What exactly IS "The Street"?

[Jenna]

Quite literally, the street. Traffic around here is hideous and those pleasant white collar suburbanites can turn into road raging nut balls. Most of them drive SUV's too, so the only defense that I practice daily is defensive and evasive driving. I have a G5 GT which weighs hardly anything and will outrun and outmaneuver any SUV, truck, minivan, or other vehicle of choice for the suburbanite professionals and soccormoms.

I work in the city of Rockville, though it really is more like the burbs. I do have occasion to go into Washington DC, so I occasionally brush the urban streets.

For myself, the same axiom applies. The street is out of doors and with no clear security or public means of help. Walking through the neighborhood at night can be "the street" in the coloquial sense. People do get mugged, robbed, and sadly, even kidnapped and raped. It is rare in the area, but ever since the metrobus rout came out our way twenty years back and section 8 housing has lured some folks away from the city, such things have become more of a concern. We do have local 'bums' who can get beligerant.

Our schools, while still fairly safe, have had their brushes with gang activity, and my sons' high school was in lockdown last week due to a knife fight.

Daniel

Yes, see the car is another variant of "the street" I absolutely agree. I have a fistful of penalty points on my licence and thus drive everywhere at an excruciatingly sedate pace. That is bad enough and but people in London have zero time and zero patience for somebody driving at or under 30mph (I drive a well-sticked and well scratched 87 Carrera and which is part of the problem I think). When I am driving now and have the world's front bumper at my tailpipes I feel as if I am in the epinephrine-fuelled flight mode that comes from being chased. I have had one guy come around at lights and try to get me to roll down the window so he could bawl me out I think. Likewise my flatmate had her car stolen while stopped at lights and so part of my "street" is locking down my car doors as soon as I get *in* the thing. So yes, the idea of "the street" I think is a very fluid thing - even for us as individuals. You said that even your son's normally fairly safe school suffered "the street" pushing through its gates (I hope he is ok and not too shocked?) and as you say, people can move into an area - I know that has happened here in this place. And so yes, I think it is wise to evaluate our "street" since it is not static and but a dynamic set of circumstances.

Adn if I could just make one point on your other post? When you say the term "the street" is overused and overhyped and also that your street locales mentioned are empirically drawn, I do worry that people can become concerned over the idea of the street when perhaps there is not a cause to be (I would cite two elderly neighbours as example maybe that have me do their groceries because the supermarket locale can be a little fraught). I think we may be perfectly safe in our street scenarios while we are fed, through our media - and yes, perhaps even by our internet acquaintances - the dangers of the street. I think the overhyping can engender paranoia. And but likewise, the vast array of potentially dangerous street scenarios that you have outlined do maybe give a truth to the notion of the dangerous street, no?

The flip side is that we can be told we are statistically unlikely to be harmed though that may not be our interpretation of what is going on beyond our windows. Statistics are one thing. Perception in this case I think is everything. I just think that everyone's street is different and which was what had me curious

And I think I ceased making sense some paragraphs ago and so thank you again Daniel Oh any pics of your GT? Never seen one here
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

My sons are okay, thank you. Neither was involved, and neither of those involved was seriously injured; one kid had a small cut to his face and the other went into police custody. Not sure what happened to the one with the cut afterwards.

Thankfully, both of my sons study the same arts that I do.

87 Carrera sounds like fun! I assume that you mean the 911 Carrera. There are no non Porche cars called a Carrera in the US.

The G5 is essentially an Opel Astra with a 2.2 Ecotech. The GT that I have has the 2.4. I do not believe that the coupe is available in Europe; the Astra, if I recall comes as a sedan and three or five door wagon. We get the Astra as a Saturn Astra and only in the three door wagon in the US. The Pontiac G5 is coupe only and the Cobalt is sedan and coupe.

Daniel

 

[BLACK LION]

Hey BLACK LION Can I ask what you do to offset or mitigate any potential risk to you when you are out and about in your neighbourhood?
Thank you,
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

Of course you can. Anything I can do to help.

