Aware360 Pro – Module 1: Pre-Contact Cues

Module 1 • Techniques • Aware360 Pro

Pre-Contact Cues – Seeing Danger Before It Touches You

Most people only start “defending themselves” once hands are on, punches are thrown, or a weapon appears. By that time, your options have already been cut in half. Real survival starts much earlier – in the quiet moments when something feels off, a stranger moves oddly, a voice shifts tone, or the room suddenly changes.

Pre-contact cues are the subtle physical, behavioural, and environmental signals that violence is forming. When you learn to read them, you gain time: time to step away, reposition, de-escalate, pre-empt, or escape before the first blow.

          Think of this module as upgrading your inner radar. You’re not becoming paranoid –
          you’re becoming professionally observant.
        

The Aware360 Scan:

People – Who’s here? Who’s new?
Behaviour – Who doesn’t fit the pattern?
Space – Where are my exits & barriers?
Signals – What is my gut telling me?

The goal isn’t fear. The goal is informed choice.

Visual Cues Verbal Cues Environmental Changes Gut Feeling See-Hear-Space-Act

1. Types of Pre-Contact Cues

Pre-contact cues can be grouped into four broad categories. In real life they overlap, but splitting them helps you train your eye and mind.

A. Visual Cues – What You See

These are physical changes you can observe, even from a distance. They’re often quick, but once you learn the patterns you’ll spot them sooner.

Posture shift: the body “puffs up”, spreads out, or leans forward.
Target glances: the person keeps quickly looking at your jaw, pockets, exit doors, or potential witnesses.
Hands disappearing: hands suddenly go into pockets, behind the back, under clothing, into bags or waistbands.
Shoulder drop or twitch: a tiny dip or roll just before a strike.
Blading the body: one side of the body steps back, hiding the working hand or weapon side.
Closing distance without purpose: they keep edging closer even when conversation doesn’t require it.

B. Verbal Cues – What You Hear

Words matter, but tone and rhythm often reveal more than content:

Sudden volume change: going from quiet to loud or vice versa.
Broken record phrases: repeating the same demand or insult.
Threatening language: “You don’t know who I am”, “You’re gonna learn”.
Stalking questions: “Where are you parked?”, “Are you on your own?”
Forced friendliness: over-compliments, pushing intimacy too fast.

C. Environmental Cues – What Changes Around You

The environment itself can shift in a way that signals danger:

People repositioning: one person distracts you while another moves behind you.
Space closing: doors shut, shutters come down, friends drift away.
Lighting changes: someone guides you towards darker or quieter areas.
Sudden quiet: tension in a bar or street where conversation drops.

D. Physiological & Intuitive Cues – What You Feel

Your nervous system often picks up patterns before your conscious mind does:

Gut twist / unease: you “just don’t like” someone’s presence.
Heart rate spike: you feel hot, shaky or suddenly alert.
Tunnel vision or audio fade: you stop hearing background noise properly.

      Intuition isn’t magic – it’s your brain quickly comparing the present moment
      with years of stored experiences and patterns. In Aware360 we treat the gut
      feeling as a valuable early warning, not something to ignore.
    

2. The “Threat Ladder” – From Normal to Now We Move

Violence rarely appears from absolute nowhere. It usually climbs a ladder: each rung is another cue that things are getting worse.

Rung 1 – Baseline: ordinary behaviour for that environment. (Busy pub, calm bus, quiet park.)
Rung 2 – Anomaly: someone doesn’t fit the baseline: too drunk, too intense, too focused on you.
Rung 3 – Fixation: they lock on to you or another target and keep attention there.
Rung 4 – Approach: they close distance, circle, or position for advantage.
Rung 5 – Pre-Assault Cues: classic body and hand movements that signal an attack is seconds away.
Rung 6 – Contact: the moment of physical action.

Drill – “Name the Rung”

When watching films, CCTV clips, or even in daily life, quietly label what rung you’re seeing. “That’s anomaly… now fixation… now approach.” The goal is to wire your brain to notice escalation before it becomes contact.

