you should put some time aside to read up on the customs and do's and don'ts. It is possible to offend someone by doing or omitting to do something that you were unaware of just because you did not check things out beforehand.

Having been to Malaysia before (the mainland, not Penang island) I am already aware of many of the social pitfalls, such as knowing that it is rude to show the soles of your feet to anyone, eg putting your bare feet up on a table or chairs in a public or private area. Pointing your finger is also rude, if you have to point, then custom in Malaysia dictates that you lead with your thumb and not your index finger. If you are visiting a family home, it is polite to remove your shoes at the door and bring a gift. It does not have to be an expensive present but good manners dictate that this is the correct etiquette. You also have to be aware that a large proportion of Malaysia has a Muslim population and therefore, in some States, alcohol is not always available in restaurants or shops, but is more than likely available for purchase in hotels, but ones' behaviour has to be taken into consideration should one imbibe an excess of the 'falling down juice'.

My overriding warning to every traveller, unless you know the person/s that you are visiting is, be suspicious of everyone until you know different. This piece of advice could save your life. There will be many people that approach you on your holiday, including smiling locals, street sellers, beggars and homeless people and those that are touting for business as taxis. There are many people posing as taxi drivers, even in the UK, who are not licensed or bona fide cab drivers. They may be doing this to earn money illegally or they may have a rather more sinister reason. If in doubt, do not get in. If you are seeking a taxi from the hotel, get the hotel staff to call you a licensed taxi and get the telephone number of the driver for the return journey. Hotels are less likely to use unlicensed or illegal taxis as it is their reputation that is on the line.

I was in Malaysia in 1999 and was in charge of the security for over forty martial arts students from Europe (mainly from UK and Eire) and I gave a safety talk after we had arrived in Johor State. Even after that lecture, there were still some of the younger students who could have got themselves into some difficulty as they ignored the advice about going off with people that they didn't know. Fortunately there were no dangerous outcomes but there could have been. 

Always plan your day before leaving your hotel that morning (or the night before). If you look confident in the way that you present on the street, although people will still approach you, your demeanour will show that you know where you are going and what you are doing. Locals will have better luck with those travellers that look lost or uncertain on the streets. If you do not want to visit a  shop or other location (they will have touts on the footpaths some distance from the business and are often paid per customer brought to them) then a firm but polite no will suffice, but will not deter them from continuing to try. If you really do not want to go, then you should not waver in your refusal. If they see you may have softened then they will effectively have changed your mind. Refer to any map you have in private and not on the street; another indication that you might be lost or unsure.

The next instalment (Part 2) will deal with personal safety, money, visiting sacred sites and modes of dress.

WEAR WHAT YOU LIKE, BUT BE AWARE OF THE PEST

There has been much controversy over the years on the subject of how a woman should dress in public. Of course the answer should be, and is, wear what you like, as long as it is not breaking any laws.

In 2011 in Toronto, Canada, a city police officer caused uproar when he said that, "Women should avoid dressing like sluts," so as not to encourage sexual assault. This crass comment, whether taken out of context or not, seemed to shift the blame for sexual assault from the perpetrator to the victim. This comment and the connotations behind it enraged many, and the first 'SlutWalk' was organised as a protest against this stance. After the first one held in Toronto, SlutWalks were repeated all over the world, with women taking to the streets, many dressed provocatively, to emphasise the point that the victim is not to blame, no matter how they are dressed.

With regard to the heinous crime of rape, it is to be remembered that both women and men can be raped, although, because of the stigma attached to it, men rarely make a formal complaint.

Rape has nothing to do with sex or making love; it is all about power, humiliation  and domination over an individual. Rapists use penetration as the ultimate control. Clothing has nothing to do with it. If that were the case, how do you account for the rape of elderly women in their 80's and 90's? Provocative, or 'sexy', clothing is not the primary driver of the would be rapist. You are more likely to be raped while wearing a pair of jogging pants and a T-Shirt, than a basque and suspenders.

According to UK police statistics, a very small proportion of rapes are carried out by strangers in random attacks. The majority of rapists are known, in some way, to their victims. However, many rapes go unreported or are often reported many years later, sometimes leading to historical cases being resurrected and prosecuted through the Courts. The police have come a long way in the manner with which they deal with rape victims. No longer are victims interviewed in the stark surroundings of a police station; they are taken to a  'soft suite' away from the premises. Specially trained officers and forensic staff are used in an effort to make the experience as least painful and traumatic as they can.

