In an unexpectedly hostile situation, such as being mugged in a parking lot or dealing with a home intruder, you can increase your chances of survival by practicing what you would do in different situations. Reflexes are by definition a programmed response to a given stimuli – thus repetition in pratice is key to developing reflexes. This isn’t a guide for how to survive an attempted mugging or break in, but merely a suggestion: practice makes perfect, particularly in reflexes. If someone tries to mug you and you run to your car to escape, it will be very difficult to open your car door and close it, especially during a hyper-vigilant state when your pulse soars over 220 beats per minute and you lose most of your fine motor skills. The way to increase your odds of survival in such a situation is to practice. When you get into your car, open and close the door as fast (and in as little distance) as possible, allowing yourself just enough time and space to jump into your seat and close the door behind you as part of habitual reflexes. I enter my car in this fashion every time I drive somewhere. Practice turning it on subsequently and putting it into gear as fast as possible. After doing this several weeks, it will become part of your reflexes. After several months, you will feel like a granny doing it any slower. When you enter your home, unlock your front door as quickly as you can, slip inside and close / lock the door immediately. When you close and lock your windows in the evening, practice doing it as fast as possible. When you pull out your butcher knife to cut up some steak, do it as fast as possible (just not in front of your kids).