# Defending yourself - when that time comes



## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

so, something interesting happened to me when I went to my friends house yesterday. He lives in downtown and even though my city's downtown is quite small, it does not cease to be a dangerous place. I ended up stopping beside a club/bar to call him, when an older man walks up to me, with the first words being "Do you want to get knocked out?". 

I could see the seriousness in his eyes; he obviously had a grudge against me for something (maybe my german army jacket) in which he felt entitled to threaten me. I ended up replying with a very dead serious face "Go ahead".

Thankfully nothing happened, I had no intentions of things getting messy, we both ended up staring at each other for a good minute or so. But I was getting ready for the moment for something to happen.

This isnt meant to be any sort of bragging or about being tough or anything like that. Its just I havnt experienced that serious sensation of fight or flight response since I was in elementary school.

Do any of you guys have your experiences to share? Im sure most of us here have no intentions of looking for problems with people, however, it happens when you least expect (as with me yesterday). Im sure we all have had those moments.

Feel free to share and discuss.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Me and member Clavichorder (hopefully he doesn't mind that I include him in this story) ran across a very very drunk man the other night and he asked us for a cigarette. When we both said we didn't have one he got very serious and stared us in the eye and said something like "You guys aren't acting are you" (though it was hard to tell exactly what he said since he was so drunk, Clavi says he said "You guys aren't acting like kids"). At that moment I had a weird feeling that something might start or he might try and fight us or something. There was a weird tension caused by what he was saying and the seriousness of his tone and stare. He seemed kind of aggressive. So we just stood there for a moment looking confused and then Clavichorder gestured me to just turn the other way. As I was walking away though I kept looking back out of the corner of my eye and he was staring at us the entire time until we were out of sight, or he was at least staring in our general direction. It was kind of creepy haha.

But anyway, most people jokingly say that if I get threatened I can just take off my leg and beat someone with it. Totally unrealistic though. I would have to yank it out of my pants, which would be quite an ordeal and even if I could try and beat people with it, without the full balance and momentum that two legs provide the swing wouldn't have the proper power in it to do any damage I would imagine.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Igneous01 said:


> so, something interesting happened to me when I went to my friends house yesterday. He lives in downtown and even though my city's downtown is quite small, it does not cease to be a dangerous place. I ended up stopping beside a club/bar to call him, when an older man walks up to me, with the first words being "Do you want to get knocked out?".
> 
> I could see the seriousness in his eyes; he obviously had a grudge against me for something (maybe my german army jacket) in which he felt entitled to threaten me. I ended up replying with a very dead serious face "Go ahead".


A facsimile of a WW2 jacket? He wasn't a WW2 vet, those guys aren't just 'older'. If he came from the bar, he may have conjectured that you were an 'Aryan Supremacy' minion of some sort. In any case, drinking in a bar can generate both aggression and diminished understanding. Your response seems the perfect one to me.


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## Yoshi (Jul 15, 2009)

I also have a story involving a cigarette... it happened 2 years ago while I was on the street at night with my now current boyfriend. While we were waiting for someone to pick me up, he was smoking and this really suspicious group of 3 guys appeared. One of the guys came up to my boyfriend and said: "Give me a cigarette" with a really serious face. I was starting to get anxious from the moment I saw them walking in our direction, but I got even more scared when my boyfriend replied with the most uninterested voice: "No" and continued to smoke like they weren't even there.
Surprisingly the man just said: "Okay" and they all walked out like nothing happened.  I wasn't expecting that at all....but I'm still very glad that I wasn't alone that night.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> A facsimile of a WW2 jacket? He wasn't a WW2 vet, those guys aren't just 'older'. If he came from the bar, he may have conjectured that you were an 'Aryan Supremacy' minion of some sort. In any case, drinking in a bar can generate both aggression and diminished understanding. Your response seems the perfect one to me.


it was a 80's german army jacket, that my brother bought at some store, I wear it because its warm and not too thick. The man was asking me if I was Norwegian or Danish, so I am assuming he mistakened me for being from up north. However he was surely not a vet of any sort, he looked to be in his late 30s. Serves as a reminder though to always be on edge, especially if I go downtown again.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

When I was young I landed up in a situation where someone brandished a firearm in my direction and ordered me to have sex with him. 

My response was along the lines of he'd have to bonk (are we allowed to use the 'f' word here?) my corpse. 

He put the firearm away and simply looked foolish while he drove me home with me observing an entirely uncharacteristic silence. 

I had been planning to buy a second hand Lancia from him and was quite sorry at the time that I didn't want to put myself in a position where I had more dealings with him. Mind you, in retrospect the concept of getting a second hand Lancia was even more daft than telling someone brandishing a firearm arm to go ahead and shoot.


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## Yoshi (Jul 15, 2009)

Moira said:


> When I was young I landed up in a situation where someone brandished a firearm in my direction and ordered me to have sex with him.
> 
> My response was along the lines of he'd have to bonk (are we allowed to use the 'f' word here?) my corpse.
> 
> ...


I admire your courage, I have no idea what I would do in a situation like that.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Jan said:


> I admire your courage, I have no idea what I would do in a situation like that.


