I want everyone reading this thread to know that I don't believe in violence.
Unless it's absolutely necessary. And in that case I want to act so violently that it's over quickly, hopefully with me mostly intact and them taking damage.
This video was hard for me to watch at first because it brought back memories. I grew up in a pretty bad neighborhood, and found it frustrating that my mother and teachers espoused the "turn the other cheek" response to bullying. I gave it a good try, honest I did, but it always resulted in the bullies taking my lunch money/shoving me down the stairs/knocking my books in the mud/slapping me around, and me taking the damage. About 4th grade I finally snapped one day, and kicked a bully right in a location that resulted in him rolling around on the ground clutching himself while his fellow bullies ran off. Of course the school authorities scolded, threatened and suspended me, and my mother made me sit quietly and study for the next 3 days, which was okay because it gave me plenty of time to reflect on the major life lesson I had learned:
The people who insisted on my being a passive victim were WRONG in a big way, because one well-placed kick stopped that bully cold. Pacifism sucks when you're being attacked (at least, if you dislike being attacked), and one sudden violent act solved the problem.
So when I went back to school, the bully in question and his buds followed me around for a while, saying how they were going to get even later. I was kinda scared, but I put on my John Wayne face and said, "Come on when you're ready" or words to that effect. Somehow they never got ready enough, I guess.
In high school and later on in the service, I put that lesson to use from time to time. I'm not overtall, but kinda stout (husky, I said back then) and I fell in with some guys who were serious about inflicting damage without weapons, and we sparred around to the point where more than one didn't make me freeze with fear.
I think Hungry Seagull mentioned a key point in post #10 - arrange yourself so they have to come at you one at a time. I can only focus my attention effectively on one attacker at a time, and I don't want another one blindsiding me. Backed against a wall or truck is better than out in the open, an aisle or doorway is even better, narrow it down to about 20 degrees of approach and you've got it made. The guy on the bus could have used the posts and seats to position himself like this, from what I saw.
Then, don't talk. Talking gets in the way of action. Use the time instead to set a trigger point for yourself. "When he gets to right there, I'm gonna take him." Also inventory your surroundings for things that could be useful. In that bus, there were steel posts and rails and seatbacks that the guy could have used to damage the punks without smacking his own body parts into theirs.
The third thing is, don't let them set the pace (don't turn your back on them is pretty much a no-brainer). At 2:07, the gray-coated punk bumps him but it's unclear how hostile he is. At 2:13, when the green-coated punk takes over, the guy sits there and dances with him for several seconds. After that, it's all downhill.
Here's what I'd rather see at about 2:05. The guy is facing the punks, and he's solidified his stance, bladed if he wants, but you can do it from squared also if you take one step back with your strong foot and bend your knees slightly (also, he has his wallet in some more secure location, fer cryin' out loud). Hands down at his sides, the victim lets gray-coat approach to within about arms reach and then brings both hands up and palm-pushes him in the lower chest, shoving him back and to the right, hard. While green-coat is closing the distance, the victim says loudly, "Don't hurt me!" Green-coat raises his right hand first as he gets there, the victim grabs the wrist in one hand, the shoulder or jacket in the other, and turning to his left, breaks that arm across the post on the left, whatever that is.
Then he shoves green-coat back into the crowd. That's an important point, because if he comes back (not likely, but possible), he's injured already. If he doesn't come back, he's an obstacle to his fellow punks, who have to get around or over him to continue fighting. Also, it clears everybody away from the victim for long enough to regain his balance and face the remaining situation.
The bald punk looks like a strapping lad, let's say he comes up next. He'll probly have his hands up in a "boxing" position or something similar as he approaches, and the victim's task is to to get baldie's arms apart and get inside him, even if he has to take a glancing hit to do so. Once he's inside, he reaches up and grabs baldie's chin and back of his head, tilts it back and cranks hard to one side, probly clockwise if he's right handed. Push him away as he falls (knee in the groin optional), and don't worry about him getting back up. That leaves the white hoodie, and he's the one most likely to pull a knife IMHO.
Let's say he does. Finally, the victim is justified in using deadly force. It's about time, don't you think? Or maybe gray-coat decides he wants some more. Some punks just take longer to catch on to a bad idea, that's all. Anyway, here are a couple things to remember:
1) All these actions need to be done fairly quickly, but more importantly, vigorously! Give it everything you've got without hesitation. Timidity kills! Grab whatever you can get ahold of and hit it on something hard or bend it the way it doesn't bend. Human body parts - break them like you mean it.
'Nother point this brings up: If you're CCW'ing and decide to HTH, your piece wants to be secure enough that it doesn't come loose during all that jumping around.
2) During close-in, hand to hand combat, you might get hurt. Ignore that, and concentrate on damaging your attacker. If you fail, you'll get hurt BAD. Turn your fear to anger, and fuel yourself with it. You have a raging Mongol chromosome, everybody does, but normally we keep it caged up and buried down deep. Now (in this kind of emergency) is when you pull the muzzle off him and put him in charge. There'll be plenty of time to shake and cry and bleed later.
Disclaimer: I'm not a HTH instructor or any kind of authority on the subject, but I used to be passing good at ending a fistfight without using my fists. Even now, many years later, people who could mess with me don't.
Parker... let me remind you I don't believe in violence. Violence is ugly, risky, and brutal. The only reason we would even consider it is to prevent something worse.
Maybe Steven Segal playing the part... 
