PERRYSBURG, Ohio — A couple was robbed at gun point outside the Franklin Park Mall in west Toledo on Valentine's Day and shoppers who were there that night told WTOL 11 the incident has them more concerned about their safety.
Jon Penny, Director of Jon Penny's Black Belt Academy in Perrysburg, trains in martial arts and self-defense. He has over 20 years of experience. He said self-defense can be completely avoided if you know how to be aware of your surroundings.
"Excellence training in self-defense here at the black belt academy," said Penny. "But all of those things, candidly, are useless if that person isn't paying attention to what's going on around them."
Penny said a good start at how to be more aware of your surroundings is putting your phone away. He also recommends three things to look out for in an environment: people, exits and visual dead spaces.
"Who looks out of place? Who looks angry or frustrated in an otherwise happy environment or an upbeat place," said Penny.
Penny said he looks for exits both inside and outside as if it were a fire drill so he can be ready if he needs to leave an area quickly.
Also, he said a person should take note of some of the areas he can't see, like behind car doors, corners and desks; what he calls the visual dead spaces.
However, if you have already caught the attention of a suspicious person, Penny says to pay attention to their hands, behavior and clothing.
"Is what they're doing normal? Are they wearing heavy clothing in cold weather or are they wearing heavy clothing in warm weather? Are they hiding their hands because they look cold or are they hiding their hands because their holding an object?," said Penny.
In the most serious case, if the person is armed, Penny says, 9 times out of 10, compliance is the safest option. He said if compliance fails, he said to go with your gut instinct.
"That's a highly individual perspective or decision also based on the totality of circumstances. In your gut, of what is going to be safest," said Penny.
The academy trains kids ages 4 and a half up and Penny said he has also been looking more into environmental studies to predict when crime might happen before it happens in a certain area.