Something to make us think..

[KanoLives]

I just found this video clip and I gotta say it's rather disturbing. But I figured with the threads about Self Defense situations and such that this video makes a point. That you just don't know. So from a martial artist's stand point, here are some thought provoking questions.

How could this have been prevented?

How could you possibly defend against something like that?

Should you treat every place that you go and anyone you see as a possible threat? (personally I find myself scanning things when I'm out but not to the paranoid extent)

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Here's the link.

Warning: Disturbing Video.

P.S. Not sure why Eye of the Tiger is played. And it's the same clip at different speeds.

:asian:

 

[lvwhitebir]

I don't see how anyone could have prevented this, other than to be enclosed in some sort of cage. In life you're often very close to people that can attack you, on buses, subways, eating out at lunch. If you're aware, the best you'll probably do is to limit the damage they can do. They'll most likely get their first strike in.

There are times, however, that you shouldn't let people ever get that close to you. That's when awareness would help prevent a sudden, frontal attack.

WhiteBirch

 

[Makalakumu]

Typical predator/prey situation. If the person behind the counter was 6'6'' 250 lbs. That guy wouldn't have tried that. He would have brought a gun. I guess, if you know how to take a punch, you'll live. Let the guy have the money. Otherwise, the only option is to never let your guard down. Who knows, maybe resistance would have made this situation worse?

 

[OULobo]

Wow. Sometimes you just can't see it coming. I'm suprised the guy was so on target, so quick and so powerful.

In the same subject, how about this one? It's some skater punk being an a**hole. A guy finally stands up to him and gets clobbered with a skateboard for his trouble. What would you do here?

http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo?ifilmid=2481847

 

[MJS]

Originally posted by KanoLives
I just found this video clip and I gotta say it's rather disturbing. But I figured with the threads about Self Defense situations and such that this video makes a point. That you just don't know. So from a martial artist's stand point, here are some thought provoking questions.

How could this have been prevented?

How could you possibly defend against something like that?

Should you treat every place that you go and anyone you see as a possible threat? (personally I find myself scanning things when I'm out but not to the paranoid extent)

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Here's the link.

Warning: Disturbing Video.

P.S. Not sure why Eye of the Tiger is played. And it's the same clip at different speeds.

:asian:

Yeah, he definately caught this guy off guard. That was a good example of your typical sucker punch, and it looks like it worked in this case. I really dont think that there was anything that the guy behind the counter could have done, unless he could have seen it coming from the corner of his eye, but then again, the other guy was so quick, even if the one behind the counter did see it, there is a good chance that it would have been too late.

Mike

 

[MJS]

Originally posted by OULobo
Wow. Sometimes you just can't see it coming. I'm suprised the guy was so on target, so quick and so powerful.

In the same subject, how about this one? It's some skater punk being an a**hole. A guy finally stands up to him and gets clobbered with a skateboard for his trouble. What would you do here?

http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo?ifilmid=2481847

Yeah, I saw this one on MT. Considering that the kid had a skateboard in his hand, the other guy shouldnt have let him get so close.

Mike

 

[KanoLives]

Originally posted by MJS
Yeah, I saw this one on MT. Considering that the kid had a skateboard in his hand, the other guy shouldnt have let him get so close.

Mike

WOW, it just shocks me sometimes the way people behave.

I have to agree Mike. From the looks of the video the kid threatened to use the skateboard twice I believe, before actually hitting him. So right there a little bell should have rang in the guy's head (no pun intended). To either get farther back or just bum rush the guy before he had a chance to swing that board.

I know it's hard to say what you would have done in this situation but sometimes I think there are little clues. For instance the guy feinted hitting him with the skateboard. Right then and there is a sign of aggression and I think you have to be on your toes and ready to do something.

Am I being clear?

Here's another example of what I mean. I was at the bar the other night and went to the bathroom. Now in order to get to the bathroom you have to walk down the side of the bar. On my way back my path to my seat was blocked by some guy leaning over with his hind pox sticking out. Now I'm a big guy and there was definitely no room to squeeze by him and the wall without bumping him. So I stopped and asked politely if he could move. He didn't respond so I asked again. He just kinda looked at me and didn't move. I admit I was a little ticked. So I squeezed by and did bump him as I went passed (not on purpose there was really no room). So after I got passed him I leaned towards him and told him thanks alot for moving and commented on his manners.

