Do you know other methods of self defense?

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Some might see this more of a flame, well if you don't know how to protect yourself without objects designed as a weapon then yes.

I've known how to fight fairly well even though my fighting is described as brute and dirty. Since coming to the firearms community there seems to be some stigma among people in which firearms owners don't know any other method than to use a firearm.

I've placed a poll with specific selections I'd like to describe and clarify.
1) Here I've said "other methods" in designation of improvised weapons, martial arts, or any other method which doesn't entail using an object designed for defense.
2) Yes, reading number two right, ignorance.
3) In respect for people on the forum who are physically incapable I've created this option. There are users on the forum which have bad knees, osteoporosis, and other physical disablement which may hinder or hurt the person when attempting to learn other methods for self defense.

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9 years Shotokan karate, 6 years Shorinji Kempo. Monkey KungFu anyone?:monkey

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I learned how to fight a long time ago, and by use of more than one method. So yes I know methods of defense other than firearms. However, I am getting old. Perhaps even too old to fight bare handed against a fitter younger opponent.

Besides why fight at all if the mere presence of a firearm can prevent hostilities.

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Crackheads will fight in the presence of a firearm just fine. They don't care if their buddies who might also be armed will get killed.

Maybe I'm thinking a little extreme, however if you read forums you'll see teen groups have tried to gang up on someone who was carrying a firearm. I can't bare to think how those situations would turn out if all the teens were carrying firearms.

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Hawkflyer wrote:

However, I am getting old. Perhaps even too old to fight bare handed against a fitter younger opponent.

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Ya I know how you feel.

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In all seriousness, while I can fight , I can't say that I will do so bare handed IF I have the option. I am certainly not above picking up a rock, a 2 X4 or a broom If one is in close proximity. just remember, the only unfair fightr is the one you lose.

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Unreconstructed bout sums it up.. It doesn't have to look pretty or choreographed..

Functional is where it's at, I don't appear as tight and cut physically as my younger posture was, but the desire to keep having birthdays is a lot more focused. 10' tall and bullet proof ain't necessary anymore, I don't heal as fast as I used to..

I grew up with a lot of fellas that loved hard knocks, a few of em are dead now, because they never got focused on how fragile a human life is as they got older..

one of my long known buds is, Prior Marine52yrs old, and bout 5'2" and probably 150# and meaner than a 2# banty rooster when the gloves come off, and as meek as a lamb to any one who approaches him in a civil mannerand 3 of anyone i've ever known wouldn't strike a note of fear or self preservation in him whatsoever, but he doesn't fight for excitement or adrenaline anymore. I guess he has nothing to prove to anyone anymore and figures moreBirthdays come with wisdom..

To answer the OP, No I'm not skilled or trained in anything Hand to hand but bare knuckles,Getting Physicalisn't an option for me anymore since an assult can be countered with Deadly force legally, I just won't fist fight anymore, I'll walk away from any mouthy encounters, and avoid the atmospheres that propagate these possibilities.

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to be honest, until I discovered that they were illegal to carry in my State, I carried a pair of brass knuckles daily, along with my knife ( didn't have an HCP at the time) and IF the law would allow, I'd still carry them regularly... why? because if nothing else is present ANYTHING that can give you the upper hand could be the difference between seeing your family again, or them seeing you on a slab. If given the choice, I'd prefer the former 100% of the time.

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While I've had some training in unarmed self defense, having the firearm on my person also entails a certain amount of defense of the weapon itself. I would not choose to engage in a fist fight while armed, simply due to the possibility of losing control of the firearm to my opponent. If anyone has watched full contact fighting (ufc for example), then I'm sure you're aware that sometimes unexpected things happen, such as one punch knockouts, slips, or various other things that could present a serious problem in a street fight.

If someone knows I'm armed, prepared to defend myself (not the aggressor), and chooses to come at me...I can't help but think that they're trying to obtain the firearm and am prepared to act accordingly. I have no desire to get shot with my own gun, so getting in a hand to hand fight while armed is...I hesitate to say last resort, but it's something I'd try very hard to avoid.

I read an interesting article about the use of judo quite a few years ago. More or less, it was the author on a bus with a nutcase, and several other people. The author was someone excited to finally have the chance to use the knowledge he'd trained for years to have, and when the nutcase was acting in a manner that required him to be subdued, the author was ready to manhandle him. An old man at toward the back of the bus started talking to the nutcase, calmly and prior to the author standing up to fight, and the old man convinced the nutcase to just sit and talk with him, effectively ending the situation. The author felt shamed, and felt that the old man displayed better judo without lifting a finger, because he obtained the same result (no nutcase throwing a fit on the bus) and that it was in line with the philosophy behind judo. Despite my poor explanation of it, the point that I'm trying to make is that more than the fighting, more than shooting someone, if you can handle the situation without it escalating to that point you've used something much more effective than either-and that doesn't require any hand to hand combat ability or training.

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I trained in Tung Su Do as a child, and being a Marine I obviously received various forms of training. The most important thing I learned from that is anything can be a weapon (they call it a WOP, or weapon of opportunity in the Corps).

Anyway I really haven't retained much of the training. To be honest, I've never been in a realfist fight, so I haven't a clue how I'd handle myself. I've always either talked my way out of the confrontation, or ran away. I mainly carry a gun in case those two tactics don't work. I don't consider that ignorant...do you?

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Furball, I'm 100lbs overweight and I could take you any day of the week.

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Which means you're slower and fall harder.

