I'm tired of being the victim. I want to be a girl that can defend myself!

[thekaratekid1]

Hi, im starting to explore martial arts. I remember when the movie The Karate Kid taught people that anyone could defend themselves from bullies.

A few months ago i was attacked by 5 guys on a bridge in the middle of the night (and this wasn't the first time in my life I've been attacked). They used these things called Kubotans on me. They spent over a half hour torturing me. I googled and found out its some type of martial arts weapon. I spent weeks trying to heal after the attack. I laid in bed thinking about how unfair it was. 5 against 1. I had absolutely no training for this. nobody would help me. I'm all alone in this world. And if people want to beat me up im powerless to stop them, anyone can just beat me up ( because this has happened to me before). why even try. And then today i watched The Karate Kid movie again. And i'm wondering, can anyone really learn to defend themselves with martial arts? Even up the playing field a bit? Even a girl?

I have looked up local "karate studios" and stuff like that but they want all this money and promise gimicks. you know give us an extra $50 bucks and we'll upgrade you to black belt...after one class!? That sounds like a joke? I thought you got a black belt for skills and training not money? Is it possible to find instruction for someone who's serious about this stuff, without buying into gimmicks? I really don't have a lot of money anyway. Can anyone help me? Does anyone have any advice?

 

[Buka]

What did the police say? And who’s assigned to your case, a man or a woman?

And where are you from, perhaps I know somebody.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I want to be a girl that can defend myself!

Always carry a brick in your purse 24/7.

 

[thekaratekid1]

What did the police say? And who’s assigned to your case, a man or a woman?

And where are you from, perhaps I know somebody.

Um actually thats the problem, the guys that attacked me a few months ago were police officers...my parents and i went to the police dept afterward and requested documentation from that night, we filled out paperwork to get paperwork, the guy at the front desk said we'll get it in 7 days...its now been months, they don't seem to want to release it for some reason. they keep avoiding us. and like i said this isn't the first time this has happened to me...with police...among other abuse. I'm honestly scared to deal with them anymore or ever again. So id rather not say were im located if you know what i mean? I've been threatened by people before you know. And not the stay off my lawn kind of threats. Thats why i think i really need to know how to defend myself at this point.

 

[jks9199]

Reality check:

5 on 1 is damn near unbeatable. I don't care who you are, what art you study... 5 on 1 is damn near unbeatable. There are some tricks that can help or might even the odds, and you might beat a disorganized mob that isn't really motivated. But, at 5 to 1 odds, self defense is all about getting enough of a gap to get the hell out of there.

As to what sort of training can help you -- rapid self defense skills come through a focused class aimed at that purpose. There's a reason that police academy or military training isn't simply enrolling in one martial art or another... If you're after rapidly developing some basic skills to handle a violent encounter, then you need a solid program oriented around that. R.A.D. is one I'm personally acquainted with, and is good. There are others.

Krav Maga, under the right instructors, is also good -- if you're after a more on-going training setting. But so can be almost any martial art -- IF the instructors know how to teach self defense rather than martial arts.

Let me suggest some reading... Rory Miller and Marc Macyoung are good starting points. So are Peyton Quinn, Loren Christiansen, and several more... A book called Left of Bang about how to develop and more importantly articulate situational awareness.

 

[thekaratekid1]

I also want to understand the law regarding self defense, you know so im not doing anything illegal. Ive heard some moves are like self defense but some are illegal? I'm not sure whats what you know? Like I've heard some people can legally carry guns for self defense but theres only certain places and circumstances when you can use them? Is it the same with karate stuff too?

 

[jks9199]

Um actually thats the problem, the guys that attacked me a few months ago were police officers...my parents and i went to the police dept afterward and requested documentation from that night, we filled out paperwork to get paperwork, the guy at the front desk said we'll get it in 7 days...its now been months, they don't seem to want to release it for some reason. they keep avoiding us. and like i said this isn't the first time this has happened to me...with police...among other abuse. I'm honestly scared to deal with them anymore or ever again. So id rather not say were im located if you know what i mean? I've been threatened by people before you know. And not the stay off my lawn kind of threats. Thats why i think i really need to know how to defend myself at this point.

I'm highly skeptical...or perhaps you're leaving a detail or two out, like that you were resisting arrest.

Where did this happen? In what country, state, and city? Pretty much anywhere in the US at the moment, for good or ill, there are attorneys and community organizers who'd jump on the opportunity to go after a PD over this. Or go up the chain in the government; go to the state police, the attorney general or the FBI. So if the police did attack and beat you -- there are ways to address it.

 

[jks9199]

I also want to understand the law regarding self defense, you know so im not doing anything illegal. Ive heard some moves are like self defense but some are illegal? I'm not sure whats what you know? Like I've heard some people can legally carry guns for self defense but theres only certain places and circumstances when you can use them? Is it the same with karate stuff too?

The legalities of use of force or fairly complicated -- but can be summarized as "you may do whatever is reasonably necessary to safely resolve the situation." But in that fairly simple statement are thousands of words of explanation -- a lot of which you can find by searching around here on MartialTalk. And good self defense training will address it.

 

[thekaratekid1]

Well yeah i did leave out some details that could probably get me killed like where i live, and what i know and stuff. I mean i also have a video i took of that night that i showed to a friend of mine who use to be a police officer, he's a very nice person. he explained to me all the illegal parts of what they did to me from a police perspective and said "omg did you send this to the news!!!" But im a little scared at this point to do anything too public till i understand all this stuff. I did talk to a lawyer but i think this particular lawyer was a little scared to take it on. theres a lot involved i guess. like when so many different types of laws are broken, you need a lot of education in multiple areas to handle a case this big i guess. i'm not a lawyer i wouldn't know. plus theres some other elements involved that are pretty scary like i said, but i really need to find a lawyer for that stuff because i don't know that much about this kind of stuff.

