Bracing For Impact
One day last week, while running, I overtook a black man walking. (That he was black is only slightly pertinent only due to his reaction.) I generally try to say "Good Morning" or something similar as I approach someone in order to avoid startling them. I guess I was a bit tardy in this case. He braced for impact, dropping his shoulder, adopting a wide stance, etc. Clearly, he expected to get hit. I don't know if he had played football, had been in the military, or had grown up in a place where a surprise attack from behind may have been at least somewhat "normal." When I did greet him, he relaxed, but this raises the issue of safety when outdoors.
Generally, men face a bit less threat than women, bit it is not nil. Of course, if you are trained at a moderate level, you training may be your best defense. You have the ability to move away from the danger if you perceive it early enough. (Yes, run away!) Keeping your ability to perceive danger is one of the other keys to your safety. That means that Walkmen, i-Pods, etc. should ideally not be used, but if used, should be at a low enough volume level that hearing the sounds of impending danger is likely. Choose where you go with some sense - if a bad area is unavoidable, don't show things of value, nor carry more stuff than necessary. If you're a walker, using a staff provides you with a pretty devastating cudgel if needed.
How do you defend yourself? There are several things you can do to protect yourself, and which is likely the best is very dependent on the environemtn around you. A personal alarm, sounding a 100+ decibel tone, may drive away an attacker if you're in a busy enough place that people will look. On a country road in the middle of nowhere, it may well be meaningless (or even anger the attacker to more violence). A cell-phone, especially if 911 can be called with a single button press, can be a great defense - if you're in an area where a rapid reponse can be expected. Mace or pepper spray (if legal) can disable an attacker long enough for you to get away, if you use it well and aggressively, but be careful, if you use it in a situation where it's inappropriate, you could be charged with assault or sued. A stun gun (illegal in many places) will disable an attacker, but does require application in close quarters, so you must engage the attacker. Again, expect criminal charges or a lawsuit if used inapprpriately. The more distant version of the stun gun is the taser(illegal in many places). It's a powerful disabling weapon that can be used at a modest distance. Finally, there are real guns, but unless you're prepared to use on and deal with the serious emotional issues that will result, I don't recommend this option. Again, the charges/lawsuit issue
will present itself, and you'll likely need to get a special permit to carry a handgun (not an easy process in most places).
You can also take self-defense or martial arts courses. Eyes gouges, knees to the groin, striking with keys or other small, hard objects can do a fair amount of damage.
What do I advocate? Run away! But, you need to make the choice. Most criminals don't train aerobically, so if you can stay ahead of your attacker for a few hundred yards, the threat will disappear. On the other hand, if your attacker participates regularly in sports, especially if they're young, they may be very quick and this option is not a good one. If your attacker is after cash, just give them what you have (you can also keep cash in two parts if you carry more than you're comfortable losing, then give up the small batch if you get mugged).
But, what if he has a gun? About 20 years ago, I saw some statistics about gunfights and they were shocking. During a typical gunfight, the distance between combatants was something like 7 feet, I think the typical number of shots fired was around 8, and something like 3 of those struck participants. The upshot is...if you move around and are retreating FAST, you are reasonably safe. Of course, you must make the decision, and your life may depend on making the right one.)
Making good choices ahead of time minimizes the risk, but if you find youself in a bad situation, try to keep calm and carefully make choices that you feel are good in light of the situation.
Generally, men face a bit less threat than women, bit it is not nil. Of course, if you are trained at a moderate level, you training may be your best defense. You have the ability to move away from the danger if you perceive it early enough. (Yes, run away!) Keeping your ability to perceive danger is one of the other keys to your safety. That means that Walkmen, i-Pods, etc. should ideally not be used, but if used, should be at a low enough volume level that hearing the sounds of impending danger is likely. Choose where you go with some sense - if a bad area is unavoidable, don't show things of value, nor carry more stuff than necessary. If you're a walker, using a staff provides you with a pretty devastating cudgel if needed.
How do you defend yourself? There are several things you can do to protect yourself, and which is likely the best is very dependent on the environemtn around you. A personal alarm, sounding a 100+ decibel tone, may drive away an attacker if you're in a busy enough place that people will look. On a country road in the middle of nowhere, it may well be meaningless (or even anger the attacker to more violence). A cell-phone, especially if 911 can be called with a single button press, can be a great defense - if you're in an area where a rapid reponse can be expected. Mace or pepper spray (if legal) can disable an attacker long enough for you to get away, if you use it well and aggressively, but be careful, if you use it in a situation where it's inappropriate, you could be charged with assault or sued. A stun gun (illegal in many places) will disable an attacker, but does require application in close quarters, so you must engage the attacker. Again, expect criminal charges or a lawsuit if used inapprpriately. The more distant version of the stun gun is the taser(illegal in many places). It's a powerful disabling weapon that can be used at a modest distance. Finally, there are real guns, but unless you're prepared to use on and deal with the serious emotional issues that will result, I don't recommend this option. Again, the charges/lawsuit issue
will present itself, and you'll likely need to get a special permit to carry a handgun (not an easy process in most places).
You can also take self-defense or martial arts courses. Eyes gouges, knees to the groin, striking with keys or other small, hard objects can do a fair amount of damage.
What do I advocate? Run away! But, you need to make the choice. Most criminals don't train aerobically, so if you can stay ahead of your attacker for a few hundred yards, the threat will disappear. On the other hand, if your attacker participates regularly in sports, especially if they're young, they may be very quick and this option is not a good one. If your attacker is after cash, just give them what you have (you can also keep cash in two parts if you carry more than you're comfortable losing, then give up the small batch if you get mugged).
But, what if he has a gun? About 20 years ago, I saw some statistics about gunfights and they were shocking. During a typical gunfight, the distance between combatants was something like 7 feet, I think the typical number of shots fired was around 8, and something like 3 of those struck participants. The upshot is...if you move around and are retreating FAST, you are reasonably safe. Of course, you must make the decision, and your life may depend on making the right one.)
Making good choices ahead of time minimizes the risk, but if you find youself in a bad situation, try to keep calm and carefully make choices that you feel are good in light of the situation.
posted by Scooter at 7:32 PM
1 Comments:
I read in a gun magazine the other day that an attacker with a knife who is 20 feet away can get to you and stab you in less than 2 seconds. So, what ever you do, do it before the attacker gets close.
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