If you have been prepping long enough, you may have encountered people who are a bit overly taken by the notion of being some sort of spy.
It’s easy to see why. The roguish badass, with his checkered history and his determination to achieve his goal is a fascinating archetype.
Secret agents exist as real-life superheroes. Who wouldn’t like to be such a person? !
Unfortunately, some people take this fantasy too far. The result is often laughable or even embarrassing. Even so, secret agents who we admire in both fiction and real life have some valuable lessons to teach about the skills that are needed for high-pressure situations and survival.
They are useful for all sorts of situations, not just those that require you to creep around in a foreign city at 3 am. Many of these are equally useful and essential if you need to drop your kids at school, or run from a mob.
Let’s skip the fiction and get straight to the meat of the matter. This article will reveal secret agent skills that you can integrate into your Personal Ready Plan.
We Aren’t Pretending, Here
It was always the case that, in all the years I spent in the personal safety and gun business, when a spy movie or secret agent film hit the theaters, you’d see an increase in people enrolling in concealed weapon classes, jiu jitsu classes and other classes that require “hard skills”.
Oakleys and other “agent-related” paraphernalia would also fly off of the shelves.
While we didn’t mind sales at all, it always made us laugh and was even saddening to see people lose their enthusiasm for self-sufficiency and readiness when they faced the hard work and novelty of the situation.
It’s really a shame, because they were doing the right thing. Even if it was just to impress their boyfriends and girlfriends.
It is extremely important to be prepared for danger in the real world. Yes, it can be a bit cringeworthy to get inspiration from fictional or real secret agents, when all we are is civilians. The intention is good!
It is not stupid or funny to want to become a more prepared person, more capable and more helpful. All of us care for people, and most have families.
It would be great if someone could save you when it’s all over. You can save the day when everyone else is in a panic and losing their heads.
This is a fact that deserves to be celebrated and not ridiculed! The people who want prestige and the “cool Factor” but don’t care about doing any real work or honoring the ability to be capable are what I find laughable.
The mountain is not fooled. The mountain knows who is faking it. You may look the part, have the right gear, and even know the legends, but the moment you get on that mountain, and need to survive, will reveal the real fakers.
The same is true for the list of skills: You don’t need to pretend to be a spy, nor do you have to accept the ridicule of those who would accuse you.
It’s all about what’s inside your heart and what you can do. It’s all or nothing. If you are disciplined enough to work hard, and you ever have an urgent situation, and you need to show yourself or others that you can handle it, then you will be able to deliver.
Secret Agent Skills for Everyday Readiness
Below I’ve listed 8 essential skills every secret agent should have, whether in reality or fiction. You can laugh all you like, but each one is useful for everyday life. By learning them and using them, you will be safer, better equipped and more confident.
You can stop reading now, but I will tell you that you shouldn’t waste time on a hobby you think is cool and trendy. It’s not worth it if you only want to be able to brag about your new interest or strut around with confidence. There aren’t enough mall ninjas or liars to mislead people.
We are glad that you’re here, because you will be the one to make the difference. All the skills listed below are not spectacular or exciting, but these skills will help you to avoid the worst possible harm and mitigate any harm that does happen.
Do not forget this! You might think it’s cool to be able knock fleas off a peach from a distance of 1,000 yards. But how often do you need that skill?
You’ll find hundreds of everyday examples where you can use these skills after reading the following list.
Secret agents are physically fit!
It’s rare to find an agent in bad shape with a beer belly and who gets tired when racing up stairs. It’s not surprising, since doing clandestine tasks in the real world is physically challenging.
If you’re caught in the act of doing clandestine activities, it can be physically challenging. Secret agents should have the ability to move like horses, pull like tractors and march like mules. To do their job, secret agents must have a mixture of speed, strength and agility.
If you’re going to survive any type of disaster, let alone a serious emergency, then it is likely that the attributes listed above will be necessary.
The Herd will eventually be culled by nature, so you do not want to become the sluggish, stupid or sickly antelope. Many writers before me have expressed their opinions about and the importance of fitness in terms of survival. All things equal, a fit person has better chances of survival.
Fitter people are stronger, faster and more able to adapt to changing and demanding situations. In an emergency, you might have to move someone unconscious or injured to safety.
It could be a complete stranger, one of your children, or even your partner. You might need to squeeze yourself into tight spaces to help yourself or your passengers get out of an accident. It may be necessary to open a jammed door.
Those are accidents. What if you had to deal with an actual threat? Do you really believe you can fight someone statistically younger, stronger, and more mean than yourself? You’re willing to fight someone who has a greater comfort level with violence?
Anyone who has taken an introduction Jiu-Jitsu course or any other form of serious combat training will tell you how they quickly lost the wind and their desire to fight. If you are ever tested in the real world, you will not be able tap out.
Take your physical training just as seriously as you would any other type of training. It is important to increase your speed, flexibility and strength to prevent injury and improve your ability in an emergency or fight.
Secret Agents know how to fight!
Remember I said Fight, not Shoot. Secret agents may find themselves in close proximity to their enemies, with no space for them to use a weapon. He may also be operating in a hostile environment where he cannot carry any weapons.