I am an advocate of having tools. Besides walking upright, consistently scanning the terrain up-down and all around and looking through people not at them.
Tools speak a silent language to those who would use them or have used them. I never leave home without a blade and If I can take a gun with me I will do that too. I always carry a bright flashlight as well.
I dont do things or go out of my way to avoid potential problems. I simply wade thru it with conviction assessing any and everything. I relate this to the "terminator" or the "predator" characters when they touch down. Constant assessment of everything. At the same time I display a completely neutral demenor... not agressive not passive but they can tell by my body language that I have a purpose and I am aware and prepared.

I relate this to the wild... predators hunt what they can chase down and kill without much of a struggle... they dont want a fight otherwise lions would hunt and eat other lions. If they want something, they want to take it by taking advantage... take away that advantage and you take away thier ability to be a predator.

 

[GBlues]

All well and good advice for the teenage sports MA competitor that thinks they're Jet Li, but for a large number of MAists their scenario training is done to create skills and instincts not because they think (or train) "Yeah, it's going to happen exactly like this, so I'm totally going to always be 100% prepared". I'm not sure where this mythology comes from that all technique/training goes out the window in a 'real' situation, but it's kinda ridiculous. If we all bought into that notion nobody would ever train in anything again, including the military, police, security professionals, etc. Your training does matter on the street, in reality. But yes, some 'street' training is better than others.

May I ask you sir, how long has it been since you've been in a 'real situation?'

 

[Andy Moynihan]

The school's the school, the ring's the ring, the "street"'s the "street".

Most of the internet arguers still can't seperate the three.

A "streetfight" is any random act of violence, period.

In a word? Get your mind right if you want to survive it and understand the rulebook has gone out the window.

Stop thinking "Frank Mir" and start thinking Frank CASTLE.

 

[Jenna]

Of course you can. Anything I can do to help.

I am an advocate of having tools. Besides walking upright, consistently scanning the terrain up-down and all around and looking through people not at them.
Tools speak a silent language to those who would use them or have used them. I never leave home without a blade and If I can take a gun with me I will do that too. I always carry a bright flashlight as well.
I dont do things or go out of my way to avoid potential problems. I simply wade thru it with conviction assessing any and everything. I relate this to the "terminator" or the "predator" characters when they touch down. Constant assessment of everything. At the same time I display a completely neutral demenor... not agressive not passive but they can tell by my body language that I have a purpose and I am aware and prepared.

I relate this to the wild... predators hunt what they can chase down and kill without much of a struggle... they dont want a fight otherwise lions would hunt and eat other lions. If they want something, they want to take it by taking advantage... take away that advantage and you take away thier ability to be a predator.

I can only guess at what type of neighbourhood you are in that it is necessary to arm yourself so thoroughly. Do you see your "street" as being dangerous or do you treat that high-alert demeanour you have to adopt as just the norm for you now when you are out and about? I would find that level of threat extremely stressful day to day. And but thank you again for following up
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[Jenna]

My sons are okay, thank you. Neither was involved, and neither of those involved was seriously injured; one kid had a small cut to his face and the other went into police custody. Not sure what happened to the one with the cut afterwards.

Thankfully, both of my sons study the same arts that I do.

87 Carrera sounds like fun! I assume that you mean the 911 Carrera. There are no non Porche cars called a Carrera in the US.

The G5 is essentially an Opel Astra with a 2.2 Ecotech. The GT that I have has the 2.4. I do not believe that the coupe is available in Europe; the Astra, if I recall comes as a sedan and three or five door wagon. We get the Astra as a Saturn Astra and only in the three door wagon in the US. The Pontiac G5 is coupe only and the Cobalt is sedan and coupe.

Daniel

Ah, Opel Astra Coupe, yes I see it now... I thought that was a familiar silhouette. No I do not believe Pontiac are in Europe and though I did have a quick look in a G8 GT equivalent and which some guy (an Aussie immigrant had brought with him from there). And yes, I run a 87 Porker. Well I am sure it says Porsche somewhere on it. The badge was nicked, even the stupid alloy wheelcaps were levered off... I mean, talk about people pinching the gold from your teeth, pffft. Anyway 3.2 with 145K still vrooming most days albeit everywhere at 30 and but probably only good for scrap I guess, though still essential wear for any self-respecting poseur: very 80s - driving it requires extravagant use of hairspray and shoulderpads. Fuel economy is poor, especially on damp days when the terminals suffer and I get around 2 miles to the shoe, pffft, I know the recovery driver by name... Carrera spends so much time on two wheels that I am insurance-listed as a stunt-driver... you get the idea

