"He couldn’t access his 38 because it was in an ankle holster."
Honestly, we can all make a statement like this about ANY given method of carry, concealed or otherwise. Heck, we can even do it for people carrying in their hands.
As has been pointed out in more than one instance in this thread alone, self-defense is a holistic concept. It is not, and cannot be, considered "effective" by the mere fact that one carries a weapon in any way, shape, or form.
There are any number of witicisms out there on this..."don't go anywhere armed that you wouldn't go unarmed", "two is one and one is none", "never bring a knife to a gunfight", "I'd rather have a gun and not need it than need one and not have it", "owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician".
Cute. Funny. And often true. But they're necessarily limited in scope because they're short in nature. They don't tell the full story.
And what is the "full story"?
Situational awareness. Forethought. Advanced planning. Training. Critical thinking. Understanding what the laws actually mean with respect to the use of deadly force. Strategic and tactical use of resources at hand, whatever they may be, for concealment, cover, deflection, advanced warning, defense, and offense.
All of these things, and more, count as much, indeed even more, than carrying a weapon however you choose to do it. Why? Because all of these things involve the effective training and use of the most important weapon we have as human beings: OUR BRAIN.
What is it that should be keeping that ankle-holster-carrying person safe when he can't access his weapons? All those things I listed, that's what. Ultimately, his ability to recognize the limitations of his chosen method of carry and to engineer circumstances which minimize the risks he may have to deal with.