Now here's my point. When I leaned over and commented on his manners I expected nothing less than him becoming angry and turning around ready to do something. However he just looked at me and didn't say anything. So like the guy in the video with the skateboard he should have expected that confronting the kids with the skateboard possibly could have became physical. And it did. That's just the way it goes when dealing with straight up punks.

Obviously you try to avoid it but sometimes when you confront people you can't expect anything else. I know I don't. How bout you?

Tell me am I making sense? :idunno:

Sorry for being long. :asian:

 

[KanoLives]

Originally posted by KanoLives
I just found this video clip and I gotta say it's rather disturbing. But I figured with the threads about Self Defense situations and such that this video makes a point. That you just don't know. So from a martial artist's stand point, here are some thought provoking questions.

How could this have been prevented?

How could you possibly defend against something like that?

Should you treat every place that you go and anyone you see as a possible threat? (personally I find myself scanning things when I'm out but not to the paranoid extent)

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Here's the link.

Warning: Disturbing Video.

P.S. Not sure why Eye of the Tiger is played. And it's the same clip at different speeds.

:asian:

BTW, I just found out that the clerk suffered a fractured jaw. Not to sure if they caught the guy though.

 

[psi_radar]

In the same subject, how about this one? It's some skater punk being an a**hole. A guy finally stands up to him and gets clobbered with a skateboard for his trouble. What would you do here?

In this case, I would have called the cops in, since it seems like the altercation was about damage to a car. In that case, you'd need the police involved for the insurance claim anyway. Plus, I'd be on my guard whenever I saw a bunch of rowdy teens videotaping themselves--there's a lot of video of this kind of stupidity.

If I had to go it alone, I'd equalize the situation with some kind of weapon. A baton or club of some type, maybe a tire iron if that's all I had available. It's a bad situation to be in, since I'm sure he had all his buddies around too, but that first swing was easy enough to see coming.

 

[Thesemindz]

Returning to the video of the Clerk being punched, the attacker is no amature. He's done this before. The Clerk was going up against a trained fighter. This guy may only have one technique, but he's practiced it and used it in combat, and if he get's the first hit you lose. Reminds one never to underestimate specialized maneuvers. I wonder where he got the idea?

-Rob

 

[Zepp]

The clerk might have seen it coming if he had kept his eyes on the "customer," but even then, he still may not have had time to evade that punch. And it's not like you can really go through every day at work expecting to be attacked at any second anyways. It just wasn't that poor guy's day.

 

[KanoLives]

Originally posted by Thesemindz
Returning to the video of the Clerk being punched, the attacker is no amature. He's done this before. The Clerk was going up against a trained fighter. This guy may only have one technique, but he's practiced it and used it in combat, and if he get's the first hit you lose. Reminds one never to underestimate specialized maneuvers. I wonder where he got the idea?

-Rob

I definitely agree Rob. That guy has definitely done that before. I mean it was all one smooth motion. He threw the punch landed it and all in the same motion grabbed the cash drawer. It's just really sad to see someone sink to this level of physically assulting someone for a few dollars.

I used to work in a gas station/ convieniance store and we never kept anything above $200 in the drawer during any shift. It's just disgusting what some people will do.

 

[theletch1]

The clerk was indeed the victim of a "technique" that had been practised the way many of us practice our own techniques in the dojo. The punch was thrown, the drawer was grabbed and removed and retracted all in one smooth motion. As it was probably 3rd shift and the clerk was probably dead tired from actually working that second job to make ends meet instead of robbing convenience stores I doubt the "combat senses" were on high alert. All of us get complacent in certain comfort zones and this is a good reminder of the consequences.

 

[Tony]

I see the guy who attacked the shop assistant was as you all say no amateur and and if he was a trained Martial Artist then Martial Arts teachers would have to look close at their students to try to determine those without good character! That was a dishonourable act to attack without provocation!
I was watching that video closely and yes he was very fast and powerful but I was trying to see at what point he was beginning his attack! I am naturally a suspicious person, because if the guy were simply buying groceries he wouldn't have had his hood up! I notice from the guy's punch he first leaned forward slightly and then lunged with his right fist! Its for about a second that he leans forward and quickly punches the shop assistant!
But I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that punch!

