Walking.  I bet you never knew it could be so complicated.  For that matter, I bet you, the reader, never knew that victims could be picked out with great accuracy by merely watching them walk.  The same is true for attackers.  Cops know this.  So do many martial artists.  Today I’ll talk a little about how to walk so you don’t look like a victim.

So how does a victim look when walking?  Do they walk with balance?  No.  Do they swing their arms?  Yes.  Are they carrying a lot of stuff?  Yes.  When walking, do they come down on their heels?  Yes.  Do they wobble from side to side?  Yes  Is their head down?  Yes  Bobbing like a bobble-head doll?  Yes.  Is their fanny sticking out behind as they lean forward?  Yes.  Is their chest out and arms stiffly held by the side?  Yes.   Now, all victims don’t do all these things but these are the things that make you look like a victim.  And that’s something you don’t want.

So, how do you walk?  Can you tell?  If so try not to walk like this.

How should you walk?  A good walk is balanced, smooth.  No arm swinging but arms not held stiffly either.  Just a little sway.  No wobbling side to side and no head bobbing.  Fanny tucked in so the center of the pelvis and the center of the shoulder are in a straight line.  Feet picked up and put down with minimum impact.  The impression should be of smooth, balanced travel.  And believe me, while it may be subliminal, attackers know who is a good target and who is not; they tend to stay away from people who look like they are more trouble than they are worth.