Are we scared or so?

[nozyk]

Look at what happened in Chesire , Conn. to the Petit family in 2007.
Safe neighborhood. Sicko's are EVERYWHERE and even though I live the the lock down state of New Jersey and cannot even own a slingshot,I do not leave my home without a Sebe or some other more "aggressive" knife in my pocket.I ALWAYS carry whenever I go into the big,bleak cuty of NY but I conceal it well.I have something in the glove box,trunk and under the seat. As for what's by my bed and all over the house....
I will do anything to protect mine.

[parbajtor]

Ok, let first state that I didn't mean to rile you up and I apologize if it seemed I was attacking you personally. My point was that what works in one environment and culture is not always going to work in another, a point which you don't seem to support.

My other disagreement with you is when you state that purpose built self-defense tools are less useful than improvised ones. I disagree. So do the vast majority of self-defense trainers and experts. I also disagree that every situation can be defused by acquiescing. Certainly it's better to give up a few dollars than to get into a fight, but not every situation works out that way.

Do I try to practice situational awareness? Yes. Does that mean I can never be caught by surprise? No. I would rather have a weapon and a chance if a bad guy does not grant me the luxury of just walking away after taking my money. The truth is, if I am in a strong arm or armed robbery situation, I have know way of knowing what the final intentions of a criminal are. I am going to draw my weapon and fight. You can do what you want.

You want to know why guns replaced knives and kung-fu for primary self defense? It wasn't because "the fight was over before they could be deployed."

Gun>Sword & Board>Knife>Martial Arts>Nothing.

Don't worry, I'm not riled. I agree that what works in one situation won't always work in another, that's what's called adapting to circumstance. I just feel that over reliance on a specific weapon limits your options and closes your mind to other opportunities. There are countless circular arguments about guns vs knives for SD, but what's common to either is that if your attacker already has the drop on you, the last thing you want to do is have them find that weapon on you, which will also affect the way you react. I'm pretty sure that there are very few SD trainers and experts who disagree that the best form of self defence is simply not to be there in the first place.

The reason why guns replaced swords, knives and kung fu, and not just for Self Defense is because it evens the playing field for the slow, the lazy and the stupid (and there are far, far more of them). No more training for years to become competent, no more having the "skill to back up your arrogance", no more "polite" society. Any ill-disciplined idiot with an ego bigger than their ability can pull a trigger, just ask James Butler Hickok and he was pretty much as fast as they come regarding deployment.

[djjonny]

I prefer the term practical and ready rather than scared.
As far what we carry (I think this is from the AvP Movie), It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it

[HeavyHanded]

Count me as one of the scared. I always was into MA, but as a teen and young man would leave my knife or gun home if I knew I'd be drinking. Then the early 90s came along. In my fairly small city of about 250,000 (greater metro area about twice that) we were averaging a shooting every day and a half and a homicide every six days or so. Per capita we had one of the highest rates in the country, and the highest in the state including NYC (this doesn't include stabbings and gang beatings). I already owned a long gun for the house, so got my handgun and CC permit. Its one thing to read about horrific stuff happening in another city or state, but two incidents have kept my mind on things.

The first was this:

At 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday in November 1993, 18-year-old Jennifer Koon was kidnapped in a shopping center parking lot in Pittsford, N.Y. Her abductor forced her into her car and drove to an unknown destination where he beat and raped her. At one point, Koon managed to dial 911 on her cell phone, possibly with her toes, says her father, David, now a state assemblyman. The 911 operator listened as Jennifer was killed--shot three times--but could do nothing to find her. The police later found her body in an alleyway.

It happened in the parking lot of the supermarket I shopped at every week.

The second, some years later is even more chilling - after learning of it I made a personal vow that if I ever found myself in a similar situation I was going to close with my aggressor even if I had to do it empty handed and taking fire. Most perps leave the scene pretty fast after shots are fired, so if nothing else I would hope to get the BGs to run without any further mischief.

(Irondequoit, NY) – A second man is now charged with abducting and robbing an Irondequoit family Sunday night.

Brothers Don Peterkin, 18, and Rashad Peterkin, 17, face robbery, kidnapping, and other charges. Don Peterkin was arraigned Monday. Rashad Peterkin is expected to be arraigned Tuesday.

Police said the brothers used a gun to accost a couple and their two-year old daughter when the family drove into the garage at their home on Ridgeview Drive around 9:45 p.m. Sunday. The Peterkins are accused of stealing jewelry, computer and stereo equipment, and savings bonds.

Police said Peterkin pistol whipped and assaulted the family and then put them in the trunk of their own car and drove around for a while. Police believe the suspects then went back to the home, put the victims in the trunk of the other family car and took off again.

At some point during the night, an acquaintance of Peterkin learned of the alleged crimes and called 911.

Irondequoit Police Captain Marty Corbett said, "[The callers] realized the nature and gravity of what was occurring, they were concerned certainly for the victims. They stepped up and acted appropriately and we certainly appreciate that."

Rochester police stopped the car on Reed Park around 2:00 a.m. Monday and found the family in the trunk. The couple was treated and released for minor injuries at the hospital. The child was not hurt.

The motive for the kidnapping is unclear; police believe the family was targeted randomly.

What this summary fails to disclose was the wife was moved to the passenger compartment and sexually assaulted. The husband and child could hear everything. Again, this happened right across the street from my local hospital. Not a bad part of town, but maybe a mile or two from where things start to go downhill.

Not to mention the regular litany of muggings and assaults that may or may not get reported in the paper. A buddy's wife was mugged at knifepoint by some punk at a mall in a local suburb. She was OK (she's a pretty tough girl), but he did drag the tip across her face before running off with her money - it could have been a lot worse.

