We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Joshua Johnston

We, in the modern world are obsessed with fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes.  It is practically inhuman for someone to be so astute that they can identify nearly invisible details in any situation. These fantasies are no longer as far-fetched as we once believed.

Back in the early 2000's the US Military researched and studied various methods to create better and smarter Soldiers. They wanted military personnel to be able to read a person's intentions anywhere and everywhere. After much dutiful study, research and testing, the military finally released a program to do just that.

Read more

We, in the modern world are obsessed with fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes.  It is practically inhuman for someone to be so astute that they can identify nearly invisible details in any situation. These fantasies are no longer as far-fetched as we once believed.

Back in the early 2000's the US Military researched and studied various methods to create better and smarter Soldiers. They wanted military personnel to be able to read a person's intentions anywhere and everywhere. After much dutiful study, research and testing, the military finally released a program to do just that.

This is the first course of six courses, diving into the realms of situational awareness, human behavior, body language and biological indicators. In this course, you will begin with the basics of understanding how to use your senses to become a habitual radar. Additionally, you will learn how to prepare for an emergency in the same manner displayed from characters like Jason Bourne.

Whether you are former military or if you've never taken a self-defense course, this will help you see the world differently and through a new lens. The world will reveal details you never noticed before.

Are you ready? 

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Your "secret abilities" to create a 360 degree radar
  • Our 3-step method to expand and hone your awareness
  • 7-hacks to keep from being caught off guard
  • Our trifecta system to plan and prepare for any emergency scenario
  • The pivotal decision making system made famous by us air force jet fighters

Syllabus

Introduction

A fun overview of TAPP and what we do.

Are you ready to see the world through a new lens?

A short history describing the origins of SA and it's revolutionary outlook.

Read more

Find out what SA is and how you were born to be aware.

Now you know what SA is, its time to use it on the street.

Learn the three steps to prepare for any emergency.

Creating a plan makes decisions easier and a decision without action is meaningless.

A review of the course material.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores situational awareness, human behavior, and body language, which are useful for personal growth and navigating social situations
Teaches methods to expand and hone awareness, which may be helpful for those seeking to improve their observation skills
Presents a decision-making system inspired by US Air Force jet fighters, which could offer a unique perspective on problem-solving
Belongs to a series of six courses, suggesting a comprehensive and detailed exploration of the subject matter
Requires learners to see the world through a new lens, which may require a significant shift in perspective for some individuals
Explicitly advises learners that this is the first course of six, which may require learners to take additional courses to gain a full understanding