He must be able to use fists and elbows as well as feet, knees, and even his legs. Secret agents know that they’ll be able to use hand-to-hand combat more often than weapons to solve problems.
It is true that if the situation allows, a secret agent may carry weapons. This is because, in some cases, you have to be able to deal with a deadly threat quickly to ensure your survival. The weapons make it possible.
You can use primitive weapons of chance and improvised weaponry if the agent does not have a firearm. Common materials can be used to create all kinds of stabbing weapons and slashing tools. You can sharpen and shape silverware into blades.
You can turn pen barrels into spikes and shanks. You can make blinding powder from metal and glass filaments. You can make all sorts of weapons if you’re crafty.
All of this does not include things which are readily available and ready to use as weapons when needed. From heavy pieces of cookware, to lumber and boring stones to boiling soup.
You can use all sorts of items that are close by to cause lethal or crippling damage.
You should know how to fight in any situation, whether you are armed or unarmed. Preppers, in particular, are prone to focusing on gun training at the expense of other skills.
This is a serious failure in priorities, if I may say so. Many more problems of defense will be resolved with less-lethal weapons or fisticuffs before we turn to guns and knives.
You will avoid more conflicts and their negative effects if you are proficient in grappling, boxing, and pepper spray.
If the situation requires lethal force then you better be prepared. It is important that you are proficient in the use of a firearm and at a minimum, passable with a blade.
Don’t be shocked if you see that more businesses and public spaces are banning citizens from carrying weapons on their premises.
You can use found or improvised weaponry to protect yourself if you are unarmed.
It’s a very dangerous world out there. Be prepared to face it.
Drive it Like You Stole It: Secret Agents can Handle Vehicles
When a secret service agent faces a challenge he cannot solve, he may have to run away from it. The agent may be surrounded by agents who are determined to stop him or he might have to avoid hazards on the road.
It doesn’t really matter why. You can rest assured that no matter what vehicle you have, or the weather conditions, a spy knows exactly how to take it to its limit.
Although you won’t be able to conduct rolling gunfights in a supercar worth a million dollars, your driving abilities will still be put to the test just like any other secret agent.
It is important that you pass the following test. Tens of thousands Americans are killed on our roads every year. There are also hundreds and hundreds of accidents involving two or more cars, all along the highways which crisscross the vast nation.
It is very rare to talk with someone who’s never been in an accident. Nearly everyone has a friend or family member who was involved.
If that doesn’t make you realize the need to develop performance driving skills I do not know what else will. Advanced driving training is the only way to develop reflexes, confidence, and skills to safely navigate through an accident or to avoid it.
You can’t learn this by reading on the Internet. Instead, you have to go in your vehicle, attend a driving school, receive training, and regularly practice. After enough practice your evasive moves will become second nature.
You may not have considered using your vehicle as a means of protection or as a weapon if you feel threatened. The number of carjackings is on the increase.
Kidnappings happen every day. You have probably seen the riots or mobs in urban centers. What would you do if a violent mob surrounded your vehicle?
You can also use your car as a ram or bulldozer if you are familiar with it and understand what you need to do. In an emergency, you can use your vehicle to push cars aside or gently nudge people (so they don’t get hit), remove roadblocks and much more.
A vehicle can be more difficult to stop than someone walking.
When I see protesters playing chicken at intersections with cars that try to slowly roll through, it always makes me smile. You see them pushing and leaning on the car like they have any chance of stopping; but they do not.
If you ever find yourself in a mob, keep this information at the forefront of your mind.
Secret agents know where they are going.
Have you ever seen someone who appears to be lost in the public? You have. You’ve seen the darting gazes, the frantic looking around and consulting their GPS, smartphone or map.
Once you learn what to look out for, it’s easy. What else does that look say to people who are watching? It is true that it can be interpreted as “vulnerable” by certain types of people.
A simple mistake has led to far more catastrophes than any innocent error in the history of mankind.
This is a problem that secret agents are rarely affected by. This is because secret agents take their time and do the necessary research in advance. They are familiar with the terrain. They are familiar with all of the main routes, landmarks and other important information about a particular place.
They know secret routes to and from the city. They will be able to navigate in urban areas and remote wilderness.
These aren’t homing pigeons. Birds have an innate sense for direction, but they don’t. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to be able to find alternate routes when your main route becomes blocked. You can learn this skill! This is not something special or inborn.
Start by learning your area inside out. What are the main routes running north, south and west?
Can you orientate yourself from afar if you are lost by relying on major landscape features? What about major infrastructures like railways or airports?
It is not enough to know the way, you also need tools that will help guide you, particularly when in unfamiliar terrain. Secret agents will use a map or a compass. They may even hide tiny versions of these tools in the shoe soles, jacket linings, and the like.
You don’t need to hide your survival equipment, so you can carry it with you wherever you go.
Before you protest, saying that you have lived in the same place your entire life and know it by heart, remember that any number of disasters could obliterate your childhood home.
You will be able to navigate without any street signs or buildings. Even without forests. When times are tough, maps and a compass will help you navigate. Learn how to use them and always keep them with you.
