My preoccupation with self defense...

It's the way you are phrasing your questions that is curious. Most people don't phrase questions about different types of self-defense ammunition as to what is better at killing someone. We understand that you are not looking to kill people for no reason, but it's hard not to be suspicious when you frame your questions in such terms.

I think the way several of your questions have been phrased has brought about some concern here.

References to Virginia Tech don't help. See, we don't know if you're a nutjob looking for advice on your own murder spree, or if you're an anti gun activist looking to put us in the position of saying things that make the shooting community look bad. If you're not either of those, please don't be offended ... but one can't be too careful these days.


Anyway, see if you can get your hands on a copy of this DVD. http://fmgstore.stores.yahoo.net/thradethdvd.html

Preparing for self defense isn't about getting the best tool "to kill people with", its about preparing your mind.

Shooting sports as a whole is FAR MORE than about just killing. There are literally hundreds of thousands of gun owners that use their firearms for self defense, but have never actually had to use or even level them in a self defense capacity. For instance, I shot an IDPA competition today. Sure, the whole premise is learning to use your pistol in a defensive capacity. But nobody there is obsessed with killing. It's a hobby and a sport with a basis in defense. Get involved in shooting sports. You will learn tons and make lifelong friends, and you will learn how to be a smart and responsible gun owner. It's a lot of fun, and it will make you a far better balanced gun owner than reading stuff on the internet. Happy shooting; I wish you the best!

It doesn't do it for me.


My godmother was shot by a shotgun in a convenience store robbery. One of the "kids" my sister-in-law serves as a state juvenile system social worker did a number on her face one morning with a knife just to "see what it felt like".


I've experienced crime in my life, too. Doesn't make me pre-occupied with killin' folks, though.

He is Korean so I suspect that his command of English is not up to our standards and he is doing the best he can.

Can you imagine what most of us would sound like if we tried to write in Korean!

.....

Doesn't do it for me.

For posters other than OP;

I am not sure how many folks have tried their hand at cross cultural communication.....Sometimes a little is lost in translation and not just the words......

Here is a young person raised in a foreign (being born here to foreign parents) land and I would guess raised with a little "we didn't do it like that at home"...

What is interesting to me is....Had he grown up in S. Korea, he would have faced the possibility of attack from the North and almost certainly some form of military service.

Would he then ask "What battle rifle for SHTF?" like so many here? Or if he were concerned about bears in Alaska..."What caliber for bear?".... Instead we receive a poorly worded : .45 vs. 9mm or pistol vs. revolver.....

Even posting once and not following up is a cultural thing......Kinda like "shut up so folks won't know how dumb you are" in certain US communities....

Perhaps responding with questions to flesh out the idea exchange before blurting opinion or advice would work well in this case.......Even though it's obviously not the "Internet way"......

I sure hope that I'm not wrong....

For the OP.....

A weapon (any weapon) is not a magic talisman...No weapon will protect you while you sleep.. No security system is going to work perfectly always(the word system almost guarantees a failure) ...There are no guarantees in life at all....except death..

There are steps that you can take to minimize the potential for violence to enter your life....Almost all include a lot of training.....Like any other martial art..
Almost all will develop character in the practitioner if they pursue it with a pure heart and a clear head.....And..... Almost like a talisman, the wisdom that comes with the learning will ward evil from your life....Most of the time...

Please stay and read and ask questions, for that is the path to enlightenment..

Feel free to participate in the threads that you start...explain (as you did in this thread) your reasons and reasoning.. And rejoin the thread from time to time to exchange ideas and information and basically because it's considered good manners to participate in a conversation that you start...

For all;

I hope that you find peace and prosperity in your lives and never, ever need to defend yourselves from those that would do you harm...

W44

I am a linguist by trade. He can communicate just fine.

I find the timing and content of his posts to be.....curious. Note that his previous threads are closed pending a conversation with the mods.

I live in Korea, and I'm about to enter college in US. ... I'm afraid of being shot dead like my father's friend. Unlike Korea, US is going through a lot of gun related crimes. If I have to resist against crime, I want to do it as best as I can to save my own life. I hope you understand me.

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James, welcome to THR and wish you well on your college studies.

Just a suggestion. If you are planning to spend some time in the US (several years for college?), then why not consider observing/respecting the "ways" of this country? "When in Rome, do as Romans do"

I grew up in Los Angeles and attended college after my US Army service near the infamous East LA (South Central and Compton was just a few minutes drive by freeway). I slept in my college dorm at night listening to gun shots and police sirens all night, every night. Everyone at the dorm lived in fear of being shot, robbed or attacked (in fact, there were many attacks, robberies and car thefts that took place at the college the years I attended there).