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
Save

Reviews summary

Introduction to mental self defense and awareness

According to learners, this course provides a solid introduction to situational awareness and personal safety concepts. Students appreciate the practical tips and strategies for becoming more aware of their surroundings and preparing for potential emergencies. Many find the instructor to be knowledgeable and engaging, although some note that the tone can sometimes feel sensationalized. The course is often described as a good starting point, covering foundational ideas in a clear manner, but a few reviewers desired more depth or scientific detail.
Serves as a solid foundation, but lacks depth.
"A great starting point for anyone new to self-defense and awareness concepts."
"It covers the basics well, but if you have prior knowledge, it might feel a bit introductory."
"I wished for more advanced techniques or deeper dives into the psychology aspects."
"Provides a good overview, but don't expect extensive, scientific explanations."
Instructor is passionate and keeps learners interested.
"The instructor is clearly passionate about the subject and delivers the content with enthusiasm."
"I enjoyed the lectures, the instructor kept things interesting throughout the course."
"His energy and real-world anecdotes made the material more relatable and memorable."
"The delivery style was engaging, which helped me stay focused on the lessons."
Offers actionable advice for situational awareness.
"This course gave me great practical steps to improve my situational awareness daily."
"I learned useful techniques to assess my surroundings and spot potential issues."
"The tips provided are easily applicable to real-world situations, making me feel safer."
"I found the exercises for expanding my awareness particularly helpful and easy to implement."
Applicable tips for personal safety and awareness.
"This course has genuinely changed how I view my surroundings daily."
"The concepts taught here are highly relevant for improving personal safety in everyday situations."
"I feel more prepared and confident navigating public spaces after taking this course."
"Gave me simple yet effective ways to enhance my awareness while out and about."
Marketing style might be off-putting to some.
"While the content is good, the 'secret abilities' and 'combat psychology' framing felt a bit over the top."
"The marketing hype is stronger than the actual course content's intensity."
"I would prefer a more grounded and less sensational approach to the topic."
"Some of the language used in the course felt a little like a sales pitch at times."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Mental Self Defense and Combat Psychology with these activities:
Review Basic Psychology Concepts
Reviewing basic psychology concepts will provide a solid foundation for understanding the more advanced topics covered in the course, such as situational awareness and human behavior analysis.
Browse courses on Cognitive Biases
Show steps
  • Read introductory psychology textbook chapters.
  • Complete online quizzes on key concepts.
  • Summarize major psychological theories.
Review 'The Gift of Fear'
Reading 'The Gift of Fear' will enhance your understanding of intuition and threat assessment, which are crucial components of mental self-defense.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Reflect on personal experiences where intuition played a role.
  • Discuss the book's concepts with others.
Review 'Left of Bang'
Reading 'Left of Bang' will provide you with a structured approach to situational awareness and threat assessment, enhancing your ability to anticipate and avoid danger.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Practice the observation techniques described in the book.
  • Apply the concepts to real-world scenarios.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document your situational awareness exercises
Documenting your situational awareness exercises will help you track your progress and identify areas for improvement, solidifying your understanding of the course material.
Show steps
  • Record your observations in a journal.
  • Analyze your reactions to different situations.
  • Identify patterns in your behavior.
Create a Personal Safety Plan
Developing a personal safety plan will allow you to apply the course's principles to your own life, reinforcing your understanding of emergency preparedness and situational awareness.
Show steps
  • Identify safe routes and escape plans.
  • Assess potential threats in your environment.
  • Practice your plan with family or friends.
Develop a Threat Assessment Checklist
Creating a threat assessment checklist will help you systematically evaluate potential dangers in your environment, reinforcing your understanding of situational awareness.
Show steps
  • Identify key indicators of potential threats.
  • Create a checklist to evaluate these indicators.
  • Test your checklist in different environments.
Practice the OODA Loop
Practicing the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) will improve your decision-making skills under pressure, a critical component of mental self-defense.
Show steps
  • Simulate stressful situations.
  • Run through the OODA loop mentally.
  • Evaluate your performance and identify areas for improvement.

