There’s No Place like Home

Don’t make the mistake of leaving your self defense and martial arts training in your suitcase when you go on vacation!
Peter Barry


A couple of weeks ago there was a story on the news and in the paper that sticks in my mind. It is the story about a group of cruise ship passengers that were held up at gun point while on a land tour. If you are not familiar with the story, The Carnival Lines ship Legend docked in Limon, Costa Rica. A group of 6 passengers booked a private tour. While on the tour, 3 armed assailants attempted to rob them. One of the passengers, a 70 year-old man grabbed one of the attackers
and snapped his neck. OK, so the man was a former Marine. The other passengers began to resist and the attack ended with no one that matters being hurt.

When I first heard about this I thought it was great that none of the passengers were hurt and the man was a hero for taking action. I still think that but, when you look further into the story, the passengers have to accept some responsibility for putting themselves in this situation. The passengers were warned that Limon was a dangerous place and that a passenger on another ship was shot in the stomach a month earlier. Another passenger booked a private tour
but he heeded the crews’ warnings and also hired a body guard. Another passenger, a retired NYPD officer, said “From the moment I stepped off the ship, I knew it was very dangerous,”
“Everyone was eying us all over”. I looked up Limon in the internet and I didn’t see anything worth doing or seeing that was worth risking my life over. Why would you want the added stress of wandering around a dangerous place when you are supposed to be relaxing on vacation? I think staying on the ship and lounging by the pool would have been the wiser choice.

In another incident, a friend of mine was in Madrid visiting his daughter who was spending the semester studying in Spain. Now, Madrid is not at all like Limon. It is a very clean, very friendly city where you feel safe at any hour of the day. My friend was walking through the rail station,
rolling his bag behind him, looking for the place he was meeting his daughter. All of a sudden he was knocked backwards over his luggage and a man stole his wallet from his pants pocket.
I don’t think this was in any way his fault but, he should have been more aware of his surroundings and at least seen the man coming. What can be learned from these two
incidents? Be aware of your surroundings. Whether you are at the mall in your hometown or
on vacation in some third world country, you must be cognizant of what is going on around you.
Just because you are on vacation does not mean the criminals are. It means you will be out of town before the trial (if any) starts. Criminals always choose the weakest target. Wandering through a train station looking lost makes that you.

You are responsible for your own safety. Because Carnival Lines chooses to dock in Limon, doesn’t mean it is a safe place to visit. It probably means it is a cheap place to dock. Be prepared. Pack your pepper spray in your luggage (NOT your carry on) and Across Generations- It’s never too early or late to start your training. Bring your personal alarm for use in the hotel. Believe me, when people are staying in a hotel and hear a strange alarm they come out of their rooms pretty
quickly. I’m not saying you have to go through life being paranoid, just careful. Be safe.

About the Author
Peter Barry is a longtime martial artist and has one of only 4 recognized Black Belts in the world in Carl Cestari’s Tekkenryu jujutsu and rank in Kodokan Judo. He was Sensei Damian Ross’s first student in the ZenShin Dojo. He has over a decade of experience and trains and teaches at the ZenShin Dojo in Pompton Lakes, NJ (www.zenshin.info) He is also a staff instructor and author for The Self Defense Company (www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com)

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