College had security policy for the dorm and everyone attended classes during orientation. We were told by campus security what to do and not do, where to go and what to avoid. Being safe as prey meant staying away from predators. Unfortunately, we were prey among many criminals and gang bangers.

We networked and minimized our exposure to potentially dangerous areas/situations and traveled in groups. Many of us took self-defense classes. Some of us started martial arts training. My TaeKwonDo instructor was an 8th degree black belt and one day in handgun/knife disarming class told us he could not move faster than a bullet. He told us to consider extending our martial arts training to include firearms training to be more proficient in total self-defense.

Although I had firearms training in the Army, it was mostly rifle/military weapons based, not pistol for self-defense. Like many here, I went to a local range and attended firearms training, handled/shot many range guns and did a lot of research on firearms related issues (applicable laws, tactics, legal issues, etc.).

For many in this country, potential to crime is a way of life and reality. But the people have right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness (not sadness from being victims of crimes). There are self-defense laws that protect individuals but only under certain situations and it is your responsibility to learn these laws before using violent force upon another human being (even though they are criminals/gang members - yes, in this country, the lawless have rights).

As stated by many THR members, there are many online resources that you can utilize now to start learning what these applicable self-defense laws you must abide by (law of the land) as a guest to this country. If you have access to a range in Korea, talk to range staff about self-defense classes/training. If you have not, perhaps you might want to start TKD training.

Massad Ayoob is my reference for firearms/legal related issues. You can start with "Answering some well asked questions about personal defense": http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob97.html

When you arrive in the US, you can continue your "cultural immersion" by following the footsteps of other US citizens in the pursuit of freedom/happiness. Hope you enjoy your stay with us.

.

I am a linguist by trade.

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Then please parse this sentence..

My parents are Korean, and while my father, just after wedding in Korea, entered Adelphi University for MBA administration.

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He can communicate just fine.

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Alrighty then.......

I suggest that we lock any thread that deals with terminal ballistics, self defense, stopping power and so on.....including what caliber for bear and .45 vs.9mm

"Cuz all we really need is .22s for target practice....

And I believe that anyone that carries a firearm for self defense is socially retarded

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I had to make up quotes to demonstrate how elitist some of you sound....

The kid is moving here from there to go to school and he is scared sh**less....

If he wasn't from Korea (and unfortunately mentioned Virginia tech, probably because he hears about it when he discusses going to school in the US)...but from Biloxie instead... We'd drag out youtube vids and coroners reports..and suggestions for taking out gangs of weapon wielding badguys...(Yup, I've read those threads here too)..We'd give him the Mozambique and the Tueller drill...Advise him to get training and buy a Glock (or some such wondergun)..AND NEVER BE DEFENSELESS AGAIN BY GOD....

So remember...He's young,,new to the sport and deeply concerned for his personal safety......And born on US soil.......


Sheesh......

It sounds like you may be coming to the US from Korea. If so I'd advise STRONGLY against grabbing up a firearm as soon as you get stateside. There is tremendous variation in state and local law on ownership and carrying. I'd also wonder how old you are, and if you can carry or own a handgun. Take it a step at a time. Get some training first and above all know your state and local law, including the rules on whatever campus you're going to. Do not simply buy a firearm and expect it to give you protection. It doesn't work like that. You've got to learn the lay of the land first. Otherwise you risk getting in over your head, esp. with the law.

Most of us here on this forum have grown up around firearms to one degree or another. The rules of safety and the basics are just part of general knowledge for us. Coming from a country with strong anti-gun laws such as Korea you may not have this background. Firearms are just something associated with criminal activity. There's no lawful gun culture. It's very different here, esp. in the more pro-gun states. But that doesn't mean there are no rules. Some of these rules are in the law books, others are just part of accepted practice about what is and is not done. If you don't understand these rules you can get into trouble.

Methinks that James is a victim of slanted, sensationalist media in Korea.

Korea's violent crime rate is just slightly higher than the US, but most of the world's media pretends that American cop shows and movies are documentaries and the average American neighborhood is more dangerous than a war zone.



James, if you move to the states (especially if you live in a "college town" which will likely have lower crime rates than most major cities) you'll be just as safe here, if not safer than you are at home in Korea.

Adelphi is in NYC ... which has a violent crime rate TWICE the average in the rest of the country (and was worse in the early 90s than it is today).

Methinks that James is a victim of slanted, sensationalist media in Korea.

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Ding ding ding....We have a winner.

Methinks that James is a victim of slanted, sensationalist media in Korea.

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To that, I'd venture a "both yes and no." I know from first-hand experience that in Japan, America is portrayed as a dangerous, lawless sort of place that's extremely dangerous. The killing of that exchange student, Hattori, by that guy in Baton Rouge, did not help matters in that respect.