 

[Buka]

You have brown eyes, don’t you?

 

[thekaratekid1]

oh and i wasn't resisting arrest or anything like that. I haven't broken the law in my life. im even too scared to download music online that i didn't pay for! Everyone says im too honest and nice and trusting and thats why people take advantage of me. Besides that was how the cops started talking to me i said, "officer did i do something wrong? did i run a light, did i speed or anything?" The guy said no, so i said okay then can i leave, he said no, i said well am i under arrest? he said no i just want you to step out of your vehicle. and i got scared and said well if your saying i didn't do anything illegal why did you pull me over and why can't i leave. and he just kept saying get out we just want to "talk" to you. and i said okay this is weird you can technically talk to me just fine while im safe in here i want a lawyer (cuz now there was like 6-7 of them there, more showed up while we were talking), and he said you don't need a lawyer, you're not under arrest, get out. And i kept saying this doesnt seem legitimate though i want some representation before i get out of my car in the middle of the night for no reason, and so we kept arguing for awhile going around and around and he kept saying you're gonna have to get out. and then my phone died while i was recording at that point and i dropped it. so i heard one of them yell "OKAY NOW" and they dragged me from my car and thats when i got beaten up. and since I've heard you can't fight law enforcement i just laid there and let them keep doing it to me. Oh and i found out later its illegal for my local law enforcement to use these kubaton things? or even carry them as part of their jobs? Gee that was the first time I've ever been pulled over! I've never gotten a ticket in my life, I've never even been in any accidents. they didn't even ask for my license and registration like I've heard they do. and they didn't let me roll down my window. they just broke into my car. and they kept digging through all my stuff. they went through my Pokemon Go backback in the front seat but all thats in there is my pokemon stuff and i didn't think its illegal to carry a pikachu (yes im a little nerdy), they went in my trunk. they kept looking for stuff? I'm not sure what they thought they'd find though? I asked one of them, hey don't you need a warrant to go in someones trunk and look through their stuff? but they were making excuses, like oh this stuff on your front seat will be safer if i put it in your trunk, but they spent so long in there. i was scared because they broke a lot of my stuff too. it all confused me? I hope i never do actually get pulled over for a ticket? This was scary enough!! Not to mention all my injuries afterward...

 

[Headhunter]

Sorry this sounds very weird to me. Firstly you can't beat 5 people in real life only in movies.

Second your whole story sounds....hard to believe...why not just get out the damm car you're making things worse for yourself asking for a lawyer to get out a car...and the fact you didn't mention it was police until someone asked about you going to the police is a little strange. I'm not saying your lying as I have no proof but frankly it's bit of an out there story in my eyes

 

[marques]

Look, event Stipe Miocic would have a bad moment against 5 (big) bad guys. Perhaps 3 would do the job. Or just 1 one with a fire weapon and 5 metres distance.

I always say the actual training is the least important. It is for the ones that like training or looking for an extra advantage.

What really matters is ‘not to be there’, in the middle of the trouble. So it helps if you don’t look like an easy prey; it helps if you know how (and where) bad guys operate. Criminality maps and Rory Miller (as said above) are a good starting points.

Finally, regarding martial arts it is very hard to tell without more info. Most of the schools are rubbish for self defence. Sorry. (They sell the sky and then they jump half metre.) Anyway, give it a try. Research your options.

 

[Buka]

Uh oh, kid, they're down the street from your house. They do not look amused.

 

[drop bear]

Op. Don't believe the haters. Learning martial arts is absolutely a positive step to becoming someone who does not feel like a victim.

And so just find a good art and do it.

And by the way. Do MMA.

 

[Headhunter]

I think the easy choice is to get down to cobra kai dojo im sure sensai lawerence wont mind showing how to beat up the police

 

[Tez3]

OP, I'm assuming by your use of the words 'trunk' & 'license' you aren't in the UK but I think it would help a lot if you said where you are located, at least in which country. I say that because not all police are the same though I doubt any country has police that would have that many police officers to beat up one girl, that many beating you up would kill you.
I'm not sure why they would carry kubatons either, police officers carry enough things legally that they wouldn't need extra. Certainly wouldn't need weapons to beat a girl up, would even need that many officers.

I'm not sure that even bad martial arts places would upgrade you to a black belt after one lesson because they'd actually get more money keeping you longer.
I don't exactly disbelieve you but I am cynical about aspects of the OP.

 

[pdg]

You and your cynicism @Tez3 - it just rules you don't it

 

[Tez3]

You and your cynicism @Tez3 - it just rules you don't it

Years of dealing with scrotes I'm afraid, oh that and I was trained to read between the lines, an interesting sideline to being taught to interrogate said scrotes most of whom our governments wrote letters to saying they could get off scot free. See, I'm also bitter as well, my new campaign is with those fighting against the prosecution of a 70 year old soldier.

 

[jobo]

Having seen a few vids lately of U.S. Police officers body slamming young women for among other thinks contesting the price of a plastic spoon, I have no trouble believing her account,

On the topic of fighting back, is tend to agree, 5 is to many even as a for trained male, I had an interesting " dance" with tWo coppers that wanted to put me on the floor, which proved impossible for them, when a third arrived on the floor I went.