And but seriously, thank you for the pic. Nice neighbourhood too I think Glad the school disturbance turned out to be less serious than expected. Because there is such a problem with anti-social behaviour among school age youths here, they are substituting the teachers in the most difficult estate schools for ex-military / law enforcement / door staff and even loud and obnoxious actors who simply hand out a pre-prepared schedule of schoolwork and then threateningly suppress the class! The joys of London, pffft... And but thank you again
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[Hudson69]

As a LEO, to me, it means anytime, anyplace where a confrontation can/does take place, armed or unarmed, rural or urban as long as it isn't practice or set-up.

 

[MJS]

I will warn you, this is a long post.

A lot of posters have defined "the street" as anywhere outside of the dojo or tournament. While I understand what is generally meant by that and when street vs. dojo comparisons come up, I personally consider this a gross over simplification. It implies a sustained and uniform threat level anywhere outside of the dojo.

Personally, I think that the term is way overused and overhyped.
I almost think that some guys imagine a deep, radio announcer’s voice run through several stages of echo and reverb uttering the words, “the street.”

So rather than simply come right out and say, “this is the street and you need to be ready for it because it can come and find you and bite you at any time, anywhere, and for any reason,” how about actually enumerating the different environs that one finds themselves in and discuss how they intersect with “the street” instead?

The Home: Most often the safest, most controlled environment. Violence or abuse issues in the home not withstanding, the home is a sanctuary from the outside world. The biggest risks are home invasions and burglaries which can penetrate that safety. No, this is not an example of “the street” coming to you (unless you are in a gang or some illegal profession that involves the street). This is an example of criminals coming to you.

The workplace: Nearly as controlled as the home environment, sometimes more so, the workplace is focused on keeping the workers working. Fisticuffs, harassment, threats, and overt malevolence can get people fired. People go to work to earn money. Bad behavior inhibits that. The biggest risk is similar to that of the home: robbery of the business, nutballs wanting to take hostages or the disgruntled employee who decides to shoot up the office. Uncommon, but it happens. Likewise, this is not “the street” coming to get you, but criminals.

The dojo: Like home and the workplace, the dojo is a controlled environment. The likelihood of being attacked outside of a training context is fairly low and there are mechanisms in place to keep things from getting out of hand. Your biggest risk is really training injuries. The dojo's only point of intersection with the street is the parking lot (see shopping malls below).

The friendly social event: Often an extension of home or the workplace. Generally, all involved are friends and the purpose of the gathering is friendly. Cook outs, religious services, picnics, kids’ little league games, coffee house performances, Tupperware parties, and martial arts demonstrations and tournaments all fall into this category. Generally the biggest threat is either a sports injury, a guest getting out of hand due to alcohol or a parent getting out of hand because he or she did not like the ref’s call and thinks that their kid was safe/scored the point/whatever. Such events generally are tame and not the place where partygoers get hammered. If the event is outdoors, it is at a park location designated for such things and there are a lot of people around who are friendly and disinclined to violence.

The shopping mall/grocery store/stand alone retail establishment: Probably the most dangerous place for the average person. The shopping mall or stand alone retail establishment has a parking lot that requires you to walk a good distance from your car to the establishment and they are open at night. Parking lots are rarely patrolled to any degree that makes them impervious to crime. Thus car jackings, kidnappings, purse snatchings, vehicular altercations, muggings and rapes all occur in parking lots. Often the victim is not aware due to being on the cell phone or focused on what they came in to buy. The victim feels safe, as it is after all, his or her favorite mall or trusted grocery store.

It is this environ where “the street” most often intersects with the lives of the average citizen.

The public venue: Large concerts, amusement parks, conventions, and stadiums all fall into this category. You have everything about the aforementioned parking lot, and it is amplified by the lot being of vast size and the venue often away from any sort of residential or built up area and people often leaving after dark.