You have more of a chance to knock me out in less punches if the weight is on your arms or legs though.

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Yes I have had training in other methods of self-defense. Although past my prime, I am still bigger and stronger than the average guy although I wouldn't claim to be a match for the average early 20s well-built street bad-a$$. However, I have typically found that awareness, a willingness to walk away and being polite are the best self-defense and as such I have been able to avoid any non-training physical confrontation for nearly 20 years now and hope to keep it that way. As with a firearm or any other defense, your best weapon is between your ears.

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I'm a big guy, and I'm pretty strong, I load semi trucks by hand to get through college. I somehow never really got into "methods of self defense" unless you count watching Walker Texas Ranger! If I am carrying and someone is acting threatening towards me I would back up 5 feet, and tell him to stop right there, if he wouldn't I mightdraw my gun and continue back peddeling until i reached my vehicle. In just a raw fist fight I would rely on myself going Ape-shit crazy. I've been in fights before, none were I've gone apeshit crazy. In all the fights I've been in they hit me twice as many times, because I didn't feel like punching back until they hit me in a sweet spot(my back,side or nose). THEN BAM RIGHT IN THE KISSER! down they go... I don't know for some reason I have to be pissed off to fight, at least fight to my full means, otherwise I just use my body size to restrain the person who wants to attack me or others. One thing I do get pissed about is my freedoms, and If somebody wants to mess with them then they better be ready to get F'd up!!

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Green Belt in USMC, MCMAP.

Which is similar to MMA.

Of course the Marine Corps really just teaches you how to END fights, more than justan ongoing fight.


And as Mark Edward has said here before,

"I'm an expert in man's most known self-defense mechanism, RUNNING AWAY !"

Seriously, here in the states, if my backs not against that wall there's no need for violence. I try to avoid all conflict. Butif aBG makes physical contact with me, it's on.

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BJA wrote:

THEN BAM RIGHT IN THE KISSER! down they go...

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H58snaJBYM

Like a few other people said, I avoid fighting whenever possible. Running is always the first resort. I'm plenty capable of hand-to-hand combat if necessary though, butnoI don't have anyformal training just mostly roughing around with MMA crazy buddies.

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Way to post a rigged poll. Not much useful data there, I'm afraid. If you already have an obvious bias, why the heck do you even bother to ask or try to put on the facade of serious discussion on the matter?

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DreQo wrote:

I trained in Tung Su Do as a child, and being a Marine I obviously received various forms of training. The most important thing I learned from that is anything can be a weapon (they call it a WOP, or weapon of opportunity in the Corps).

Anyway I really haven't retained much of the training. To be honest, I've never been in a realfist fight, so I haven't a clue how I'd handle myself. I've always either talked my way out of the confrontation, or ran away. I mainly carry a gun in case those two tactics don't work. I don't consider that ignorant...do you?

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My self-defense tactics generally are:

1. Try to talk my way out of it

2. Run

3. If those two don't work then grab whatever is handy and if it is a gun then fine

When it comes to fighting and self-defense I do my best to avoid but if not then the heck with the "fight like aman" part. I will gouge, bite, spit, hit in the gonads and anything else available including using baseball bats and 2x4's. I had a friend that used to love to fight and kept picking afight withme. I rammed his head into a concrete block wall one day and that ended his wanting to fight with me. Some people love to fight and some people treat it seriously as a life and death matter. Never mess with those who take it seriously. The irony about many of those that I have known who took it seriously didn't bother to carry a gun or any other type of weapon, just their wits and determination.

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I do know some other methods of self defense, and I always fight dirty. The dirtier thebetter! I sometimes laugh at the self-defense experts who show in slow motion how to karate chop your opponent.In my experience, real altercations occur in real time (fast), and the other guy doesn't dance like Bruce Lee. Or even better, some old high school buddies that I wrestled with (I was pretty good at 152 lbs butit's been along time since I've seenthat weight!) They seem to think that a high school wrestling jacket qualifies them as self defense experts. I don't know about you guys, but I have no intention of trying to grab a BG and score a take-down.

My priorities are:

1. Escape. Run away if possible. I don't need to prove anything to anyone but I do need to get home safely. If I'm with my family, I may not be able to escape quickly enough.

2. Evade. If the attacker has a knife and I can keep an obstacle between me and him, that gives me the time to produce my gun and determine if he needs to see how it works.

3. Defend. Shoot until thethreat stops,all the magazines are empty, or the gun malfunctions.

4. Last resort. Use the gun as a blunt force striking object. Pick up a rock, or a hardback book, or a flashlight. Anything I can use to strike that will protect my hands. Keep myself at arms length, and use repeated, fast and forceful blows until the threat ends. Eyes, nose, temples, and groin are my priority targets.

The last thing Iwant to do is start punching towards the face. Too may teeth and bonesin the way to damage myhands. Breaking myknuckles willimpair myabilitytodefend my family and myself. If I get theBG down, I will ensure he stays down until I can get my family tosafety.

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Put me in the same category as BJA. I've never had any formal training, but being born and raised in (what was then) rural Alabama I've been in a fair number of fights. In wilder days even started some. That was 20+ years ago though so now I would go to gun first if its an option.

For what its worth I too am a fairly big guy. I spent a couple of years working for my dad wrestling with 5/8" chains and steel stock in my dad's machine shop. I'm also told that I have a look that says "I'm going to kill you now and eat you later". I don't know how true that is, but on more than one occasion I've had a group of Hispanic young men "part the waters" for me.