3. The See–Hear–Space–Act Loop

To keep things simple under stress, Aware360 uses a four-step loop:

1️⃣ See

What looks wrong? Posture, hands, distance, group movement, exits.

2️⃣ Hear

What sounds wrong? Tone, insults, forced friendliness, weird questions.

3️⃣ Space

What’s happening to the space? Are you getting cornered, isolated, or surrounded? Where can you move that is safer: nearer doors, staff, light, CCTV, other people?

4️⃣ Act

Once you have enough cues to feel uneasy, you act: you move seat, step back, change direction, bring someone with you, refuse a request, or escalate to a pre-emptive tactic if necessary and lawful.

Drill – Micro-Decisions

Next time you’re out, set a quiet rule: “If I notice three separate pre-contact cues, I will change my position.” That might mean moving closer to staff, exiting the venue, or keeping a barrier between you.

4. Common Real-World Scenarios

A. The “Friendly” Stranger Who Won’t Back Off

You’re at a bus stop. Someone stands too close, asks personal questions, tries to see your phone screen, or insists on knowing where you live.

Pre-contact cues: distance violation, fixation on you, probing questions, ignoring your social hints.

Safer action: increase distance, give vague answers, move near staff or other people, keep your exit route open, be ready to verbally close the interaction: “I’m not interested talking, thanks.”

B. The Brewing Pub Argument

Two people are getting louder. One starts pointing, leaning in, knocking glasses, pacing back and forth.

Pre-contact cues: volume rise, space invasion, finger jabs, shoulder bumps, friends circling.

Safer action: you don’t wait for the first punch. You move out of the direct line, keep walls and exits in sight, and prepare to leave or shield vulnerable people with you.

🔍 Pre-Contact Cues – 10 Question Check

Test your understanding of pre-contact cues. Select one answer for each question and tap “Check My Answers”. If you get a question wrong, the system will explain why and show you the correct answer.

1. What is the main purpose of recognising pre-contact cues?

To prove you can predict violence better than other people. To gain time to choose safer options before physical contact happens. To decide exactly which punch or kick to throw. To make situations feel more dramatic and exciting.

2. Which of the following is the clearest visual pre-contact cue?

Someone occasionally checking the time. Someone blading their body and hiding a hand behind their hip. Someone yawning after a long day. Someone wearing a hood because it is raining.

3. In the Aware360 model, what comes immediately after “See” and “Hear” in the loop?

Strike. Freeze. Space – assessing how the environment and distance are changing. Shout for help immediately.

4. Which example best fits the “fixation” rung of the threat ladder?

Someone quietly leaving the area. Someone repeatedly staring at you, your bag and the exit, ignoring others. Someone yawning and stretching after a long day. Someone ordering a drink at the bar.

5. Which of these is the best example of a verbal pre-contact cue?

“Nice weather today, isn’t it?” “Where exactly are you parked? Are you on your own?” “Have you seen the latest film?” “Do you know what time the shop closes?”

6. Why does Aware360 treat “gut feeling” as an important cue?

Because intuition is always 100% correct and never needs checking. Because it is usually your brain rapidly recognising patterns before you consciously do. Because fear means danger is guaranteed. Because it replaces the need to look or listen.

7. Which environmental cue should make you most alert?

The music in a venue gets slightly louder. Staff move closer to you and ask if everything is OK. Friendship group quietly leaves while one agitated person remains focused on you. Someone opens a window for fresh air.

8. In the bus stop example, which combination of cues suggests a growing risk?

The person keeps a normal distance and calmly reads their own phone. The person stands too close, asks very personal questions and tries to see your screen. The person says hello and then ignores you. The person takes a call from a family member.

9. Once you have noticed several pre-contact cues and feel uneasy, what is the most consistent Aware360 response?

Ignore the feeling and stay exactly where you are. Immediately confront the person aggressively. Change your position or behaviour to create more safety and options. Film the situation secretly for social media.

10. Which statement best describes the overall goal of training pre-contact cue awareness?

To turn every night out into a personal investigation. To live in constant fear and expect violence everywhere. To become calmly, professionally observant so you can avoid or manage danger early. To collect stories about dangerous people.

Aware 360 Pro Application

Pre-Contact Cues