In addition, you have the serving of alcohol, the presence of people from any and all walks of life, including gangs (hey, they like concerts and theme parks too, you know), ex cons, street toughs and thugs. Not to mention fans of rival teams that often wind up resembling gangs and are often drunk. There are way too many people for the security to effectively police.

This is a more dangerous proposition than the previous environs, mainly due to size and scale.

The Airport, train station buss terminal: Transients from all over the country or the world, massive parking lots with comparatively minimal security and people tense due to the stress of travel. All of the pitfalls of the large venues’ parking lot plus people who specifically target such places for kidnappings.

The social scenes: Night clubs, bars, raves, frat parties, large parties where partygoers party “hard” are all social scenes. I ranked these higher because they are more often frequented and often have the same security issues, but most importantly, they all involve alcohol after dark and are almost always in commercially zoned urban areas and are frequented by less desirable elements. “The street” is intermingled with these places, the only difference being the close at hand presence of some form of security (bouncers, guards) and a large public presence.

Biggest threats: armed partygoers, out of hand drunks, drugged up aggressive people, fights over who is dating whom, rival gangs, pick pockets, criminals and ex cons.

“The street”: Great Scot! It does exist! But what is it? Anywhere that is out of doors with no security or guaranteed public presence. Quite literally, “the street” is the streets of the city. This is, in fact, where the term came from. If you are a teen roaming or a person walking the dog or taking a moonlight stroll on the streets of suburbia at night, guess what, this is the street as well.

Muggers, armed robbers, gang members, board teens with too much time and not enough parental supervision, fleeing robbers or escaped cons who may or may not be getting chased by the police, criminals meeting at a neutral area to make the drop, gangs in cars out on a drive by shooting mission, cops patrolling their beat, citizens walking their dog, stray dogs, lovers on a stroll, lovers who like to ‘love’ in the outdoors, drunks who have left the party or bar, homeless people, and more are all the sorts of people you may encounter on “the street” particularly at night.

Biggest threat: robbery, assault, rape, murder. Mix it up with the wrong people and you could wind up injured or killed. Each and every bad encounter is the sort that would require police intervention. And when seconds count, the police are generally minutes away. Simple common sense can help you avoid a lot of problems on “the street” without any physical altercation. But not always.

And it is this unpredictability that makes the streets dangerous.

The wilderness: Walking on an interstate after your car ran out of gas, hunting, hiking in the woods, rock climbing, bouldering, safari are all the wilderness. Unpredictable, like the street, but there is absolutely zero chance of anyone witnessing what happens to you.

Biggest threats: exposure, animals, other bad guys in the wilderness, hunter’s stray bullets, injuries or medical conditions that may manifest. You just disappearing. The isolation is the biggest factor, which is the opposite of the street, where you do have at least a chance of getting help.

The badguys’ HQ: If you are not a bad guy, LEO, customer, aspiring bad guy, or mutant with super powers that make you a match for a bunch of guys with guns, you have no business being here. Walk into the badguys HQ and you can pretty much expect to exit in a body bag.

Bad guys HQ includes a literal bad guys HQ, such as a gang’s favored place of meeting, crack house, meth factory, secret back room where crime bosses meet, secure locations for black market deals, etc.
There is no security. Unless you are the cops, there is no police presence. There is no public to witness the bad guys being bad. Yes, the bad guys HQ is a step beyond the street. In fact, you are better off on the street.

The prison: I listed this last as it is the most dangerous place to be. Even though there is a police presence and the bad guys are caged, the bad guys outnumber the guards. Unless you are one of the guards, guess what? You are stuck there with the bad guys. This is kind of like the bad guys HQ, except that you cannot leave. The bad guys cannot leave. Since the bad guys are already in prison, they have less to lose; they no longer have to worry about maintaining the appearance of behaving in order to stay out. A guy who is in prison for life for murder has no reason to be gentle or to not kill you. Then there is the issue of prison rape.

My point is that every environ outside of the dojo is most definitely not the street. Some are less dangerous than the dojo and some are more dangerous than the street. The strategies needed for survival are going to differ. Much of the strategum one needs in most of these environs has very little to do with combat training. In fact, in many (definitely not all) cases, if you get to the point of having to use physical force to settle the the issue or effect escape, you have probably misstepped somewhere along the line before the encounter.

