Are we scared or so?

[ecos]

As some alluded to, I just consider keeping a weapon handy as insurance. Do I live in fear or worry? Nope. But things happen so I like to be prepared for them. I also keep a toolbox and blanket in my trunk when I'm in the US, and other than changing tires I don't think I've ever had to use either..but nice knowing they are there.

With some crimes, like a mugging, its usually safer not to fight back, but in other situations they have no monetary motives and just wish to do you harm for the hell of it. In rare cases like that its nice to have something handy to help you out.

Examples:
Other than typical teenage fist fights I've never been jumped, but I've known about incidents happening around me. When I lived in Michigan I lived adjacent to a large wooded park in a "safe" area. One day 2 pre-teen girls got held at knife point by some sicko and were brutally raped/beaten/sliced/bitten...about 1/4 mile from my apartment. A few years prior to that a guy that attended my sisters church was picked up by a couple of lunatics and was tortured to death, body thrown in the back of his truck wrapped in a tarp..then they drove around town for 2 days in his stolen truck with the body in the back before officers caught them. Their motive was "it sounded fun", and they got like $200 from him.

Currently I'm living in the Philippines and I carry a telescoping baton and knife on me daily (guns are illegal to foreigners here, the knife is mostly for utility as I prefer stick fighting), and leave them on the night stand while sleeping. Thankfully I've never had to use them but they are there just in case. Muggers typically are armed and work in teams so if mugged they will be getting a nice knife and telescoping baton along with my wallet (which I keep a minimum amount of money in, large amounts are in a small pouch dangling down the inside of my pants..if someones got their hand in there digging around I've got bigger things to worry about than losing my money), I'm not risking my life to fight for $20. What concerns me more is a group of guys getting drunk and causing trouble or a home invasion. Typically home invasions go smoothly and people just wake up to see their stuff missing. But every so often someone wakes up with an intruder in the house and they feel cornered and bad things happen. Typically break-in thieves carry a knife, not a gun, and work solo....so having a baton within reach of me whilst sleeping is nice. As for drunks/people making bad decisions...theres been a few people stabbed to death because they messed up the lyrics when singing karaoke (seriously), and 2 months ago a guy got a haircut, went home, his friends laughed at him saying it was an ugly haircut so he grabbed a bolo and returned to the barber and hacked him to death. Last year a guy in the market went nuts and stabbed 7 people before a cop in the area shot him...thats a 3minute walk from my house and where I buy groceries.

Some of us just read about things in the newspaper, some of us are unlucky enough to have it hit close to home, and a rare few end up as the victims. But stuff does happen.

You can use logic and say "the chances of anything happening are slim", which is true, but it doesn't help you when someone comes at you with a knife for no reason at all. I may never need my baton (hope to God I don't) but if I'm walking through the market one day and some lunatic starts stabbing random people its nice to know I have something more than my bare hands to try and stop them with (thats of course if I see him coming first)

[crafty]

Naïve, insane, paranoid, troll, or just crazy, I don’t care much what you call me. If I want to know I’ll drop by a psychiatrist

Scared? Not anymore. I used to be; was running around the house with a 4D Maglite at night when I heard a weird noise then peeking through the doors. Being scared doesn’t help. Now I walk around the house with confidence, I’m just cautious now and prepared.

The situations I’ve run into I didn’t use a weapon for SD. Maybe I was just lucky, but I got away without a fight. Taking distance is also a way of self-defense But when I have no choice I will fight, and dirty! In case I’ve a knife with me I doubt I’ll use it, as explained before, I’m not trained in that and I don’t want to take the risk of losing it and have my own knife used against me.

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.

You’re completely wrong, I’m trying to get insight and understand the motivation of others.

To the mod, tnx for placing it in the correct topic
To the others, thanks for sharing, I’ve seen some interesting posts and hope for more

[killgar]

You’re completely wrong, I’m trying to get insight and understand the motivation of others.

Perhaps I'm mistaken but, from the content of your first two posts in this thread I got the distinct impression that you were judging those of us who belive in carrying a weapon for self-defense as being paranoid and suggesting that we are submitting to unreasonable fear by arming ourselves. All I have to go on to discern your motives and attitude are your own words.

