The 21st century has brought about many changes. Technological advances beyond our forefathers imagination. Things we would only read in a science fiction novel or see in movies are now reality. As the world we live in grows technologically we have things that we have to contend with that has made our way of life different then it may have been 10 years ago. Remember as children running in the woods, digging holes, building tree forts, playing army with your friends, pretending you were Grizzly Adams, wearing a coon skin cap, playing baseball or sports in the streets for hours at a time. Hearing your mother call you in after an exhausting day so that you could eat a home cooked meal. The simple fact is we don’t live that way anymore, we need to protect ourselves, our children and the family as a unit. We fear for our lives and our children’s lives so we have to be careful and watch over them every second of the day.

One thing that I constantly teach my students and my parents is Code Word – Protection. You may be saying this sounds like something out of a James Bond movie but it is something far more simple. Understanding that predators of children are usually more intelligent adults and are far more advanced that any child at manipulating someone or devising plans to lure a child into a position that they may not want to be in. We need to eliminate to the best of our ability the chances of a child making this kind of mistake. We need to develop fail-safe systems that our children can follow and utilize to keep them out of harms way. This is where a simple code word fits in.

Lets say your child is walking back from the neighbor’s house. A car pulls up. The person in the car says “kid, hurry up and get in, your mom has been hit by a car and we have to go see her, or you dog has been hit by a car, we have to go see him or even your mom is sick we had to rush her to the hospital she told me to come and get you.” The child would respond from a distance “oh yeah what is the password.” At this point you would of already worked out a password. The password could be for example “Harry Potter.” The man in the car says she didn’t give me one, she is sick. So the child runs away to get to the designated safety area.

Code word safety enables the child to realize the situation and move on to another location. It also enables the child to have a heads up and run away. The situation may be true but the very fact is the child will return home or to a neighbor’s home and then call for help. Code word protection should also be used for opening doors to the home. These scenarios, the escape routes, the alternate safety areas and the power and strength it takes to tell an adult the word “No” should be practiced and walked through regularly.

I have been teaching martial arts for over 25 years and have 33 years of experience in the protection field. Code words are a good foundation that many people are simply not aware of. A simple thing like this could save you and your family a whole world of pain and suffering.

Allie Alberigo is a 6th Degree Black Belt in the art of Ninpo/Ninjutsu and Jujutsu and has been training in the martial arts for over 39 years, as well as being a martial arts school owner, self-defense expert, public speaker and business owner. Allie is the owner of the L.I. Ninjutsu Centers, which has locations in East Islip, West Islip, Port Jefferson, Lindenhurst, and Bermuda. In 2000 Allie his first book “The Beginners Guide to Ninpo” and has also released his first video “The Warrior Spirit” (39 minutes). If you have any questions do not hesitate to call 631-321-5432, email him at renshilininja@aol.com, or check them out online at Lininja.com. He loves to hear from you.