As Black Lion pointed out, different people face varying threat levels in all of their enviroments depending upon geography and demographic and need to adjust accordingly.

It goes without saying that awareness, preparedness, and common sense is key in all of these environs.

Lastly, my post is based on my experience and on observation. I have no news sources or statistics to support any percentages or statements like, most of the time or most often.

Daniel

Daniel,

I start off by saying that this was a very nice post! I will say that while I agree with pretty much most of what you're saying, part of me disagrees slightly. The home, I agree, as you said, would be the safest place, not taking invasions, or domestics into consideration. However, the workplace, social events, prisons, clubs, bars, all have the potential to be violent, if the circumstances presented themselves.

I don't think that anyone should be so paranoid that they fear opening their front door to go somewhere. I don't think that when we reach our destination, we have to be spinning our head to make sure nobody is coming up behind us. I just feel that once you leave your 'safe zone' whatever that may be, that ones awareness should be kicked up a notch or two.

 

[MJS]

Hey BLACK LION Can I ask what you do to offset or mitigate any potential risk to you when you are out and about in your neighbourhood?
Thank you,
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

I'm not BL, but I thought I'd comment on this too. I live in a fairly quiet town, and in a pretty quite section. However, we are not exempt from burglaries, we've had a few shootings, though as I said, nowhere near what you'd find in the larger cities, as well as smaller scale crimes, ie: cars broken into, etc.

As I've said in this post and others, simply being aware is what, IMHO, matters most. I don't carry any weapons, and don't plan on it. I'm not that paranoid. If I'm going to the store, I scan the area, as I'm driving in. I glance around after I park, and glance while I'm walking to the door. I think that alot of the times, how you carry yourself, is a huge deterrant to crime. Lets take 2 people:

Person 1: Totally clueless as to whats going on around them, busy chatting on thier cell phone, so busy chatting with friends, etc. Their attention is preoccupied with distractions.

Person 2: Walks with confidence, keeps their head up, makes it known to passerby, that you 'know' whats going on around you.

I would say that person 1 is much more likely to be the victim of violence than person 2. Now, this isn't to say that 2 couldnt get attacked, but person 1 I feel, presents a lesser threat.

 

[just2kicku]

To me the street can be anytime or anyplace that you can encounter the unknown variable of being attacked from anywhere. Walking out of a restuarant with your family and being attacked is the "street", walking thru a parking garage and being attacked is the "street". It's a no rules, no hold barred fight for survival, that to me is the street. It can be in suburbia, the city, or the concrete jungle.

Like BlackLion said, there are ways to make yourself less likely to face such an encounter by utilizing some of your tools so you don't look like easy prey.

Be alert and be smart and hopefully we'll all never have to see the violence we train for.

 

[blindsage]

May I ask you sir, how long has it been since you've been in a 'real situation?'

A couple years, since I stop going out as much at night. Is this a passive agressive attempt to undermine my statements of disagreement? Not only do I have experience to back up my statements, I have known plenty of martial artists that have used their training to good use on 'the street' (some cops, some security, some just in SD). Aside from that, I also have known people who's training didn't help them much because they didn't have a realistic expectation of 'the street'. But that doesn't necessarily mean the techniques and skills they train in can't be used effectively. It means that they don't train them in a way that would prepare them to use them effectively. When Mike Tyson was harrassed a couple of years ago outside a hotel, there was a big news story because he knocked out the main guy, on the street, with the boxing technique he was trained in. But wait, can't be true, because what you train in the dojo (or gym) just doesn't work on the street, period.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Daniel,

I start off by saying that this was a very nice post! I will say that while I agree with pretty much most of what you're saying, part of me disagrees slightly. The home, I agree, as you said, would be the safest place, not taking invasions, or domestics into consideration. However, the workplace, social events, prisons, clubs, bars, all have the potential to be violent, if the circumstances presented themselves.

Actually, I think we are in agreement on that. I listed each different environ in order of its potential danger. Thus prison was ranked higher than the street and the workplace, social events, clubs and bars all more dangerous than the home.