Yes, if the word "scared" doesn't describe my attitude, "concerned and aware" might be a little more accurate.

[Daddyo16]

No, paranoid is living your whole life on the premis that you will be attacked at any moment and therefore missing out on all the good stuff that sweetens the intervals between the sh*t.

No. See my original post.

Paranoid is relative.

[klute]

Look at what happened in Chesire , Conn. to the Petit family in 2007.
Safe neighborhood. Sicko's are EVERYWHERE

Believe it or not 1/3 of all people are sociopaths according to some schools of thought.
I think it's always been that way but modern influences have simply brought it more to the forefront of things.

[Esav Benyamin]

I think modern influences have suppressed it. In the cities people do tend to conform, no matter how at odds that is with them twitching inside.

[klute]

Maybe yes, maybe no. There is some crazy shit going on nonetheless!

[klute]

When i said 'forefront of things' it's more like i mean we have better and more tolerant studies, critiques and dissemination of thought / media.
Years ago with the psychos nobody was getting news from all over the world in 5 seconds so they wouldn't overall realize the state of nuttiness we see now.

Other side of the coin there didn't seem to be rampage massacres, schoolkids slitting throats, roadrage murders 50 years ago... stuff like that.

[killgar]

If a grown adult doesn't understand the desire and necessity of being able to provide an armed defense for onself and ones loved ones, then nothing you say will convince them.

There are better ways to spend your time. Why feed the trolls.

[Esav Benyamin]

Other side of the coin there didn't seem to be rampage massacres, schoolkids slitting throats, roadrage murders 50 years ago... stuff like that.

Fifty years ago we had the Vietnam War. We had ongoing wars in the Middle East. We had places for sociopaths to do their thing with societal approval. Not just US "us" either. There has always been violence within and between societies. The form this takes can change over time, copy-cat effect, technological innovation, and some of the perceptions are due to media intensity. Not a simple question to ask, let alone answer.

[yobbos1]

To the OP: You ever been jacked? I guess not.

Good lookin out.

Try looking at the OP's location, I think not.

[yobbos1]

I buy knives and make sure to carry at least seven at all times to fulfil my urban tactical sheepdawg emergency defensive EDC role. That vital role I play in society doesn't stop when I come home, so I make sure to have knives and weapons everywhere all over my place all the time, especially in the shower and by my bedside, because muggers are everywhere and you never know when a crack thirsty jenkem addict will hop out of your medicine cabinet, bent on culturally enriching your family. If it weren't for extreme tactical urban sheepdog emergency defensive (gawwwd forbid) EDC role users like me the world would be a WROL hellhole because the sheeple are stupid and ELL EEE OES are standing on a THIN BLUE LINE between us and chaos!

Dude, epic.

[yobbos1]

Exaggerating for the sake of provoking a response is the definition of a troll. Your post is just the definition of stupid.

I think your posts are the definition of stupid.

[Semper Fi1985]

I’m just wondering why people are looking for tactical blades for EDC, sleeping with knives in their pajamas and guns under their pillows and other “defensive” weapons on their bedside table. I’ve read it in several posts, but I just don’t get it.

Are you scared?

[shangchi108]

Speak softly and BE the stick.

I really like a lot of what you've said here, though it's not going to make us popular in this crowd.

To the OP: I must be really paranoid, since I've spent the past 20+ years becoming as dangerous as possible with my bare hands. So, even in the shower, I can defend myself without having to depend on having a shotgun handy.

I can use ANYTHING as a weapon. I'm certainly not limited to an expensive tactical whatever. Doesn't matter if what I'm holding is a khukri, bowie, tomahawk, machete, cane, hot cup of coffee, magic marker, screwdriver, dan bong, yawara, kubotan, #2 pencil, etc. They are all weapons and all of them are dangerous. I just adjust my tactics and techniques to match what I have available.

In general, I prefer sticks to knives when it comes to self-defense, from pocket sticks to dragon poles, because you can use a stick to restrain or discourage an antagonist without breaking the skin, and escalate it to deadly force if you need to. Edged weapons start out being deadly and pretty much stay that way.

Just my worthless opinions. ;-)

[BoxANT]

Everyone has difference preferences. Some prefer to carry nothing but their wallet and cellphone, while others carrying enough gear on them to survive in the woods for a weekend.

Are they scared or prepared? Naive or realistic?

To me, the important question is, are they hurting anybody? If no, then what does it matter?

[Esav Benyamin]

To me, the important question is, are they hurting anybody? If no, then what does it matter?

Exactly. If you DON'T mess with the bull, you DON'T get the horns. So why worry if he could be dangerous?
Personally, I lean towards quiet paranoia. I know most people are not out to get me, but I have convinced a few not to try, with neither of us getting upset.

[WindyCityKali]

I train with knives and guns because bad things happen unexpectedly to good people.

If you don't agree, then don't buy them.

I also see no reason at all to come to BF, to PracTac, and ask the question. No one is going to change your mind. You're not going to change anyone else's. It's very possible that you could live the rest of your days without violence ever touching you. Then again, violence could come to you tomorrow. See - no one knows. You just don't know. I don't know. And because no one can reassure me of that, I'll be the guy with the knives and guns. Once you ramp up the machine, it doesn't take a lot to get some regular training in your life.

[TimberWolf7.62]

The last time I checked, criminals never have any problem getting their hands on weapons, even in places where they are highly restricted.

Of course, the smugglers can hide guns under big bags of cocaine. THAT has no difficulty making it into the U.S., so the guns will, as well.