If being assaulted what would you do?

[BullfrogKen]

At the end of every single one of these "what if/what would you do" discussions, it doesn't matter what I would do. It doesn't matter what Sam, or Lee, or Tom, Dick and Harry would do.

We're not you; you're not us; and no one's like each other. All of us have different abilities, limitations, geographical and political concerns. Maybe you could do more than me; perhaps I can do more than you.


When we come to the end of it all, the only thing that matters what you would do.


So, what can you do? Given the list of restricted options you've laid out, you need to explore yourself and your abilities. Take some training and learn to do more than

• run away;
• pull out a magic talisman;
• or shoot the guy.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I'm going to shift the emphasis of what Ken said a bit. It's not "what WOULD you do" - it's "what CAN you do that matters. Where is your mindset, how good is your skillset, and what's in your toolset when "it's least expected and you're elected" as Farnam says?

lpl

 

[BullfrogKen]

Already ahead of you, buddy.


That's exactly the question I posed.

 

[Alex45ACP]

I think "covering up and seeing what he knows" is a really bad idea. This isn't a boxing match where your opponent can only throw punches, and you can hide behind your 16 oz gloves. If you sit there and try to cover up, you're going to end up on the ground with him on top of you pretty quickly, and then you're in a heap of trouble.

Anyway, this is an issue I'm interested in. I read on here all the time that due to "disparity of force", the legal system will not look kindly on you for shooting someone who was unarmed, even though he initiated force and people half your size with no weapons can still kill you with their hands and feet, or take your gun away and kill you with it.

So if I'm walking thru a parking lot or something late at night, and some guy starts punching and kicking me for whatever reason, what am I supposed to do? If I try to run away, I have to turn my back. That's a bad idea. I also have to prevent him from getting my gun, so rolling around on the ground with him throwing punches isn't an option.

Also, are the rules different for police officers? I've seen videos where officers are attacked by unarmed assailants, and they end up using their guns, sometimes with deadly consequences. Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpziJTlv7Cw (graphic)

 

[HexHead]

Where in the world do you live that your laws require you to take a beating without defending yourself? Move to a free state

But seriously, the self defense laws are not usually that simple.

What do you expect from a state that sends Al Franken to the Senate?

As for me, it looked like he was reaching for something in his pocket.

 

[shootr]

Well... it would depend on my mood. I might just run away or likely if the guy struck me, I'd start swinging.

 

[Geno]

OP asserts that:

He begins physically assaulting you with only his hands & feet (punching, slapping, kicking).

In my case, the whole matter would be different because I have been a martial arts instructor for a bit over 30 years. In each of the instances where someone has engaged in sudden or aggressive movements directed toward me, conditioned response has taken over. As I see it, anyone dumb enough to physically assault a professional martial arts instructor will not remain dumb very long. It's the sort of education that one won't soon forget. I'm not thumping my chest, I'm simply presenting a reflection of the multiple times I have been forced into conditioned response.

Geno

 

[highlander 5]

given the scenario 2 things for me,one I'm no youngster but not quite at social security and two I've have had half a dozen eye surgeries. My days of throwing hands with someone has long since passed and if on the ground a couple of good kicks would either blind or kill me I'd shoot and hope that I get a sympathetic jury.

 

[357mag.]

How would you know if they have a weapon or not?Many,many people have been killed,ended-up in a coma,left paralyzed ect..due to a hand to hand fight.I do not lay my hands on others,and will do whatever it takes to keep others hands off me.

 

[Sgt_R]

I found myself in a similar situaton about 10 years ago. I didn't have a firearm, but I did have a good knife in my pocket. I left it there.

R

 

[3:00hold]

You can be knocked out with one punch, then your gun becomes his gun. In many state's where I've lived, kicking with shoes (I'm assuming the assailant is shod) is a felonly - I'm assuming because it's considered to be dangerous to the one being kicked. You can easily beat someone your own size to death. A couple kicks to the head should do it.