My point was that there are different environs, some of which are actually more dangerous than "the street" due to either a complete absense of any law enforcement or an absense of fearing punishment on the part of an attacker. In prison, there may be more restriction than on the street, but as an attacker is already in prison, he or she no longer fears the punishment. If they beat you to within an inch of your life, the penalty is prison time. Well, they already have that. Not only that, you have no avenue of escape. You must see these guys daily. You cannot change your rout or avoid the place.

The wilderness is a place where things happen with a compete absense of law enforcement or emergency services. While there may not be as much chance of a person attacking you, those that do have little fear of being caught if they kill you. You may not be found for months or even years. And if your attacker is that grizzly bear, well, he will eat the evidence.

In the bad guy's HQ, it is in their interest to prevent you from leaving, as you can now rat on them. Unless you are one of the bad guys or the cops intent on raiding the place, you have no business being there.

These are places that are definitely not the street and are inherently more dangerous. The only time the street is more dangerous is if you refer to the mythical street of video games and movies, where thugs throw chi balls and have ninja and yakuza for back up.

I don't think that anyone should be so paranoid that they fear opening their front door to go somewhere. I don't think that when we reach our destination, we have to be spinning our head to make sure nobody is coming up behind us. I just feel that once you leave your 'safe zone' whatever that may be, that ones awareness should be kicked up a notch or two.

Absolutely!

Daniel

 

[Jenna]

I'm not BL, but I thought I'd comment on this too. I live in a fairly quiet town, and in a pretty quite section. However, we are not exempt from burglaries, we've had a few shootings, though as I said, nowhere near what you'd find in the larger cities, as well as smaller scale crimes, ie: cars broken into, etc.

As I've said in this post and others, simply being aware is what, IMHO, matters most. I don't carry any weapons, and don't plan on it. I'm not that paranoid. If I'm going to the store, I scan the area, as I'm driving in. I glance around after I park, and glance while I'm walking to the door. I think that alot of the times, how you carry yourself, is a huge deterrant to crime. Lets take 2 people:

Person 1: Totally clueless as to whats going on around them, busy chatting on thier cell phone, so busy chatting with friends, etc. Their attention is preoccupied with distractions.

Person 2: Walks with confidence, keeps their head up, makes it known to passerby, that you 'know' whats going on around you.

I would say that person 1 is much more likely to be the victim of violence than person 2. Now, this isn't to say that 2 couldnt get attacked, but person 1 I feel, presents a lesser threat.

Hey MJS Yes, I completely agree with these assertions. And but I guess the manner of BOTH person 1 and 2 above could be fitting to their own particular "street". I mean, when we feel safe, we can all at some time be person 1, no Likewise, if we always condition ourselves to act as person 2, might there be a chance that we become overconcerned with this notion of "the street" as a potentially dangerous place? The more I read of the responses - your own included - the more I see "the street" as a fluid idea that is not always static. It does not I think just depend upon the danger per se and but our perception of the danger. The question is then, does that mean everywhere we go we must assess every situation? We cannot perceive the danger if we are not actively looking for it, right? I am not sure. Can I ask, do you yourself ever let your guards down completely? Are you ever person 1 above? Thank you
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[BLACK LION]

I operate under a code which may be familiar to some of you...
"be polite be respectful be professional but have a plan to kill every single person you meet becuase they may have a plan to kill you"...

I have tools with me at all times becuase my perception is any time anywhere I should be prepared... not just in a combative sense but also a critical one... the purpose of tools arent always to hurt or kill but to provide general assistance in all applicable cases. I have used a flashlight to save a girl from being struck by a truck... I can use the pommel on my carry blade to break a car window or use the blase to cut a seatbelt or pry a door. Make sense?

"The question is then, does that mean everywhere we go we must assess every situation? We cannot perceive the danger if we are not actively looking for it, right? I am not sure. Can I ask, do you yourself ever let your guards down completely? Are you ever person 1 above? Thank you "

Right... one cannot perceive danger if you arent being aware and assertive. You cant perceive much of anything.

I advocate establishing a 360deg "peripheral perimeter"
At no time , at no place should I ever be unaware of whats happening
full circle around above and below me. My peripheral vision affords me the opportunity to scan areas or blind spots without turning completely to the side or completely around...it also affords me the ability to practice awareness and assessment without paying attention to something or someone in particular... I utilize reflective objects like windows and mirrors etc to accomplish this as well....
I also advocate Off center vision which will keep you focused on everything rather than one thing... Even if its right in your personal space you can focus on it and everything around it.