If you are in fact "trying to get insight and understand the motivations of others" then I applaud you. But your first two posts certainly don't give that impression. If you were trying to intentionally provoke us to produce a good discussion then I'd say you made a poor choice. Being respectful of people and not judging or criticizing them is far more likely to result in a meaningful conversation.

[Daddyo16]

Personally, I don't care what someone else thinks about me carrying a weapon. It's my life, and I value it enough to take the necessary steps to protect it. IMO, those who ridicule others for doing so do not value human life, including their own.

[Esav Benyamin]

Personally, I don't care what someone else thinks about me carrying a weapon. It's my life, and I value it enough to take the necessary steps to protect it. IMO, those who ridicule others for doing so do not value human life, including their own.

Yes

[Magnaminous_G]

To the OP,

You will change all your views the moment this guy shows up uninvited at your house at 03:00 in the morning...

[draggat]

I can't help but wonder what percentage of our forum members resemble this picture. Lol!!

[BoxANT]

Personally, I don't care what someone else thinks about me carrying a weapon. It's my life, and I value it enough to take the necessary steps to protect it. IMO, those who ridicule others for doing so do not value human life, including their own.

Well put.

[CL01]

After reading through this thread, I have to say that I also thought the OP was trying to provoke, which is why I didn't post. Apparently, that's not the case. There's going to be people that "over-do" the SD thing & knife Forums are great places to find that. However, many believe in it as "insurance". It's what may happen, not what will happen. Yes, the percentages are highly in one's favor of NOT being in a SD situation. But, what if you are? Then all of the percentages to the contrary won't matter one whit.

I say this respectfully, but I've heard/read comments along the lines of the OP (Why people are SD oriented) usually by people from areas that don't allow firearms &/or are highly restrictive of knives. Perhaps that's where the OP is coming from? Are you asking why people are motivated to spend possibly considerable time & money for SD oriented items &, hopefully, training?

[Daddyo16]

.....

[crafty]

If you are in fact "trying to get insight and understand the motivations of others" then I applaud you. But your first two posts certainly don't give that impression.

Well sorry for that then; written text can easily be misinterpret. Edit in 1st post.
I'm not trying to criticize or judge anyone. Bit hard to make a fair judgement if you don't know the person.

Are you asking why people are motivated to spend possibly considerable time & money for SD oriented items &, hopefully, training?

Yup and I'm curious if it really makes it more safe. And if you own a weapon in which case you would use it (and how)? But I'm also curious in the people that won't use it for SD.

[Mitchell Knives]

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.

In case they need to stab, cut or shoot someone/something?

[Andrew Colglazier]

I live in a very rural part of the world. I have to drive twelve miles to buy donuts. Just the other day, at my "local" donut shop, a fellow got capped at eight in the morning in the parking lot. I was planning to leave home and head to town, and pick up a couple tasty rounds on my way to my destination, but got held up by some honey-dos. Had I left on time, I likely would have been in that parking lot at the time of the shooting, and the shooter might not have liked the idea of me being a witness.

This in BFE. Luckily I missed the show, but if I hadn't, it could have been a life-changer any way it came out.

No one can ever know where or when or if violence will come calling, but it does come with some regularity.

Andy

[harkamus]

No one can ever know where or when or if violence will come calling, but it does come with some regularity.

Andy

Which is why I like to be prepared.

[CL01]

Yup and I'm curious if it really makes it more safe. And if you own a weapon in which case you would use it (and how)? But I'm also curious in the people that won't use it for SD.[/QUOTE]

I can't speak for people that won't use "it" for SD. I train & teach others, along with working a job that deals with it. Yes, I own weapons. I would use it in accordance with the law, but mainly to stop someone(s) from harming me & possibly others. As for "Curious if it really makes it more safe", I'd have to say that training does that, yes.

Training of the basics should make one safer carrying & using their weapon(s) (Emphasis on the "should"). Additional training often comes after one survives a critical incident (Or near critical) & realizes they weren't properly prepared. Others may do so before any such thing happens, but just reasons that it's a good idea. And, of course, there're some that do it & maybe even earn a living from it (To some degree, anyways).

