7 Keys To Survival On The Run
Author: Steve Hanafi, Silat Sharaf Practitioner, Malaysia
Corrupt officials, organizations, and governments exist on almost every corner of this planet. They do whatever they want. And when they want something, nothing stands in their way. This includes if they have to cross someone’s name from a list, maybe yours or your closest family member’s. This situation might be far-fetched for many. You think you have your life together, you have good connections here and there, even if things go south, escaping from an organization, especially a governmental organization might be one of the last things you'd think of. But it can all happen in the blink of an eye. You might have pissed off the wrong person, corrupt armed forces or police officers, someone else trying to take you down or out of the game, sabotage or simply being in a country where corruption is rampant. Any which way, if you need to escape crazy dictators, these are a handful of survival rules that will keep you alive just a bit longer.
1. Physical fitness
Being able to outrun and outlast your opponent is one of the most important aspects of real world survival
The first and most crucial aspect that is often overlooked is physical fitness. People talk about acquiring gear, getting trained, and being "tactical", but can't run a mile without getting a heart attack. This goes without saying, but in a real survival situation, being able to run is far more important than any tactical gear. And being able to walk from town to town in harsh conditions with very minimal equipment Is far better than having the most complete bug-out bag and survival gear but being too unfit to make any good use of it.
There's a reason why this one's at the top of the list, it's because this is the most crucial aspect. Fail this and your chances of escaping and surviving diminishes rapidly. It's crucial that you work on improving your physical fitness; lift weights, run, hike, swim, cycle, anything that you can do to get your body strong and prepared for whatever can and will be thrown at you when shit goes south. It goes without saying that those with a better physical fitness level have better pain tolerance, higher mental toughness, a stronger work ethic, and can endure a lot more than those who are not.
If you're escaping from a person or an organization, the one thing that you'll do the most is running. A lot of it. This is an open secret revealed by stories from soldiers who escaped POW camps and lived to tell the tale, they had to run for their life, not just walk. Sure, having a strong mind aids, but I bet you've never met an obese armchair commando having stronger willpower than someone whose physical performance is at the top of his game. Being fit and strong means you have the ability to overpower your opponent, and usually just as important or if not more so, outlast your opponent through good conditioning. (Other skills that might help you to survive)
2. Having a network you can trust
There's a reason why special operations groups are dropped in teams because teams work better and faster than individuals. There's also a reason a spy network works with many people, and people with wide networks tend to perform better in business. Because working in a team ensures that you can cover loopholes and weaknesses. Well-trained teams with good communication get tasks done at a faster rate and with better consistency. Having a team provides you with ample security and strength, also. In a crisis, the best thing for you is to have a group of people who can help you hide, seek shelter, get money or resources, or get you the tools you need to escape. Like-minded people whom you can trust are always the best option. As the saying goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Being in a group helps you to stack up resources and advantages on your side for whatever goal you have in mind. In a survival situation, having people with different skills can tremendously help. Having a medic, a mechanic, a strategist, will help you walk down the road longer.
3. Survival skills and Survival gear
If the urban jungle isn't your first choice you might stand a chance in the wilderness. Before proceeding you should always note that resources will be scarce, the weather can turn awful without notice, and you won't be near the comfort of Netflix at night before going to bed. However, if you are well-prepared with the right survival gear, you might stand a chance to survive in the jungle for a long period while evading those on your tail until it is safe for your next move. One of the best things that you can bring is good, high-quality survival gear. A good backpack, some kind of water purification method, fire-making tools, shelter building, and a good workhorse knife such as a Parang (machete – my favorite) or an axe. Note that the survival gear you bring is only as good as the skill that you possess in employing it.
You don't rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training.
You don't want to be the guy whose first time using that survival gear is during an emergency. Get out in the woods now and then and practice using your survival gear. It's best to learn from an expert, if you have one nearby, seek guidance and teaching from them how to use what you have properly. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it has to be useful and be extensively trained with. A good piece of advice I would keep in mind is that the mentality is primary, survival gear is additional.
One thing that will never be a waste during trying times; a good backpack.
4. Hand to hand combat and edged weapon skills
Getting into fights should always be your last option, but if you have to, you'd better be able to do it well and finish it quickly. Aggression can be a benefit, but madness rarely does anything but blur your vision. If it comes to the point that you have to throw down and use your combat skills, you'd want to stack up the advantages on your side. Think of fights as an investment. A high-risk investment never likes low returns. Make it worth the risk that is taken and the resources that you use. Keep in mind that the more you engage in fights, the more resources you'll use and at some point, you'll end up broke. And that's nowhere good. If you have to fight, make sure you act first, act faster, play dirty, use whatever dirty tricks you have up your sleeve. Throw them, gouge their eyes, pull their mouth, kick the groin, strike the throat, break their bones, dislocate the joints, anything, anything that will make the other person unable and unwilling to fight. However, regardless of how good you are, if you gas out easily, everything goes out of the window so refer to point 1 above. And also…learn how to fight with a knife. They are legal to buy in any country and you can effectively fend off much stronger opponents if you’re skilled with a knife. If you have no idea how to use one for combat, click the big red button at the top of the page and we’ll show you how.
5. Behave like an animal, leave as little behind as possible
Move from one place to the other and leaving as little trace of yourself as possible by staying off the grid: no cards, smartphones, sim cards, train passes, etc. Cash is king in these situations but only in small amounts. Large outlays of cash will raise as much suspicion as a bright red hat that says “I’m on the lam”. A good medical kit would also make a good addition to your urban survival kit. A burner phone is always a great option if possible, but don’t use it to call people you know because whoever is looking for you will probably be watching them as well. Treat a phone like your enemy, every time you speak into it he can hear everything you say. So if you give away too much he’ll find you. The phone is always hot.
Also, try to move at night when visibility on public surveillance systems is poor, but not too late at night that you’re the only one out and easily targetted by corrupt officers on the prowl looking for bribes from people doing shady stuff. If you’re in a new urban environment to start a new life, then by all means move during the day and be as normal as possible like everyone else. Another important thing is to wear local clothing. Try to blend in as much as possible with the people around you while still staying natural. There is nothing natural about a 6-foot white guy wearing a loincloth in Papua New Guinea: be realistic. Clothes are within your control so stay local but stay real. And never wear the tactical clothing, ever. You might like the 5.11 tactical pants, hellstorm sunglasses; you’re wearing a target on your back that says “kill me first” to all predators. Stay away from that stuff.
6. Carry barter items you can swap easily on the road
Carry items you can easily swap for other things you need or cash. Gold and silver coins can easily be pawned off for cash anywhere in the world, cigarettes can be bartered on the street for local items like food and drinks, and watches that are good quality and sought after can be traded for emergency goods you need. A $100 Casio Gshock can literally bribe you out of a jail cell if you’re slick enough and can make a deal. Carry things that are easily tradeable, look inconspicuous, and still have broad value.
7. Stay away from women…or men if you’re into that sort of thing
Last but not least, stay the hell away from women. The most dangerous thing you can do when on the run is to take refuge in the arms of a beautiful prostitute. Street girls are the eyes and ears for predators high and low everywhere on earth and they will betray you as quickly as they will sleep with you. Unless you know the environment very well, stay far away from women on the street or any woman who offers herself to you. Always assume they are already on the dark side and are just waiting to take you down.