Does this help? I know I may not be the best at articulating my point or opinions so I apologize.

 

[BLACK LION]

To me the street can be anytime or anyplace that you can encounter the unknown variable of being attacked from anywhere. Walking out of a restuarant with your family and being attacked is the "street", walking thru a parking garage and being attacked is the "street". It's a no rules, no hold barred fight for survival, that to me is the street. It can be in suburbia, the city, or the concrete jungle.

Like BlackLion said, there are ways to make yourself less likely to face such an encounter by utilizing some of your tools so you don't look like easy prey.

Be alert and be smart and hopefully we'll all never have to see the violence we train for.

Good post!

 

[BLACK LION]

"Person 1: Totally clueless as to whats going on around them, busy chatting on thier cell phone, so busy chatting with friends, etc. Their attention is preoccupied with distractions.

Person 2: Walks with confidence, keeps their head up, makes it known to passerby, that you 'know' whats going on around you.

I would say that person 1 is much more likely to be the victim of violence than person 2. Now, this isn't to say that 2 couldnt get attacked, but person 1 I feel, presents a lesser threat. "


I agree with this assesment.


I categorize people in two ways:

Domesticated
or
Habituated

 

[BLACK LION]

Actually, I think we are in agreement on that. I listed each different environ in order of its potential danger. Thus prison was ranked higher than the street and the workplace, social events, clubs and bars all more dangerous than the home.

My point was that there are different environs, some of which are actually more dangerous than "the street" due to either a complete absense of any law enforcement or an absense of fearing punishment on the part of an attacker. In prison, there may be more restriction than on the street, but as an attacker is already in prison, he or she no longer fears the punishment. If they beat you to within an inch of your life, the penalty is prison time. Well, they already have that. Not only that, you have no avenue of escape. You must see these guys daily. You cannot change your rout or avoid the place.

The wilderness is a place where things happen with a compete absense of law enforcement or emergency services. While there may not be as much chance of a person attacking you, those that do have little fear of being caught if they kill you. You may not be found for months or even years. And if your attacker is that grizzly bear, well, he will eat the evidence.

In the bad guy's HQ, it is in their interest to prevent you from leaving, as you can now rat on them. Unless you are one of the bad guys or the cops intent on raiding the place, you have no business being there.

These are places that are definitely not the street and are inherently more dangerous. The only time the street is more dangerous is if you refer to the mythical street of video games and movies, where thugs throw chi balls and have ninja and yakuza for back up.


Absolutely!

Daniel

I completely understand where you are going with this.

I classify them in 2 ways:

"Street" = any place or area under the social umbrella
and/or
"Field" = places outside the social umbrella i.e. wilderness- combat/battle-foreign countries-correctional faciltiy/prison

 

[BLACK LION]

As a LEO, to me, it means anytime, anyplace where a confrontation can/does take place, armed or unarmed, rural or urban as long as it isn't practice or set-up.

Also a good post!

 

[BLACK LION]

I can only guess at what type of neighbourhood you are in that it is necessary to arm yourself so thoroughly. Do you see your "street" as being dangerous or do you treat that high-alert demeanour you have to adopt as just the norm for you now when you are out and about? I would find that level of threat extremely stressful day to day. And but thank you again for following up
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

I have HABITUATED violence and murphys law. Its my perception that it can happen anytime and anywhere no matter what. Its not a shock to me and there is no mysticism behind it. I understand it completely and I accept it. Everyones "perception" and "reality" is different. Actuality on the other hand isnt. Its the same, all the time regardless of what one thinks thier reality is. Reality is= this can or could happen... Actuality is= this does-is- or has happened. makes sense?
I cant be "prepared" for everything but I understand I must be ready for anything.

I had 2 blades on me at a babyshower in a home on a sunday. I am completely unbiased with carrying or having access to tools or labor saving devices. I dont just carry becuase I am in or going to be in a "bad area" .... I carry to church... if that makes sense.


Awareness -Assesment-Assertiveness are all a constant "demeanor" or state of being for me no matter where, what, when, why or how.