I suppose one can go about life playing the odds & never coming across harm. That's fine & good for you if you've been able to do so. However, places like this Forum (& others like it) usually brings out people that are interested in learning more & practicing it. I fully understand that there's a great deal of anonymity on the Internet & some are just full of BS. But there are some that are not & either lie low or try to impart some bits of info that can be helpful to others.

Good luck with finding what you're seeking (& I don't mean that facetiously).

[Pete1977]

But when I have no choice I will fight, and dirty! In case I’ve a knife with me I doubt I’ll use it, as explained before, I’m not trained in that and I don’t want to take the risk of losing it and have my own knife used against me.

you will fight dirty but won't use a knife if you have one on your person?

the risk of having your knife taken away and used against you isn't really that high. you are talking about a person trying to take a small, fast moving sharp and pointy thing from you.. A fight isn't static. It is dynamic. It isn't a duel with extended and prescribed motions. A lot of "untrained" people have used a knife to lethal effect, didn't lose it or have it taken from and used against them.

Let me ask, because I never hear about the risk of being disarmed with any other weapon except for a knife, if you had a hammer or a tire iron or a baseball bat would you use that to fight dirty? there is more of a chance of a bat or tire iron being taken from you than a knife. For some reason on this forum there is always the risk of the knife being taken and used against you.

Running away and creating distance are not always an option. What if you are with your wife, or girlfriend, or aged parents, or small children and don't have the luxury of escaping or "taking distance?" Would you not use a tool to increase your chances of survival? I am trying to get insight and understand your mindset of not using an available and proven tool to protect yourself.

[BoxANT]

The idea that a knife is "easy to disarm" is a strange one.

Give a kid a magic marker, and try to take it away, fun stuff.

[killgar]

A bad guy doesn't have to actually TAKE your knife out of your hand to use it against you. In a self-defense situation there are many things that could happen that could cause you to lose your grip on your knife and drop it. At which point, during the frenzy of a fight, the bad guy could pick it up and use it against you.

People often assume that a self-defense situation will be a stand-up, face-to-face fight. The reality is that street fights often wind up with one or more combatants on the ground and still fighting, grappling, punching, choking, etc. It's also highly possible that a bad guy will attack you from behind, maybe with a blow to the head.

Another mistake people make is believing that they possess an iron grip and that nothing could ever cause them to drop their knife. However, nerves and muscles can react independently when they suffer trauma. A blow to the hand, wrist, or arm can easily render ones hand useless and cause their knife to fall to the ground. Any hard blow to the body or head can cause a person to drop whatever they are holding. Ever play tackle football? No matter how tight of a death grip you have on that ball, with BOTH hands, a solid hit, whether it's someone hitting you, or you hitting the ground, can easily cause you to let go of it.

This is an area where training with ones buddies falls short. Your buddies aren't really trying to hurt you so they're not hitting you nearly as hard as a real bad guy. They're certainly not trying to bust your head open. As a result, people get the impression that they will have no problem retaining their knife even while receiving blows.

It's also possible that you may drop your knife trying to draw it under stress. Once agin giving the bad guy the possible opportunity to pick it up during the fight. Maybe some people think that they aren't succeptable to such levels of stress. How do you know? Do you have a lot of experience being attacked on the street by total strangers? This too is another area where training falls short. Because you know that your training partners aren't really trying to hurt you and you know that you can stop the "fight" any time you want.

It's also possible that if a fight ensues before you can draw your knife, perhaps while grappling, that a bad guy might see your knife clipped to your pocket or hanging from your belt, etc, and try to draw it himself. Ask any cop what their greatest fear is and they might answer "wrestling with a perp and he pulls my gun and shoots me with it".

Never assume or expect the best. Always consider an prepare for the worst.

[draggat]

A bad guy doesn't have to actually TAKE your knife out of your hand to use it against you. In a self-defense situation there are many things that could happen that could cause you to lose your grip on your knife and drop it. At which point, during the frenzy of a fight, the bad guy could pick it up and use it against you.

