Let Your Crazy Out: Using Unpredictability As A Deterrent In Self-Defense
- william demuth
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
The Let Your Crazy Out idea in one sentence
Predators want easy, predictable wins. If you flip the script and become loud, erratic, and hard to control for a short burst, many will decide you are not worth the risk and break off.
What “Let Your Crazy Out” actually means
This is a controlled performance, not a meltdown. You are using a brief, deliberate spike of unpredictability to interrupt the other person’s plan and create a window to leave.
Purpose: disrupt their OODA loop, steal initiative, open an exit.
Duration: seconds, not minutes.
Outcome goal: disengage and get to safety, not win an argument or dominate.
More Resources
Why Let Your Crazy Out works
Risk calculus. Most street offenders want compliance, not a protracted scene. Loud, erratic behavior raises the chance of witnesses and resistance.
Pattern interrupt. People in predatory mode follow a script. Sudden volume, odd movement, or unexpected commands force an update in their brain, which buys you time.
Control loss. If they cannot predict you, they cannot stage the next move cleanly.
When to use it
You see pre-assault cues like closing distance, target glances, grooming gestures, hidden hands, circling, or boundary tests.
You are cornered socially and polite refusal is being ignored.
You need a fast break in attention to move to an exit or create space.
When not to use it
The person is status-seeking and already angry with friends watching. You may feed their ego game.
Clear weapon threat at distance. Prioritize compliance or escape, not theatrics.
You have a safe quiet exit now. Take it without adding noise.
You are in a setting where a public disturbance could bring legal or occupational blowback and you can leave silently.
Legal and ethical guardrails
Use words like “Back up” and “Stop.” Avoid conditional threats or promises of harm.
Keep actions proportional. You are creating space and leaving, not punishing.
Stop the act once you have distance and a path out.
Call for help early. “Call 911” is better than “Someone call the cops,” because it assigns a task.
What it looks and sounds like
Think dial, not switch. You can turn intensity up or down.
Body
Hard step to the side to break their line, then angle your body.
Hands up at cheek level, palms out, fingers splayed, elbows in.
Big movements that read on camera. Drop a bag between you and them, kick a trash can to create noise and obstacle, stamp a foot.
Face and eyes
Mouth open, jaw loose for loud projection.
Look at their upper chest or throat, not into their eyes. Predators use eye contact to hook you.
Voice
Short, sharp commands. One idea per burst.
Volume ladder:
Firm: “Stop.”
Loud: “Back up now.”
Peak bark: “BACK UP. DO NOT TOUCH ME.”
Words that work
“Back up. Do not touch me.”
“Stop right there.”
“I do not want trouble. Stay away.”
“You are making me uncomfortable. Back up now.”
Avoid insults, slurs, or personal attacks. Those flip a social switch that can escalate.
A simple playbook
Breathe once. In through the nose, out through the mouth. This keeps you in control.
Move off line. One big step to your left or right.
Hands up. Palms out. Show your boundaries.
Bark a command. “Back up.” Then “Stop.” Then “Do not touch me.”
Create noise and an obstacle. Drop an object between you and them or bang a door.
Exit. Move toward light, people, or a doorway. Do not stick around to debate.
Add a little theater, safely
Sudden clap right in front of your chest. Loud, startling, not assault.
Jacket rip or backpack swing to the front. Bigger profile, protected core.
Verbal pattern break: “Not today. Back up.” Repeat like a broken record.
Drills that build the skill
Mirror, 2 minutes
Hands up posture, three faces: neutral, firm, loud.
Practice the three commands. Watch for clear mouth shapes and chest movement.
Partner, 5 minutes
Partner approaches from 10 feet with a neutral face.
You step off line, bark one command, and exit past their non-dominant side.
Switch roles every 30 seconds. Add a dropped object for noise.
Timer burst, 30 seconds
On a cue, explode your volume to level 3 for a single command, then cut to silence and move. Learn the on-off control.
Special notes for different users
Smaller frame or seniors. Your voice and posture are your force multipliers. Make your movements big and obvious. Angle out early.
Teens and college students. Practice with friends in dorm halls and parking decks. Set a rule that the act stops the instant you have an exit.
Employees in customer-facing roles. Know policy. Use company-approved phrases, request backup, and keep your body behind a counter or barrier.
What if it fails
Switch tactics fast. Comply, escape, or defend, depending on the threat.
If they close the distance, protect your head with your forearms, drive your hips away, and move toward an exit while shouting for help.
Do not stack more “crazy” if the first burst did nothing. That wastes time.
Aftermath and reporting
If police or security arrive, speak plain and factual.
“I told him to back up. He kept closing in. I raised my voice to get space and left.”
Point out witnesses and cameras. Ask for medical attention if you were touched or feel unwell.
Quick checklist
Pre-assault cues seen
Path to exit located
Hands up, step off line
Short commands, rising volume
Create noise or obstacle
Move to people, light, or door
Stop the act once safe
Call for help and report
FAQ
Will this escalate the situation? Sometimes, yes. That is why you use it when your back is against a wall or polite signals failed. You are trading a small spike in intensity for a better chance to break contact.
Is pretending to be unwell effective? It can be, but keep it brief and purposeful. The goal is not to act bizarre for minutes. The goal is to break their plan for seconds so you can leave.
What about cameras and bystanders? Good. Cameras often help you. Your posture and words should look like boundary setting, not mutual combat.
Bottom line. Letting your “crazy” out is a tool, not an identity. Use it for a sharp, controlled pattern interrupt, then disengage. Keep it lawful, keep it short, and get to safety.
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