Career center

Learners who complete Mental Self Defense and Combat Psychology will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Emergency Management Specialist
An emergency management specialist develops and implements plans for responding to emergencies. This course, which teaches preparedness and decision making in emergency situations, is aligned with the work of an Emergency Management Specialist. The course's emphasis on the Trifecta system to plan and prepare for any emergency scenario and the pivotal decision making system, directly contributes to the skills needed in this career. This course helps an Emergency Management Specialist become more proactive by offering a way to be ready for anything.
Law Enforcement Officer
Law enforcement officers need to be highly observant and able to quickly assess a situation for potential dangers. This course, with its emphasis on situational awareness, human behavior, body language, and biological indicators, provides a foundation for a Law Enforcement Officer to make informed decisions in high-pressure environments. The "secret abilities" to create a 360 degree radar and planning for emergency scenarios, which this course teaches, are essential for maintaining safety and control in unpredictable situations. A law enforcement officer may find that the skills taught in this course enhance their ability to identify threats and keep their communities safe.
Private Investigator
Private investigators conduct investigations for a variety of clients, requiring them to be highly observant and skilled at assessing situations. The course helps a private investigator learn to use their senses as a 'habitual radar,' which is directly applicable to the skills needed for this field. Further, the course on understanding body language and biological indicators can give a private investigator insights into the behaviors of individuals and the ways that they can better uncover information. The course's methodology to plan and prepare for an emergency is crucial to the challenges of a private investigator.
Intelligence Analyst
An intelligence analyst gathers and assesses information to provide insights on a variety of topics, including national security. The ability to read people's intentions and understand subtle cues is crucial for this role, making this course quite relevant. The course's focus on situational awareness and human behavior can directly improve an intelligence analyst's capacity to analyze data and to identify patterns. The course's emphasis on expanding and honing awareness, combined with the ability to plan and prepare for any emergency scenario, helps an intelligence analyst identify and understand potential threats.
Security Analyst
A security analyst investigates potential threats and vulnerabilities to an organization's systems. This role requires a keen understanding of human behavior and the ability to quickly assess situations. The course's focus on situational awareness, combined with its teachings on biological indicators, can help a security analyst anticipate potential risks and respond more effectively to them. Additionally, skills taught in this course to recognize and plan for emergency scenarios further help a security analyst to better protect sensitive assets. The course emphasizes the use of senses to become a 'habitual radar,' which is crucial to a security analyst's ability to detect anomalies.
Negotiator
Negotiators work to resolve conflicts between parties. This role requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to understand the intentions of others. The course's focus on human behavior, body language, and biological indicators will help a negotiator more skillfully read the people with whom they are negotiating. The course's system to plan and prepare for any emergency scenario can also help a negotiator plan for the unexpected. The course gives skills and strategies that may prove valuable to a negotiator.
Risk Manager
A risk manager identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks for an organization. This role requires a strong understanding of potential threats and the ability to develop contingency plans. This course's teachings centered around situational awareness and emergency preparedness can provide a risk manager with the tools necessary to proactively safeguard assets. A risk manager would benefit from the course's emphasis on the 3-step method to expand and hone awareness and the Trifecta system to plan and prepare for any emergency scenario. This course can give a greater sense of control over unpredictable events.
Fraud Investigator
A fraud investigator examines financial records and systems to identify fraudulent activities. This role requires analytical skills and a keen awareness of subtle details. The course's teaching on situational awareness, human behavior, and the ability to 'read' a person can help a fraud investigator identify inconsistencies and red flags. Furthermore, the course's framework for planning for emergency scenarios might help a fraud investigator plan for how to pursue a case in a wide range of environments. The course can give a fraud investigator the advantage in investigating fraud.
Human Resources Specialist
A human resources specialist works with the employees of an organization. This course's focus on human behavior and situational awareness would help someone in this role navigate workplace dynamics and conflicts. A human resources specialist might also be able to use the course's method to plan and prepare when considering solutions to issues that arise in the workplace. The course's emphasis on the ability to be a 'habitual radar' also would help a human resource specialist to detect problems early and often.
Social Worker
Social workers support individuals and families facing various challenges. The course's focus on human behavior and situational awareness may help a social worker assess the needs of their clients and create effective support strategies. Though some social work roles require a master's degree, this course may be useful by offering a unique perspective on human behavior and planning for challenging situations. The course's teachings on preparing for emergency scenarios may be particularly useful in high-pressure environments.
Project Manager
A project manager oversees and coordinates the various aspects of a project to ensure its successful completion. This course's teachings on situational awareness and planning for any emergency scenario can help a project manager anticipate and mitigate potential roadblocks. The pivotal decision making system and the Trifecta system taught in the course might help a project manager to better handle complex situations and lead a team. The course may prove useful for any project manager who wants to proactively address complications.
Counselor
Counselors work with individuals or groups to address challenges. This role requires an understanding of human behavior and the ability to assess situations accurately. While many counseling roles require a master's degree, this course may be useful in giving a counselor unique perspectives on human behavior and may enhance their ability to understand their clients. The preparation for emergency scenarios that this course may teach might help a counselor manage difficult situations.
Market Research Analyst
Market research analysts study consumer behavior and market trends. This course's focus on situational awareness and reading human behavior may be useful for a market research analyst to better understand consumer motivations and preferences. The method to plan and prepare for emergency scenarios may help a Market Research Analyst develop strategies for responding to disruptions in the market. This course may be useful to someone in this role.
Teacher
Teachers are responsible for educating students. The course's teachings on situational awareness and human behavior would help a teacher better manage their classroom. The course's methodology of preparing for an emergency could allow a teacher to better address unexpected incidents that may arise in a learning environment. The skills taught in this course may be useful to a teacher who wants to be more attuned to the actions and needs of their students.
Sales Representative
Sales representatives work directly with clients to persuade them to purchase their product or service. The teachings of this course on human behavior and body language could help a sales representative understand when a client may be receptive to a sale. The course's teaching of awareness may also help a sales representative notice more subtle social cues. This course might be useful for a sales representative who wants to improve their sales performance.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Mental Self Defense and Combat Psychology.
Details the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter program, which focuses on pre-incident indicators and threat assessment. It provides practical techniques for observing and interpreting human behavior, directly complementing the course's focus on situational awareness and reading intentions. This book valuable resource for anyone interested in improving their ability to detect and avoid danger.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Similar courses

Similar courses are unavailable at this time. Please try again later.
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser