If you were attacked on the street, do you truly believe that you could defend yourself?

This is not a fun question. A lot of women on this site have been attacked and raped.

How many we talking about?

Not anymore. I could talk my way out of most problems. For all else, I stay indoors and take taxi’s to where I want to go.

Not fun, but I worked in mental hospital, was attacked several times by patients. I’m still walking and most of them got extra med’s and/or time in “seclusion” (locked room with only a bed frame).
One on one’s with me were noted by the staff as “Bill will be okay”.

Life is a gamble, so roll the dice. Maybe I can, maybe I can’t. It depends on what I can lay my hands on and what he has in his hands, and whether or not he is going to be as determined as I would be.

I think I can convince somebody stupid enough to fuck with me that there are easier marks out there. I’ve been mugged a couple of times. They don’t usually intend on killiing you. What they don’t know is that I have no problem at all killing them.

I tell you a little story.

I teach models and actors how to present for camera. I don’t teach acting. I teach presence, how (and when) to project confidence, sadness, strength, humility, etc… for the camera. I’ve taught this for forty years, and one night, it saved my life.

I was alone, late at night, in a bad part of town, fueling my car at a gas station. Looking around, I noticed a herd of young men slowly approaching me. There were at least ten of them, and they walked lurching as if stalking prey. They came from multiple directions. I was surrounded, and they were closing in with the look of death in their eyes. I was about to get jacked hard.

First, show no fear. Become fearsomely fearless. Throw a chagrin at the crowd and do a little disco dance, as if I’m the happiest man alive.

Second, scan for the leader. He’s the one somewhere in the middle rear, nicer dressed than the others, shorter, older, and the others will be glancing over to him. He only looks at me. Very easy to identify. I make eye contact and never let go, throwing a big smile at his face.

In the midst of their approach, I stopped fueling and walked straight up to the leader saying grandiosely, “WHAT’S UP Oh My God How You Doin’ Man!!!... I didn’t know you guys would be down here tonight! Fucking awesome dude… How are you??? Killin’ it for sure”. Walking straight through the crowd until I was standing side by side the leader.

Understand what happened in that moment. The boys, all of them, immediately thought that I knew their main man. It was like turning off ten robots simultaneously. They were so let down that they dissolved, dispersed, and left me standing alone with the dude… Who, had a completely perplexed look on his face… half trying to figure out where, and why, his boys diluted to… and also searching the farthest reaches of his mind trying to figure out if he did, in fact, know me. He had to know me. We must have been good friends. Only a known good friend would approach him with such joy and confidence at our reunion.

It’s brain science. I literally pinged the files in his brain that recognized how a good friend in his best moment would approach him. He (as we all do) had reference files in his head that couldn’t help but kick in and force him to BELIEVE that we were old chums. We’d probably committed some wicked crime together in the past…

He understood, there was absolutely no way for him to call out to the others and say “Hey come back. Let’s get this guy”. It was over. And he respected that. He respected the play I had just put on him. And as I walked away, getting into my car, he gave me the biggest smile and nodded his head.

Walk like a smiling giant and rule the world my friends.

I could, at the very least, make it considerably less fun for the attacker involved.

But most of the time if I’m walking down the street it’s with my husband, and I have no fears about being attacked with him around. He’s a scary looking dude, and will happily back up his looks if pressed.

I am a 100lb woman so no. I have taken 2 self defense courses but I still know that I stand about zero chance against anyone who wishes me harm.

@Muad_Dib :: I don’t think your husband looks scary. Now if he was pissed at me I would be terrified. But I don’t think he looks like he would just fuck with me for no reason.

No. That’s why I use my common sense and take basic precautions. Better safe than sorry.

Depends on the nature of the attack, but yes, though I’d rather avoid it. I’ve protected myself before, and I’ve protected others who were being attacked. Yelling HELP POLICE HELP loudly and seriously also may have attackers run, and if you’re in a populated enough part of a tame enough city, tends to lead to someone calling the police and them showing within five to ten minutes. Cell phone 911 also works.

I innocently walked out of my 10th grade German class and a girl came up to me and punched me in the eye. I was a doormat and pushover so this was new to me. I swung my arms to defend myself. I ended up with a black eye and she had a bloody lip. I went into survival mode as best as I could. You never know until it happens to you.

No. I was attacked from behind. They snuck up on me. I had no chance. I was on the ground and in a daze before I knew what was happening.

Nothing funny about it.

Don’t think I’ll be able to defend myself. Will happily give whatever I have (money) at that time instead of being harmed.

I don’t think it’s really possible to know. For me that fight or flight switch is rapid and complete. I usually don’t know which it will be until I lose my calm and it turns on. I generally have something like pepper spray or more if I’m in a really bad area. People usually don’t mess with me though. Not sure why I’m average size/build.

I don’t think I could say without a doubt I would be able to defend myself. It all depends on circumstances: How many attackers are there? Even if it’s one person, is he or she a big, strong person? A small, wiry and still strong person? A big fat person that can barely move but maybe is just crazy and full of crazy energy? Are they high and out of their mind? Are there any weapons involved? If they pushed a victim to the ground, the victim would be in a tough spot, physically and more vulnerable. Did they come from behind or was it after a face to face interaction where I (or another victim) would be aware of what the attacker is doing?

Unless someone is a martial arts artist, I don’t think anybody could say without a doubt that they’d really be effective. I’m tall and I’m strong but I don’t think I’d win any fight. I might get in a punch or two and I might cause enough commotion that the person decides it’s not worth their time to bother, but someone strong, fast, energetic and/or determined is going to win, for sure.

I think I can handle myself in most situations. You may know Jiu Zitzu from Korea, but I know a crow bar from Sears and Roebuck.

Tire tools are useful as well.

And frankly, seeing a cop car behind me frightens me infinitely more than anyone I ever encountered on a street. You can take that to the bank.

@johnpowell – True – he certainly wouldn’t. His stature is enough to ward off the average mugger alone, and he certainly doesn’t stalk around trying to look scary. But he can turn on attack dog mode in a hurry when necessary. Fortunately it isn’t something that happens often. Deterrents being preferable to reaction, and all.

@NomoreY_A Same for me too and I’m not just saying that, I really feel uneasy around cops. I don’t have much trust there.

I feel your pain, man. I swear, any time I drive any where and see a cop car near me, I get spooked, I have been jacked up to many times. I’m not a hood, but I can talk the talk and walk the walk to back thugs down when I have to, cops just make me feel like I’m gonna pee my pants.

Probably not at my age. When I was much younger I could have made a hell of a dent, though, but chances are I still would have lost, assuming my attacker was a male.

I have been assaulted and was able to get out without violence. It was terrifying. What in the world made you think this would be a “fun” question?

It would depend on whether I saw it coming or not. I usually have pretty good situational awareness but it is always possible for a team to do something.
I would try my best to make it cost them – a lot.

Happened before, I managed to defend myself. Dude came up to me and grabbed me by the collar so I stuck all my fingernails in his face, he let go and I bolted. Can’t say I’d be successful every time, don’t want to go through anything like that again either.

Terrifying.

Funny that shit like that happens to you for like seven seconds but then you remember it always.

Well you think about what could have happened.

I took Krav Maga for a few years so I’m not afraid to get close and hit people and get hit. But the first line of defense they teach is running away before a fight starts.

I tried counseling/negotiating with my attacker, . I ended up being left for dead.

I will never again play “Welcome Back Cotter” with my attacker. I am quite prepared to kill anyone and will do it, if only to save someone after me from being killed.

People who do not value human life, people who are little more than automated killing machines, destroy many, many lives. If it is you or them who dies, it should be them.

Welcome Back Kotter? Yes I know the show but what was the situation?

@Yellowdog i feel the same way. I too have been mugged and I will kill the next person who tries it.

Da, I am a rather large and strong lady who has studied martial arts. There is also a Makarov in my purse at times.

@SimpatichnayaZhopa Which are small or rather large?

I think I’ve heard both.

If you heard I am small, you heard wrong. I suppose you have many wrong ideas about me of course.

Honestly, no one has given you a second thought in weeks, except yourself. Quit obsessing about yourself, please.

@Dutchess_III I had no clue what a Makarov was, so I found this description. It’s a side arm that’s been used by police in Russia since 1951. Sounds like a serious gun. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarov_pistol

Good for you that you’re so formidable @SimpatichnayaZhopa