Every night, and especially the weekends, we women are pouring onto the streets with a view to enjoying ourselves. Many are dressed in a way that some people might think provocative. That is our right. However there is a BUT....please be aware that some (usually) males, because of their under developed brains, and their thoughts emanating from their genitalia, may see a scantily-clad female as 'fair game' and 'gagging for it'. So be on the alert for pests, drawn to you like a moth to a flame. We have all heard the corny chat up lines and most of us are equipped with witty put-downs or firm brush offs. 

When I was a Police motorcyclist I was often positioned near the exit to nighclubs at closing time. I saw many sex pests approaching women randomly and trying their luck. Often they would be drawn to the woman who were slightly unsteady on their feet, walking on their own and inevitably in high heels and what the neanderthal would deem 'sexy' clothing. They would be quite brazen about asking these girls back to their's for sex. Mostly they would be told to 'go away', although less politely, but on some occasions they would snare their prey; not looking to rape them, but looking for sex.

I was once on the enquiry desk at Police Headquarters at 3am one February morning when a girl walked into the station, bare foot, and wearing just a man's shirt. She looked dishevelled and we feared the worst. However, she told us that she had been picked up in a nightclub by a man (she had no clue as to his name, not even his first name), taken back to his room in a lodging house and they had engaged in consensual sexual intercourse. After the guy had fallen asleep, she left the room naked, to use the communal bathroom on the landing. When she returned to his room, she found that the wind had blown it shut. Finding it locked she tried to wake her companion, but to no avail. Going back into the bathroom, she found an old man's shirt stuffed behind the toilet cistern and that was what she was wearing when she entered the police station.

She was unable to tell us the address or even describe the street. What she did say was that she had walked for twenty minutes before finding us. We took her with us and drove around bedsit land for over an hour but she did not recognise any of the buildings. In the end we took her back to the hotel she was working and living in. A disturbing story of modern day dating.

This would normally lead on to the difficult subject of when consent to sex is withdrawn, often known as date rape. We will cover this on a different blog posting. 

The best defence to unwanted attention, and you cannot always avoid it, is awareness of your surroundings and a planned evening. 

REMEMBER GIRLS (and GUYS):  WEAR WHAT YOU LIKE and NO ALWAYS MEANS NO !

BUT BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU.

Welcome to Red Zen Personal Protection Solutions

RED ZEN PERSONAL PROTECTION SOLUTIONS

Welcome to the blog of the newly formed Red Zen Personal Protection Solutions company. 

We are a Jersey, Channel Islands' based company, specialising in offering self protection solutions to clients in the corporate and public sector world as well as members of the public.

I am Roisin Pitman, the founder and owner of Red Zen PPS. I have been a student and teacher of martial arts for over thirty-five years and was a police officer for nearly twelve years. 

The company was borne out of frustration at the lack of genuine self defence and awareness instruction, which, up until now, consisted of individual martial arts clubs teaching what they perceive to be self defence when, in fact, the subjects of martial arts and self protection, while being on the same spectrum, are at either end of it. Self protection and awareness is a different subject altogether.

For over twenty-five years I have been teaching a brand of self protection, totally separate to the aikido classes that I instruct. Not only does it include practical applications, but more importantly it includes AWARENESS as a dominant partner, by offering lectures in a multitude of subjects including:

Self defence and the Law - rights and responsibilities
What constitutes an offensive weapon - made, intended, adapted for use
How to read body language
Stress control - controlling the fear factor
Decision making under duress
Planning a night out
The aftermath of rape and sexual offences
Travel abroad in safety - do's and don'ts - local customs
Your responsibilities under the Licensing Law - client and owner/manager/agent
How to be a good witness - dealing with the Police and the Courts
Support is out there - groups, organisations, health care
Domestic violence
Urban safety - day and night
No means No - not yes, not maybe but NO !!!

My company's newly created website can be found at www.redzenpps.com. The site tells you a little of the Company background, and my own, and sets out its Services and Fee Schedule.

This blog will, at some time in the near future, be joined by a vLog entitled, 'Two Minute Safety Tips' and will give information on all of the subjects listed above, and many more besides.