But there are places in this country, places in most large cities (LA, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia) that are extremely dangerous. I live in a good part of my city that has low crime, but there is a housing project only a few miles from me where a foreign student was gunned down in the parking lot for a cell phone.

San Francisco can be a very challenging place because the city maps like a checkerboard, and only a local will know that the safe way from point A to B might involve a detour to avoid a troublesome area. So... both yes and no. A new resident will be challenged to learn the lay of the land and acquire knowledge quickly about living smart and securely, and develop situational awareness.

I recommend that the OP put all thoughts of firearms out of mind and work on cultural acclimatization first.

Maybe if you are that fearful, you should find another place for your higher education aspirations?

Maybe if you are that fearful, you should find another place for your higher education aspirations?

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He may not have a choice if the decision is made by his parents:

"My parents are Korean, and while my father, just after wedding in Korea, entered Adelphi University for MBA administration."

My Grandparents came from Korea. My Grandfather owned/ran a ITF affiliated Tae Kwon Do Dojang for years. My Grandfather and Grandmother, have told me they wanted a new life, but were scared s****less. They were constantly told that America was full of gangsters. That we were violent and killed on another at the drop of a hat. They were told that Americans were the most conniving, violent creatures on the planet.

We know this is not true. My Grandparents did not, until they came here.

If the OP has heard the rumours/lies my Grandparents did, perhaps he is scared.

Edit to add.
Perhaps, we should not be so judgemental of the OP.

Welcome to the forum.

Contrary to what some may believe, the US is not as crime infested as one imagines. You're in your late teens. You have a whole life ahead of you. So rather than worrying about what could happen to you, live life and be vilgilent. In addition to pursuing an education, learn a martial art, weight lift, get involved in the community. The bottom line is that you as an individual is a lot weaker physically & emotionally than the support that friends/community/family can offer.

BTW, there is a lot more to gun ownership than killing, although that is one of the purposes of a firearm. Hang out here and learn from the others before you even consider carrying a firearm for protection. In any event, you cannot legally carry one at your age. Pursue other options and trust me, there are a lot of different options other than using a gun to defend yourself.

Again, most of all - look outside of yourself to gain balance through support from friends/family.

Moderators: Rather than closing the thread, how about moving it to Strategies & Tactics?

jamespark777
My preoccupation with self defense...
Everyone, I was born in Floshing Hospital in New York. I have a Korean bloodline. My parents are Korean, and while my father, just after wedding in Korea, entered Adelphi University for MBA administration. It was 1991 at that time. There was a friend of his who were shot in the head while sleeping in his own house, and the police closed the case eventually after months of investigation, thus failing to find out the murderers. There were some sayings that the murderers were the Chinese colleagues in the university who were associated with criminal groups. I'm afraid of being shot dead like my father's friend. Unlike Korea, US is going through a lot of gun related crimes. If I have to resist against crime, I want to do it as best as I can to save my own life.

I hope you understand me.

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In every country in the world, the press plays up U.S. "gun crime" and the evil "gun culture", even though other countries have a far higher crime rate. It is typical of a foreign newspaper to wallow in descriptions of mass gun slaughter all over the U.S., while ignoring thousands of non-gun murders in their own cities.

To most of the world a gun is both an evil instrument and a forbidden delight. It is interesting how many people who rant about the American "gun insanity" come to the U.S. hoping they can buy a gun "like a loaf of bread" and take it back with them. They can't, but the impression in foreign countries is that the U.S. has no gun control laws at all.

So we have the combination here of ignorance about the U.S. (most of us have never known anyone who was robbed, assaulted, or murdered) and the extent of gun ownership and use. This site gives the impression that just about everyone carries a gun; that is not true even for people who post here.

Even when a license to carry is relatively easy to get, many of us assess the risk before carrying, either legally or illegally. For most people in most areas, the risk is low. And actions make a difference. If you frequent "bad" areas, looking for trouble, you will find it. If your testimony sent "il capo di capi" to prison, trouble will find you!

But carrying a gun has its own risks, and is a PITA, as I well know.

Jim

He states he was born in Flushing NY, he has Koren ancestry. His command of English should be quite a bit better then it is. I think his questions need to be reviewed deeply by the moderators.

Yukonstorm said:

He states he was born in Flushing NY, he has Koren ancestry. His command of English should be quite a bit better then it is. I think his questions need to be reviewed deeply by the moderators.

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In one of his other posts, he implies that though born in NY, he lives in Korea, so I wouldn't worry about the English - just the content. I'm one of those who find the content of his posts strange and disturbing.

Thanks for the efforts, but this one is done.