Once again, I need info for an assignment!

Discussion in 'Self Defence' started by d33pthought, Mar 29, 2005.

  1. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    I'm calling on the vast stores of knowledge, wisdom and experience that are the members of MAP for yet another school assignment. This time, it's for speech class. I'll be giving an informative speech on self defense, having defined self defense as "Preventing or minimizing personal injury through any and all means possible." This includes running, fighting, surrendering, and not being in a dangerous situation to begin with.

    What I need from you guys is any anecdotes or recollections of fights or attacks you've been in, witnessed, or avoided, and how you used self defense techniques to deal with them.

    Also, it'd be super-peachy-keen if you guys can list places not to go, or things not to do, if guaranteed safety is a big must-have for you. For example, something you want to avoid is getting in a fight with a guy who gave you the finger after cutting you off. One place to avoid is a dance club with tons of cocky and drunk highschool kids who have something to prove and don't like the way you're dressed.

    I still have to interview my TKD instructors and some cops at college, so the work is just beginning!
     
  2. NeonxBurst

    NeonxBurst 1st Black

    I can help you even more than that d33p, I gave a speech on self defense in my speech class a while back. Give me a day and I'll dig out my outline.
     
  3. Mark_Campbell

    Mark_Campbell Valued Member

    check my journal for a story about self-defence , and you have my permission to use it if its relevant
     
  4. E-Rocker

    E-Rocker Valued Member

    One of the more obvious ways to help one's self avoid trouble is to not get intoxicated with strangers. Also, don't go unfamiliar places alone @ night and cross the street if you have a bad feeling about somebody on the same side of the street as you. Trust your gut & don't worry about offending them. Thanks to this sort of thing, I've never had to fight as an adult (I fought a bit as a kid & teen, but most of it wasn't really self-defense).
     
  5. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    That journal entry was pretty heavy, Mark. I don't know if I would have had the guts to do that. That goes a little beyond self defense, and, to tell you the truth, I don't know what to make of it. You stepped in on someone else's behalf, and then kept the guy from knifing you instead.
     
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2005
  6. E-Rocker

    E-Rocker Valued Member

    Another good trouble avoidance tactic, if you use a motor vehicle, is to always keep your gas tank at least half full. Both the times within the past year that I felt potentially in danger was when I let my gas tank get down to "E" so I had to stop for a fill-up @ night & there were sketchy people around.
     
  7. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    I second that. Also, keep to parts of town that you know! I was driving home from a friend's apartment downtown. It was supposed to be simple: find the gigantic main road, and follow that home. Turns out I drove another friend home on the way, and got hopelessly lost. If you don't already live there, driving around downtown Philadelphia at night when you don't know where you are is scary. Got approached by a guy, too, asking for change.
     
  8. saru1968

    saru1968 New Member

    trust your feelings...

    I don't know whether as a younger person in society you've had this feeling but i'm sure the more 'seasoned' MA's will get this.

    Even been in a place and 'got a bad feeling' , well act on it, leave!

    never walk home through unknown areas.

    If you think you being followed, change direction and head for population or up to someones front door, ring the bell and call the police.

    never walk with your head down, muggers like easy targets

    and the hardest of all never get so dtunk you can't run or defend yourself.

    :)
     
  9. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    that's good advice, there, James.
     
  10. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    I just talked to my instructors after tonight's TKD class tonight about self-defense. We were actually working on techniques in tonight's class. My master instructor said that, being a martial artist, I need to conduct myself as conservatively as possible when it comes to defending myself, because knowing how to maim or kill someone doesn't necessarily justify maiming or killing someone. Also, he told me a bunch of stories he'd heard about, from a karate instructor who was provoked; he hit his harasser with a backroundhouse kick to the head and killed him. That got the man a five-year sentence. Another story involved three men attacking a gas worker out on the street. The gas worker was a martial artist also, and he broke one leg, one elbow, and knocked out the third guy. He called the cops afterwards, and was arrested himself. However, the case was dropped since three men attacked HIM, not the other way round. If nothing else, that's a great reason to be judicious in how much force, if any, to use.

    One of the senior students got in on the discussion, too, and said, since I'll be speaking to mostly non-martial artists, that I should talk about the little things they can do to stay safe, like parking under a light in the parking lot, and near the store. Also, locking your car doors immediately after you get in is a good precaution, especially at night or in a parking garage. I also learned a few techniques I might demonstrate, including a defense against a hair-grab, wrist grab, and lapel grab. Whatever I demonstrate, they need to be simple, painfully effective, but not necessarily maiming-for-life destructive. For example, a kick in the thigh is nearly as painful as a kick in the nuts, and a quick, relatively light jab to the throat can stun long enough to break free and give a more disabling technique a try. Also, a hip throw is a surprisingly simple and versatile move that can leave an opponent open for an elbow lock once they hit the ground.
     
  11. Dr.Syn

    Dr.Syn Valued Member

    If anyone in attendance carries one of those little pepper sprays for cilvilians PLEASE tell them not to attach them to their car keys..Tell them to carry it in their hand..It might give them an edge..
     
  12. JayKayD

    JayKayD Meet my friend PAIN!

    If you haven't already i'd recommend reading 'Dead or Alive' by Geoff Thompson, that has you'll need.
     
  13. tellner

    tellner Valued Member

    I've got a site with the notes we use for women's self defense classes. If it's useful feel free to quote, but please give credit.
     
  14. aml01_ph

    aml01_ph Urrgggh...

    For every car owner here I advise that they set their interior car lights to turn on whenever the door opens. That way they can see if they have an unwanted hitcher. It is also a very good idea to look inside your car before entering it.

    Here in the Philippines, locking up your car is standard practice when parking it. A relative of mine in the States said that some people never lock their car doors :eek:
     
  15. E-Rocker

    E-Rocker Valued Member

    Another way you can see if someone's been messing with your car is to leave the seats in the slanted-forward position when you get out of the car. That way, if the seats are back in the upright position, you know someone's been messing with it.

    Incidentally, all my car-owning friends & aquaintences in the US lock their cars. The people I've known who don't lock live out in the country in the middle of nowhere. Some of them don't lock their houses, either :eek: Which completely baffles me, as I've lived my whole life in cities & suburbs.
     
  16. d33pthought

    d33pthought New Member

    used to be a time when nobody *needed* to lock their cars or houses.
     
  17. JayKayD

    JayKayD Meet my friend PAIN!

    Before anything worth stealing had been invented.
     

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