 

[loki09789]

The sad reality/irony is that the hitting technique I see on the video is probably boxing based with the body commitment style and such.... I have heard of this too much in cities where kids join Police Athletic League boxing programs, and then use it on the street. The intention of PAL programs is to give kids a choice away from the street, but the kids are taking this stuff back on the street too.

Paul M

 

[rmcrobertson]

Fact is, we all have the ability to hurt each other badly IF we're willing to attack without warning. There is very little you can do about it, either.

Or to quote Gen. Geo Armstrong Custer from, "Little Big Man," "Nonsense! Nothing is so surprising as the attack without mercy!"

 

[Ceicei]

Returning to the video of the Clerk being punched, the attacker is no amature. He's done this before. The Clerk was going up against a trained fighter. This guy may only have one technique, but he's practiced it and used it in combat, and if he get's the first hit you lose. Reminds one never to underestimate specialized maneuvers. I wonder where he got the idea?

-Rob

You're right, he is no amateur. He's either done this before or planned it out very carefully. Did you see how he took a quick look to the side (to double check his surroundings, apparently) before he timed that punch to coincide when the clerk would be busy with both hands in opening the register. He evidently knew there was a camera, hence his wearing a hood.

Being a cashier in a convenience store is a risky job.

Could this basic idea happen to any of us? It can, since there may be little, if any warning, especially by a very experienced attacker.

- Ceicei

 

[Thesemindz]

Being a cashier in a convenience store is a risky job.

Could this basic idea happen to any of us? It can, since there may be little, if any warning, especially by a very experienced attacker.

- Ceicei

I deliver pizza when I'm not doing Kenpo, and muggings and robberies are fairly common in my industry. Not like convenience store clerks, but then again, how many of them have had bombs strapped to their necks?

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/09/02/pizza.bomb/

Anyway, every time I deliver a pizza I take things like environment, obstructions, position of the customer and their porch, lighting, whether or not they have dogs and the like into consideration. Many times, drivers have been robbed when they have taken pizzas to abandoned or empty homes. There are alot of things to consider, in fact, a brown belt friend of mine once considered doing his Black Belt thesis on defenses with a pizza bag and a 2 liter of soda.

I have had several friends mugged delivering pizza. My dad worked for Pizza Hut for 16 years and was mugged three times, and had the store robbed while he was there at least three times. His car was also stolen. Just recently there was an attempted car theft at the store he used to work at where the drivers saw the guy stealing the car and dragged him out of it and beat the tar out of him. Don't feel bad though, he had it coming. Right now I deliver on the nice side of town, and my store never really has any problems.

In some cities pizza companies have refused to deliver to certain high risk areas after dark. Due to the usually large minority populations of many of these areas, this has led to charges of racial discrimination, but it's really just a business decision. Once you've had a driver hospitalized following a robbery and your franchise has had to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars in workman's comp., the $11.75 per medium pie doesn't always seem worth it anymore. And I'll tell you, when your friends, or your father, get mugged delivering a pizza, you start eyeing every customer as a potential threat, no matter what side of town you work on.


-Rob

 

[Thesemindz]

Fact is, we all have the ability to hurt each other badly IF we're willing to attack without warning. There is very little you can do about it, either.

Or to quote Gen. Geo Armstrong Custer from, "Little Big Man," "Nonsense! Nothing is so surprising as the attack without mercy!"

Good point, and great quote! When I first started doing Kenpo and I really started looking at my environment for the first time, I noticed how vulnerable and unprepared we all really are. Sometimes I'll stand in line at Taco Bell behind someone and think about all the ways I could hurt them, really hurt them, before they could react. It makes you wonder what the guy behind you in line is thinking about.

Most people just bumble through their day, ricocheting from object to object and person to person. I think we all zone out and fall into this category from time to time. If someone really just attacked me, without warning or mercy, I'd probably never even know it was happening until it was way too late to do anything about it.

-Rob

 

[KenpoTex]

Sometimes I'll stand in line at Taco Bell behind someone and think about all the ways I could hurt them, really hurt them, before they could react. It makes you wonder what the guy behind you in line is thinking about.

You do that too? I thought I was the only one twisted enough to do that...lol j/k.