My father was horrified when he heard what I had done, but at that moment I really would rather have died than have sex with that toad (he wasn't bad looking, nor particularly horrible as a person, but really! the firearm threat was too much for me).

I have often read and heard about people who 'knew' that someone would or would not do a certain thing in a situation like that. I was young at the time - in my early twenties - and I had not developed the instincts about people I now have. Even now I am not sure I would stake my life on me being right, although I am often right about people and the way they are going to behave.

As I said it was a daft action, and I was fortunate that he didn't carry out his threat.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

Welp, I can't beat the gun story in terms of danger. I need to start more **** with people, then I'll be back.


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## Cnote11 (Jul 17, 2010)

I don't have these problems and I'm in Detroit all the time. Guess my city isn't as bad as people make it out to be!


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2012)

During my first year of teaching back in 1990, as I was taking a tough little 7th grader to the office for being rude to a sub, he told me, "You'd better shut up or you're going to get hurt"! I said, "Go ahead and hit me, but when you get out of the hospital, you're going straight to juvenile hall." (I don't think he understood the order of events...). Well, he didn't take a swing at me--just said, "Shut up, man." He got expelled for threatening me, then I heard he got killed in a drug deal gone bad three years later. 

I don't know what I'd do if a student actually hit me. (I teach high school now...they can hit harder!) I certainly wouldn't stand there and be a punching bag! We are allowed to defend ourselves if attacked, though. If it got ugly, I can see my elbow going into a punk's Adam's apple in the course of defending myself! Luckily, I teach mostly AP and Honors classes, so the odds of fisticuffs breaking out are rather slim!


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

When I was teaching I never had to defend myself from attack, but I always new I would do what I had to and argue the consequences afterwards. I also worked as a Care Worker in a secure unit for young autistic adults were we were taught restraint methods which I had occasion to use, but really, some of the residents were pretty big and aggressive. In a life threatening situation Im not sure when technique would turn to desperation. Im glad I never had occasion to find out!


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I haven't had to defend myself physically in a while, but I usually just let them go at it. I can't throw a punch to save my life (no pun intended) but I've always been able to take a beating and walk it off pretty quickly. Of course, there are guys out there with knives and blunt weapons, and there have been rare shootings in areas not too far from where I live, so I guess if I come across them I'm going to die.

Oh well.


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## Igneous01 (Jan 27, 2011)

Crudblud said:


> I haven't had to defend myself physically in a while, but I usually just let them go at it. I can't throw a punch to save my life (no pun intended) but I've always been able to take a beating and walk it off pretty quickly. Of course, there are guys out there with knives and blunt weapons, and there have been rare shootings in areas not too far from where I live, so I guess if I come across them I'm going to die.
> 
> Oh well.


well, you dont have to throw a punch to defend yourself, there are various methods of approaching a fight. Some people might think groin shots are cheap, but when on the street there are no rules so you use what you can to survive.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

A kick to the balls is all well and good if you can land it, but an experienced fighter would be able to block and knock me down before I even realised that I didn't land the hit, and I'm guessing the majority of street thugs are experienced fighters.


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## Iforgotmypassword (May 16, 2011)

Well, I was going to post a story about a drunk guy who tried to start a fight with me... buuuuut after reading about gun brandishing and crazy dudes starting crap for no reason it's just not that interesting.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I sing Wagner at them at the top of my thundering bass-baritone voice. At which point they don't even know what to do with themselves so they shrink away meekly as if God himself had scorned them.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

You go, Couchie!


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

@ Crudblud, Don't sell yourself short; a lot of these thugs are merely bullies and cretins who woudn't know a good punch from a Hawaiian Punch. If they get close enough to you, assuming there is no hand-gun involved and you get that first kick to the nuts in, he will go down like a ton of bricks, I guarantee it. Of course, as in all these tough situations, if you can avoid the confrontation without sacrificing your life or limb, by all means do it. But neither you--nor any of us--should never be any one's punching bag or target practice. Believe me, I know of what I speak, and when I've been outmuscled by a guy in a boxing match which I didn't choose to begin with, I landed a kick right where the family jewels were, and that ended the fight right then and there. I walked away with a mild concussion, but I walked away. As one of the other posters to this thread so aptly said, in a street fight all the"rules" are thrown out and *anything* is permissible to defend yourself against attack. It all comes down to one word, and that's *SURVIVAL.*


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

/\ There you have it, _samurai_. The Marquis of Queensbury rules (current version) apply only in the ring. An unskilled person, if attacked, has no option but to do _*whatever*_ can be done to avoid damage.

BTW being old and arthritic, I would have to kick a kneecap.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Hilltroll72 said:


> /\ There you have it, _samurai_. The Marquis of Queensbury rules (current version) apply only in the ring. An unskilled person, if attacked, has no option but to do _*whatever*_ can be done to avoid damage.
> 
> BTW being old and arthritic, I would have to kick a kneecap.


Kneecaps are sensitive things.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I can't contribute much from personal experience, but my cousin had a funny experience where a guy tried to rob him at knifepoint, but my cousin talked him into selling him the knife instead. I hope I'm cool enough to try that myself if I ever get mugged.


