movingshadow

I just know that if you do that hard enough you'll kill em.

osopardo

huh?

I'm stopped at a red light. I put my car in "park" gear without turning off the motor. As he approaches from behind I get out of the car, close the door (because if it is open it would be behind me, trapping me) and I take two steps back to stand at the front corner of the car. From this position, I can run around to the other side of the car (putting the car between us) or I can charge forward and attack.

There are other cars all around us waiting for the traffic light to turn green. I don't really care if it does turn green and if I'm blocking traffic and if the other motorists should start honking their horns. My focus is on my assailant. Their participation is in witnessing this guy get out of his car and come towards me, ostensibly to attack me. I hope he is aware and distracted and discouraged by their presence, even if only subliminally. They are all important factors in the process.

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Tom Yum

Yes.

Last week while I was at the grociery store, a young lady was looking at the different vegetables on the produce aisle. She was moving around yellow squash and apparently moved one away that was supporting the weight of many others.

Needless to say, I saw this allmost instantaenously closed the distance in less than a second and caught about 5 yellow squashes from splatting on the ground. It was extremely fast and took quite a bit of coodination.

The lady thanked me and said "Wow, you've got really fast hands!"

Situation 2:

Earlier this week, I was walking with a colleague of mine in the early evening, when out of the sudden a flock of sparrows or some kind of brown birds burst in our direction; one of them was coming straight for my head.

Training and instinct kicked and I quickly bobbed under the bird. My colleague laughed and said, "how did you get out of the way so quickly? I barely saw those things"

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movingshadow

I dont know the situation you were in in the car but I was just making up some kind of idea/example.


Yeah I know what you mean about the squash story - you keep that instinct with you - in fact it keeps you company in a way.

Thai Bri

It was a dark dark night. Fog engulfed the meagre sky line, and the streets were empty. Almost.

I made my way carefully, awareness sense heightened by my spec ops training. I became accustomed to these envrionments during wars that were too secret to make the news.

I sensed something was wrong. Crouching like a tiger, hidden like a dragon, I looked carefully through the partially open curtains of a nearby flat. Supporting my weight with one hand, and supporting by weaner with the other, I was careful not to cause to much rustling.

With a flick of the wrist and an expertly drawn tissue, I managed to complete the exercise with no spillage.

Old Grandma Maud had no idea I was there when she'd bent over from her zimmer frame to pick up the soap.

Another succesful mission.


By the way, ol' Brown Bear. Why didn't you stay in the car?

Spookey

Shadow,

I had an incedent tonight that should fit the thread well.

Serving as the "head of security" for a local venue, I encounter idiots of all caliber. Anyhow, during the coarse of the night, I witnessed an assault. Four possibly five individuals (ages 15 - 17) attacked a single juvenile. A member new member of our security immediately grabed the victim (thinking the attackers would abort...WRONG!) at which time they turned their attention on my guy. He succesfully shoved or disbalanced the primary attackers (2) while releasing the initial victim to allow him to defend himself. As I made way into the mix I noticed another attacker attempt to blind side my guy. I intersepted the attacker and attempted a throw (osato-gari or reaping throw)...however, do to the mass of people and the available room, my throw was not cmpletely succesful. He stumbled backwards but was held up by the other attackers. He returned fire with a looping right, which I slipped. I attempted to close the distance (rarely will I ever strike a juenile) in order to gain control over and subdue the attacker. I was subsequently tackled from behind by his accomplices. Now, I am on my back (having pulled my initial focus on top of me) and shielding myself from the onslaught of punches and kicks from the group. My firearm becomes visible so I immediately retain it with my right hand while attempting to wrestle my immediate attacker with the left. Finally, a fellow member of the security force began shoving those attackers that were still standing away and allowed me enough room to focus on my primary combatant. I simply held my position (under the young thug and in "the guard") until other personel arrived.

Point, never underestimate your adversary, attempting to be easy (less aggressive) can be fatal (re: risk of being disarmed), and as much as I know never to go to the ground in a crowd...that damned "guard" came in handy for something.

Had I simply executed a low snapkick after the initial contact, the whole situation would have unfolded much easier!

If a child steps into a mans place...Knock Him Out!

TAEKWON!
Spookey

osopardo

don't you mean emission? You know, considering your profession, you could prolly contribute more than humor. How 'bout it, any real war stories?
I was taught long ago that getting out and positioning yourself where you can run is the smartest thing to do. If the guy had been armed you can bet I would have run around to the other side of the car and put myself where he couldn't reach me or, God forbid, shoot at me.

BTW - back in the 70's there had been some cop shootings in Miami. It started when a traffic cop had walked up to the driver's window of a car he had stopped to ask for license and registration (standard procedure) and walked right up to a shotgun aimed at his belly. The police quickly adopted the policy of asking the driver through their loudspeaker to step out and walk to the rear of the car before the cop would get out of his cruiser.
Years later I was stopped for a traffic violation and tried to comply with what I thought was the safest thing to do for the cop. He immediately got on his loudspeaker and forcefully ordered me to get back in my car. When we talked about it afterwards he explained that standard procedure now was for the "civilian" to stay in the vehicle, where he would be safe from other traffic and immobilized from trying to escape. Apparently some people try to run away from traffic cops by abandoning their vehicle and running away on foot.

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Thai Bri

I suppose its easier for us, as we don't have guns all over the place. Over here you arew safer in the car, especially if you get into the habit of only stopping where htere is an escape route (including keeping the option of driving over pavements etc if necessary). Not always possible, but there ya go!

Real war stories? I did some on Phil Elmore's forum. I'll see if I can find them.

By the way, "succesful emission" was a top class joke!

osopardo

I think you're saying that today because it's too soon after the incident. Your post brings up an excellent point regarding civic responsibility; the notion that a trained martial artist, especially while on duty, can somehow control the level of violence and subdue the criminal without injuring him permanently or severely. A tough line to walk.

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Thai Bri

jubaji

Suddenly, you notice him pull a gun out of his jacket. You turn to get back in your car and notice that the door is now locked. The girl you were taking to dinner scoots over to the drivers seat and speeds away in your ride as all the other motorists laugh at you.

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koto_ryu

I work as plainclothes security in various stores part-time whenever I'm not doing security systems, basically a secret shopper in grocery stores. I throw some stuff in a cart or basket, walk around, and catch shoplifters. Most of the time it's people who do it just because they don't want to pay but occasionally you'll get the professionals who load up on things they can sell out on the streets and they're often not too keen on going along with you without making a scene. I carry a training kusari fundo with me (basically a 3ft length of thick rope with two braided ends) and I've used it numerous times to entangle and restrain someone who was trying to emulate Mike Tyson and throw some blows.

The most memorable one I have was of a heroin addict who was attempting to run from the store and who literally clawed and chewed one of the stockboys who tried to stop him. I ended up chasing him out towards his car where he was desperately trying to unlock it to make his escape. I struck his wrist with an ura shuto (basically a knife-hand strike) right on the nerves, then kicked his keys under his car. We started tussling by his car and eventually I managed to get him with a musha-dori ("warrior take," an arm entanglement that wrenches the shoulder and elbow). He bit me during the confrontation though, so I had to get an AIDs test and sweat it for two whole weeks till the results finally came back negative. The hearing's in two months so I'll keep you posted on how that all goes

osopardo

You would?!? good luck dodging bullets as you fumble to get in! Even if the car was unlocked it would just make more sense to duck around it and out of his line of sight.

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jubaji

Hello? Hello? Is this mic on? You're a lovely audience, I'll be here all week.

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osopardo

Whooosh! Right over my head!

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