You played high school sports, you consider yourself athletic, you still hit the gym for some cardio and lift some weights. Maybe you hit the punching bag hanging out in the garage too and oh by the way, that 6 month stint in Karate back in the day. Guess what, it’s not enough. Most trained folks would make quick work of those who are not, this of course unless you come across someone else with the same background, in which case its a bunch of wild haymaker punches and / or football tackles and headlocks.
So often in the world of preparedness we like to think of self defense in terms of using weapons, but guns (concealed carry or other) should be an absolute last resort unless in a life or death situation. There exists a wide spectrum of possibilities where one might have to simply use some self defense techniques to tone down a situation, protect one’s self or a loved one. Remember, lethal force is always last…solve it at another level.
This past weekend I had an unfortunate altercation with a drunk tough guy, someone who provoked and provoked while I mostly remained calm. When I knew that the inevitable was going to happen I accepted it (I think I remarked, I’m standing right here man to the threat of “I’m going to beat your ass!) and sure enough, he bull rushed me with everything he had. 10 seconds (probably less) later, he was being choked almost unconcious, my hat never fell off, I never hit the ground and I passed him off to some folks and gathered my friend and left. Nobody really hurt, no police called, situation resolved.
I’m not some great fighter, I’m rather subpar actually. Combatives and such in the military and 5 years of Brazilian Jiujitsu, nothing amazing but still much more than chest thumping tough guy had. It allowed me to assess the situation, remain completely calm and simply react to his actions via countless drills on the mat over years of training.
The reality of the situation is that most folks who actually know how to fight are NOT looking for one. They will avoid, concede and walk away but when pressed…finish it. You have to ask yourself, when considering your self defense arsenal are you prepared to defend yourself outside of using a firearm? Adrenaline won’t help you, neither will being able to rep 315 on the bench 20 times when going against a practicioner of a solid martial art. Think about it and seek out the appropriate training. Good luck.
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Fortunately, most really good fighters avoid street fights, that black belt can be a real liability in a court of law. Most ‘street’ fighters are blow hards trying to impress their ‘buddies’ or the local ‘ladies’, and they don’t want to get hurt either. Anyone can be taken by surprise (even professional fighters) so awareness of your potential opponent, his ‘buddies’, and especially the area you are in. Such as: are you in a corner, next to an exit, is this looking like a 2-on-1 (or more) situation, if you have to fight, are there any handy weapons? Etc. Personally, I carry (clipped to a back pocket) a folding razor knife made by Gerber, only 3″ long folded and 5 1/2″ open, with a strong blade lock. I can palm this, thumb it open, slash (probably across the outter forearm, potentially non-life threatening, but an attention-getter), and stand ready to escalate or retreat. And, since I use this same little knife at work, it’s almost always on my person. No, I haven’t had to use it, and I hope to never need to, besides I avoid bars and such and I’m getting to old for that shit anyway! GLAHP!
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Very true, a good little pocket knife is a nice side kick! Always try to avoid but sometimes….well it just has to go down.
what is the best training a person should seek that will result in the quickest and most effective results? l have had Krav Maga recommended
Pepper spray in countries where allowed.
Knives – the length allowed depends on the country.
Practice in countering as many possible moves by an opponent.
There are many weapons that can be disassembled and appear to be components of other more harmless things.
Many harmless things can be used to disable an opponent if combined with certain tactics. For example — getting into a small space and disabling an opponent with velcro.
Hiring a promising martial-arts student to accompany you in certain situations.