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## Bachonacid (Oct 22, 2011)

Moira said:


> My father was horrified when he heard what I had done, but at that moment I really would rather have died than have sex with that toad (he wasn't bad looking, *nor particularly horrible as a person*, but really! the firearm threat was too much for me).


 What? How does attempted rape not make someone a particularly horrible person? That guy is barely a person in my eyes.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Bachonacid said:


> What? How does attempted rape not make someone a particularly horrible person? That guy is barely a person in my eyes.


Yes, that is true as my 'rather have died ...' indicates, but I suppose what I meant is that he was clean, seemingly reasonably intelligent etc. and that if he had not committed the crime (literally and figuratively) I may well have landed up dating him. Of course I will never know.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Moira said:


> Kneecaps are sensitive things.


Exactly the point, and in a streetfight {no holds barred}, potentially fighting for your life, that--and any other sensitive body part--is precisely what one has to aim for if he/she is to successfully walk away and "fight another day". As much as I never thought I would do it--or have to--I've broken a few noses in my wayward youth, and would do so again in my dotage in order to survive an attack on myself or a loved one from an attack by a hostle person in the street. No doubt about it whatsoever. You might have only one shot, so make sure it is a lethal one which ends the attack/fight right there and then.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

samurai said:


> Exactly the point, and in a streetfight {no holds barred}, potentially fighting for your life, that--and any other sensitive body part--is precisely what one has to aim for if he/she is to successfully walk away and "fight another day". As much as I never thought I would do it--or have to--I've broken a few noses in my wayward youth, and would do so again in my dotage in order to survive an attack on myself or a loved one from an attack by a hostle person in the street. No doubt about it whatsoever. You might have only one shot, so make sure it is a lethal one which ends the attack/fight right there and then.


"Lethal"? I would hope to avoid killing someone unnecessarily, for both practical and sentimental reasons.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

I'm a short and peaceful (weak) musician and so I choose to hang out with my buddies, Smith & Wesson. I've never had to tell them to do anything yet but they're always ready. Oh, and like Trolls said, I go for the non-lethal hit; helps that I rarely miss a shot.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

kv466 said:


> I'm a short and peaceful (weak) musician and so I choose to hang out with my buddies, Smith & Wesson. I've never had to tell them to do anything yet but they're always ready. Oh, and like Trolls said, I go for the non-lethal hit; helps that I rarely miss a shot.


Such a hassle. Dead men tell no tales so the trial is shorter.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> "Lethal"? I would hope to avoid killing someone unnecessarily, for both practical and sentimental reasons.


@ Hilltroll72, You are absolutely right, of course. My choice of that word was most unfortunate, due to a combination of being very stressed and tired out at present due to some personal things occuring in my life just now. A much better adjective would have been "damaging" or "incapacitating". I meant to convey the notion of ending the fight asap {especially given my age and lack of physical fitness}, not somebody's life a la Trayvon Martin. Thanks, Hilltroll72. I apologize to all for my use of such intemperate language.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

@ KV466, Just remember to articulate to the grand jury that you were aiming "CENTRAL MASS", and all should be well.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

samurai said:


> @ KV466, Just remember to articulate to the grand jury that you were aiming "CENTRAL MASS", and all should be well.


Haha,...thanks for the tip...really, though, while I love shooting at paper and tin and glass I would never enjoy going through flesh. I just generally avoid fights all around and at all times but I live in a messed up city and you never know what crazy next to you is packing. Best be prepared.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

kv466 said:


> I'm a short and peaceful (weak) musician and so I choose to hang out with my buddies, Smith & Wesson. I've never had to tell them to do anything yet but they're always ready. Oh, and like Trolls said, I go for the non-lethal hit; helps that I rarely miss a shot.


Hah. My friends are also named Smith and Wesson; what a coincidence.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

This'll bring the toughest, meanest prick to his knees, whimpering, "Don't tase me, bro!" :lol:

View attachment 4362


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Couchie said:


> I sing Wagner at them at the top of my thundering bass-baritone voice. At which point they don't even know what to do with themselves so they shrink away meekly as if God himself had scorned them.


I know how they must feel.


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

All of you would be better advised to keep well away if you see trouble ahead. The type of person you are talking about doesn't think like you and will knife you just for fun and have a laugh at the bar about it afterward .
Only if the crunch comes should you employ some of the methods mentioned and you had better hope they work for you.
In any case you can enjoy plenty of rough stuff here without actual physical injury.


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## Mesa (Mar 2, 2012)

You Americans and yer shooty devices. Wizardry. Lighter in a clenched fist is all one needs. Failing that, key the *******.

Interestingly enough, i got very mildly assaulted by a housemate yesterday whilst sat listening to Grieg. He kept trying to kiss my head, then started biting my hair (i know, right?) and then started gripping my neck tightly. Bear in mind, he's bipolar, he was hugely drunk, on Ritalin, painkillers and MDMA, but he's far stronger than i. I put my legs on the back of the desk and thrust backwards, launching him on to the bed, got him in a full nelson and threw him out of my room physically.

Never felt so much like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.


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