Secret agents don’t compromise themselves – Keep your business private.
Secret agents lead a double-life. Secret agents have a clever cover story that can be used to answer any question or cover for any possible scenario. They are among the most mysterious and evasive characters in the world.
This is for good reasons. This is not only to create a mysterious air. Your life will be made much harder if the wrong people find out the wrong information about you.
For a spy, “kidnapped and interrogated” is harder. If you are a citizen trying to prepare for the worst or a bad situation, “hold up” can be harder.
Preppers of all kinds love to share their knowledge and experience. People who are passionate about something will want to share their enthusiasm with others.
It is a great joy to find someone with similar interests. It is very easy to overlook the fact that everyone does not have your best interests at heart. Even if someone is not against you it doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t betray you.
You might be surprised by the reaction of someone you tell about your training and prepping at lunch. They might tell a friend who, say, has a checkered history and isn’t completely reformed about it.
This scummy person might ask for more details. This scummy buddy might take notes. This scummy buddy might decide to visit you unannounced at 2 am with his two friends. Surprise! Surprise!
Keep your important business to yourself and no one else. Do not tell people outside of your trust circle, I mean the real trust circle, what you are doing in terms of material acquisitions or training.
Do not tell anyone where you are planning to bug out. Do not tell anyone about the amount of food that you have stored. Quit talking about it. Talk about something harmless if you must.
Discuss what’s happening in your town. Discuss the weather. Discuss your favourite book or show.
You’ll do better in difficult times if you are able to “seal” up as much information in your daily life. What you do, say, wear and display on social networks are all part of your project.
If you have an injury, fix it. Secret agents know how to treat injuries.
Everyone knows that the best part of being a spy is to shoot and stab people and look stylish doing it. This seems to be the same method that preppers use.
Everyone wants to know how to punch, kick, and fight people who threaten them. With guns, knives, fists or feet.
No one is interested in learning how to repair injuries, whether they have caused to others or themselves. They will quickly realize how serious this mistake is.
Secret agents are taught how to deal with injuries of all sizes. Secret agents are trained to deal with all kinds of injuries, from minor ailments to serious trauma. They can’t just go to a hospital to get treated for an injury they received in a fight because that could compromise their mission.
It is more likely that he will find a quiet place to hide and take care of himself. You won’t have to run from attack dogs or security guards on your next trip, but it is possible that you will find yourself in a harsh environment without medical assistance after a regionally destructive disaster.
You could get into serious trouble if you are in an area or situation where there isn’t a doctor. It’s not necessary to attend medical school in order to acquire medical knowledge that could save lives. Even if you use methods that are crude and unattractive compared to those of a doctor, they can still be effective.
It is important to follow a progression. CPR is a must. The Heimlich manoeuvre is a must-know.
You should also learn how to deal with shock and dehydration. Once you’ve mastered shock and dehydration, it is time to move onto trauma.
These are the types of wounds that you might expect to see in major fights or accidents. They include lacerating, penetrating, and other injuries caused by blades or bullets.
How to deal with broken limbs, how they can be splinted and how you can sling.
After you’ve completed the course, you should always carry your equipment with you. You’ll still have many opportunities to use your skills, even if your life is peaceful.
You Must Always Be On Alert and Aware – Secret Agents are Constantly Aware.
Have you noticed how in the media, secret agents never seem to be caught by surprise? When the enemy is closing in and about to set their trap, the secret agent always turns the situation around with a blink of the eye.
is the reason they’re so aware. He was two steps ahead of the enemy and able to think accordingly.
Hyper-awareness doesn’t come from a comic book. This is an entirely real, practical, and learnable ability. You can avoid hazards by paying attention to the world around you.
You might want to avoid some of them. Some of them you will want to leave immediately. You won’t notice them if your head is down on your phone or you are busy daydreaming. There isn’t a lot of difference in terms of practicality.
Unawareness is a sure way to become ill-prepared for unforeseen events. Even if your actions were not targeted, Lady Luck seems to always look down on those who don’t take notice.
Avoid being one of the poor sods that are constantly getting into trouble, either by their own doing or because they’re not paying attention to those around them.
Always, there are signs. There are always signs.
The simultaneous glowing of several dozen brake lights on the other side of the road could indicate this. It can be that feeling of wrongness that you sometimes feel in your gut to tell you that something isn’t quite right. Listen to that feeling.
Start developing your ability to notice what you see, hear and smell in a room. What does it signify? What is it in context with normal?
Apply this mindset to the places that you frequent regularly. How do you usually start your day at the coffee shop? What is the volume of conversation and how do people talk?
You might notice people acting strangely in windows. It could be a hold up or altercation. You might walk into a room and see that all conversations have been hushed. Does that mean something?
What does it all mean as you refine your perceptions? You’ll begin to notice that it happens all by itself. You’ll be able to develop the same sixth sense as any spy with enough training and discipline.
The conclusion of the article is:
If you are not a spy, you should never pretend to be such a person. What you need to do instead is acquire some skills and use them in your daily life.
Secret agents’ greater capabilities, competencies and state of awareness can be a great lesson to the average person about personal preparedness and self-sufficiency.