So, what you're asking is what would you do if you life was in immediate danger, if you were one punch or one kick from death. The answer is stop the threat. . . immediately.

 

[easyg]

As I see it, anyone dumb enough to physically assault a professional martial arts instructor will not remain dumb very long. It's the sort of education that one won't soon forget. I'm not thumping my chest, I'm simply presenting a reflection of the multiple times I have been forced into conditioned response.

I'm not trying to imply anything about you personally so don't take this as a personal attack...
But I've seen more than one martial arts instructor get stomped and beaten senseless by a street brawler.

Training certainly can help, but some guys are just natural fighters.
While others, even with many many years of martial arts training, will never be great fighters.

 

[mrokern]

I'm going to shift the emphasis of what Ken said a bit. It's not "what WOULD you do" - it's "what CAN you do that matters. Where is your mindset, how good is your skillset, and what's in your toolset when "it's least expected and you're elected" as Farnam says?

lpl

Too often we find the toolbox far too empty.

When all you have is a hammer...

Which leads to a decreased skillset and limited mindset. Funny how all those interact...

-Mark

 

[trol79]

How about fighting back with fists,knees, ellbows or calling for help? If an attacker comes that near to me, a knife would be more useful than a gun. I carry a often a knife because they are quite useful in non-comgat situations ( and unfortionaly I live in germanistan where carrying agun is allmost highly illegal).

 

[CTGunner]

I don't know if I should post this link because it's a law enforcement encounter...with that said the officer and attacker appear to be equally matched in size, but maybe not in hand to hand combat skills, strength, or endurance. Obviously the officers first choice was not to shoot but as the situation changed so did his decision making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnxA5g8l0Xg

 

[mljdeckard]

Who is 'we'? You got a mouse in your pocket?

The scenario is far too simplistic.

Option one implies that you feel that deadly force is not necessary. If you can do something other than use deadly force, you should.

Option two does not exist. You don't draw without the intent to fire.

Option three is an option that only happens when you really only feel that deadly force can save your life. Your situation depends on many factors that are not described here. Just because the guy is the same size as me and acting violently doesn't necessarily mean that I reasonably think he is about to kill me. Just because he is being weird doesn't mean he isn't dangerous. There is nothing in your description that gives enough background to make this real enough to imagine.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

One thing to consider is those that carry with a regular leather holster without any retention might have their gun knocked out of its holster and then its the assilants gun.

 

[SASD209]

I don't really think the OP wants to hear your answers....he's started 4 threads and has not commented on any of them.

 

[Meatax]

I would shoot him.

 

[brboyer]

In Florida, robbery is a forcible felony which authorizes deadly force to prevent.

 

[mljdeckard]

He didn't say anything about robbery.

Just because something might technically be legally justified doesn't make it ethically or morally correct.

 

[FM12]

When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!!

Navy version: When is danger or in doubt, turn to port, and come about.

 

[Gritacular]

Wear a retention strap and learn combat sports if you're capable. My method for that exact scenario.

Everyone should know how to wield their body as a weapon if they are capable. Mechanics do fail occasionally ya know...

 

[leadcounsel]

I hate unrealistic scenarios.

When are you ever 100% sure someone else is unarmed, particularly given the situation where he is attacking you and trying to rob/injure you?

Given this -

Break contact before assault. I would think there would be some warning prior to the assault to allow time to break contact.

If there was no time to break contact, and an unarmed person is literally trying to injure/rob me, I would draw and shoot him in center mass until the threat is stopped. As far as I am concerned this man was assaulting me and could have easily used any improvised weapon or smashed my head in the ground making me unconscious and/or killing me - stranger things have happened. I've witnessed men get knocked unconscious with a single punch. I feared for my life, I was attacked unprovoked, and I shot to stop the threat and I want to press charges for assault and battery against the perp.

 

[gasteffens]

If it were me and I lived anywhere but IL, which I do, I'd shoot. But here in IL, I have to rely on my martial arts from 5 years ago, and whatever level of strength I do have.