People often assume that a self-defense situation will be a stand-up, face-to-face fight. The reality is that street fights often wind up with one or more combatants on the ground and still fighting, grappling, punching, choking, etc. It's also highly possible that a bad guy will attack you from behind, maybe with a blow to the head.

Another mistake people make is believing that they possess an iron grip and that nothing could ever cause them to drop their knife. However, nerves and muscles can react independently when they suffer trauma. A blow to the hand, wrist, or arm can easily render ones hand useless and cause their knife to fall to the ground. Any hard blow to the body or head can cause a person to drop whatever they are holding. Ever play tackle football? No matter how tight of a death grip you have on that ball, with BOTH hands, a solid hit, whether it's someone hitting you, or you hitting the ground, can easily cause you to let go of it.

This is an area where training with ones buddies falls short. Your buddies aren't really trying to hurt you so they're not hitting you nearly as hard as a real bad guy. They're certainly not trying to bust your head open. As a result, people get the impression that they will have no problem retaining their knife even while receiving blows.

It's also possible that you may drop your knife trying to draw it under stress. Once agin giving the bad guy the possible opportunity to pick it up during the fight. Maybe some people think that they aren't succeptable to such levels of stress. How do you know? Do you have a lot of experience being attacked on the street by total strangers? This too is another area where training falls short. Because you know that your training partners aren't really trying to hurt you and you know that you can stop the "fight" any time you want.

It's also possible that if a fight ensues before you can draw your knife, perhaps while grappling, that a bad guy might see your knife clipped to your pocket or hanging from your belt, etc, and try to draw it himself. Ask any cop what their greatest fear is and they might answer "wrestling with a perp and he pulls my gun and shoots me with it".

Never assume or expect the best. Always consider an prepare for the worst.

I agree with your ideas here. Very well thought out. Personally, I've never been attacked by a person, but I've had dogs come after me. Although a little different, I suppose I could've whipped out my knife and tried to kill them, but A, I didn't have time for that... there was no warning and B, It was easier to run and get away. If I could carry a gun, it would probably have been different, but I can't where I live. I believe a lot of people think they'll have some kind of warning or time to even pull their knife out in a defense situation. Usually when someone's going to rob you or attack you, they don't give warnings. I'm not saying don't carry your knife for SD, but generally speaking, if you have time to draw your knife initially, you have time to run and get away. Personally, I'd rather swallow my pride than go to prison for stabbing someone and/or getting sued by the attacker. If a perp held me at knife point and demanded my wallet, I'd give it to him. Easier to deal with the aftermath. However, if they threatened my family, I would do everything in my power to make sure they paid the price.

[crafty]

you will fight dirty but won't use a knife if you have one on your person?
Let me ask, because I never hear about the risk of being disarmed with any other weapon except for a knife, if you had a hammer or a tire iron or a baseball bat would you use that to fight dirty? there is more of a chance of a bat or tire iron being taken from you than a knife. For some reason on this forum there is always the risk of the knife being taken and used against you.

Hm interesting.. I might use a bat or so. Have been walking around with my Maglite (but don't feel the need for that anymore). Maybe some of the SD instructors can say something useful about this?

I'm wondering as well. Aren't the bad-ass guys generally speaking also more trained in fighting (and knife fighting)? So they have more experience in taking your knife away...

Give a kid a magic marker, and try to take it away, fun stuff.

Yup, I know it's fun. But not realistic in my opinion, in this situation you're trying NOT to hurt the kid. If it's serious stuff with some bad guy you don't care much.

Never assume or expect the best. Always consider an prepare for the worst.

I fully agree with what you say. Well put and thought out!

but generally speaking, if you have time to draw your knife initially, you have time to run and get away. Personally, I'd rather swallow my pride than go to prison for stabbing someone and/or getting sued by the attacker. If a perp held me at knife point and demanded my wallet, I'd give it to him. Easier to deal with the aftermath. However, if they threatened my family, I would do everything in my power to make sure they paid the price.

Exactly, same accounts for me!


Thanks 2 all for keeping the discussion going!