Attack in Thailand

[psi_radar]

A friend of mine just came back from southeast Asia. He had one particularly bad night in Thailand in which he was involved in three violent incidents, robbed twice, and stared down the muzzle of guns on two separate occasions. Yep, rough night. He survived though, so he considers himself fortunate.

One of the attacks spurred my curiosity in a "what-would-I-have-done" sense. He was walking down the street (apparently the wrong street, at the wrong hour) when one guy grabbed his left thumb and used it to quickly bend his arm back into a hammerlock. Before he could really react, another guy grabbed his right shoulder and pressed some kind of stick into his back, on a pressure point above his kidney. While maintaining this position, they spun him and rammed him face-first into a wall. While he was pinned like that, a third guy then very thoroughly took his possessions, then whacked him on the back of the head, stunning him. When he came to, they were gone. He never saw any of them.

I can think of a couple Kenpo techniques that would have easily taken out the first guy, but the second guy jamming the stick into his ribs really threw a wrinkle into most options except a back-kick defense (we played around with it a little--the stick really created some range problems, not to mention inducing quite a bit of pain). My conclusion was that improved situational awareness probably would have been his best and only defense in this scenario. I'd like to hear what you all think as well. Thoughts?

 

[Zepp]

I think your conclusion is correct. It sounds like your friend's attackers had quite a lot of practice at their ambush strategy. Walking with another person or two might also have made his attackers pick a different target. The fact that he was robbed twice in the same night makes me think he really should have asked more questions about what kind of neighborhood he was in.

I'm glad he's ok.

You got me curious about the other violent incidents though. What else happened to him?

 

[MA-Caver]

<snip> I can think of a couple Kenpo techniques that would have easily taken out the first guy, but the second guy jamming the stick into his ribs really threw a wrinkle into most options except a back-kick defense (we played around with it a little--the stick really created some range problems, not to mention inducing quite a bit of pain).

Provided that you (or your friend) would've been able to react fast enough to the first attacker so that by the time the second one made his move you could've taken care of him just in time to catch the third guy? Probably so.

My conclusion was that improved situational awareness probably would have been his best and only defense in this scenario. I'd like to hear what you all think as well. Thoughts?

This conclusion is the 100% correct one (IMO). I've heard enough about that part of the world (not only Thailand) from those who've been there and a few who have experienced similar unfortunate circumstances/situations to be at an extreme hightened awareness should I ever find myself there. Love to go sometime, heard it's really a cool/beautiful place to see. But the crime rate and the experience of the criminals make it an unfortunately dangerous tourist attraction.

 

[psi_radar]

The fact that he was robbed twice in the same night makes me think he really should have asked more questions about what kind of neighborhood he was in.

I'm glad he's ok.

You got me curious about the other violent incidents though. What else happened to him?

It's a long story, I'll try and give you the basics:

He was traveling alone. He is the type of person who will take risks if he feels he might learn something out of a dangerous experience.

He had met a couple of locals in a bar. He went to another house with them to meet another friend, a motorbike driver he might like to hire. After he left, (slightly buzzed by his own account, but not drunk) the mentioned attack occurred.

After the first attack, he hired a cab to take him to his hotel. Dazed and not realizing the first theives had found his secret stash of 500 baht, when they arrived at the hotel, he couldn't pay the cabbies. Angry, they reluctantly agreed to take him to an ATM for an additional 500 baht. After he took out his money, the cabbies (there were two) now demanded 5000 baht. My buddy refused. One of them pulled a revolver and pointed at his head. They got their 5000 baht and left. My friend was now in an even tighter spot, since he had no idea where he was, though he did have a map. The road looked quiet and dangerous, and the only other option was walking down the beach to his bungalow, which can always be sketchy.

So even though it was around 3 am, he decided to knock on doors to get directions. He knocked at the first house with a light on. A very angry thai man swung the door open and leveled an ak-47 at him, screaming all the while in Thai. My buddy kept tapping his map. This is where natural selection almost caught up with him. He insisted the Thai man give him directions or shoot him. The thai man took option #3, whacking him in the chest with the butt of the rifle and knocking him down. Then the gunman put his foot on my bud's chest and stuck the muzzle about an inch from his eye, screaming with such abandon that spit was flying everywhere. My friend held up his hands, slowly got up, and walked away.

The next house held a more congenial Australian man who directed him to walk along the beach to his hotel, as it was much less dangerous than the road. About an hour later he made it back to his bungalow.

MACAVER:
"I've heard enough about that part of the world (not only Thailand) from those who've been there and a few who have experienced similar unfortunate circumstances/situations to be at an extreme hightened awareness should I ever find myself there. Love to go sometime, heard it's really a cool/beautiful place to see. But the crime rate and the experience of the criminals make it an unfortunately dangerous tourist attraction."

He had just come through Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia before getting to Thailand. He'd been to Thailand before and had only good experiences, so I think after weeks of high alert in the other countries, he let his guard down a little too much. They're all dangerous places, for sure, though lovely too, from what I hear.

As for the technique used, the second guy attacked so quickly I don't think elimination of the first guy before he joined the fray would have been possible. And who knows where the third guy was or what he was armed with. It was definitely not the first time they employed this type of ambush. Very efficient and effective.

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Sometimes attacks are too fast to respond to, especially as you say if the thugs have previously praticed their attacking and ambushing routine. Best way is to be more aware and not take unnessecary risks.

Regards

 

[Mark Weiser]

Having served in the US Military in Asia. The gangs are usually well rehearsed in doing criminal acts and often times practice MA very well to acomplish their crimes.

The only option depending on the speed of the attacks is to comply with the request of the attackers. Unless you are so well trained ( thanks to Holywood lol) that you think you can out do three well trained criminals. The other option is to use linear attacks for example.

If you use a stick to poke into the back this would be a vertical attack to the body. The response could be a vertical defensive movement downward or upward breaking the stick or changing the direction of the attack to the ground or the sky. Hopefully giving enough time to regroup or to run from the attackers.

But the best advice is to always ALWAYS travel in pairs or groups of three in foregin countries.

 

[red_herring]

It dosen't matter eaven if he would have blocked the surprise attack of the two guy's he would have still had to face them and that would have been very hard he was just knocked down but when he would have hit them or caused some damage to them then it would have been personal and he could have lose his life when going out of the fight as a loser.

He was pretty lucky that thouse guy's were proffecional mugglers and just stole his money and knoked him out.

Situations like that can be prevented when traveling with a big groupe.Then the only risk is that you will be a victim of a pickpoket.


H.F.

 

[JDenz]

ya three on one agianst pro's give them the money there is alot of money in the world and not alot of places where you can get a new life.

 

[Silat Student]

He insisted the Thai man give him directions or shoot him. The thai man took option #3, whacking him in the chest with the butt of the rifle and knocking him down.

:xtrmshock: I can't believe that, trying to force someone into giving me directions while I'm staring down the business end of an ak...... I've wanted to go over to that part of the world, after this story I think I'll do the tourist thing while staring through the gun port of an :apv: instead of just walking around.