ever been robbed?

[Katfayheirti]

So, have any of you guys ever been robbed? What happened and what did you do?

Well, for my own story, I've never been robbed, but my boyfriend got mugged yesterday while talking on the phone to me, so it's fresh on my mind. Thankfully he's OK, but the whole thing was a little frightening. A guy snuck up behind him, knocked his phone out of his hand, and put him a choke hold while two other guys took his wallet.

A lot of art students have been mugged or attacked recently around where I live lately, and I spend a lot of time walking back and forth between school buildings on deserted city roads late at night, so I was wondering if any of you macho guys and gals had any tips.

Also, feel free to share your robbery stories.

[Hyskoa]

Well, I'm kinda big and most of my friends tell me I have the face of a serial killer when I'm pensive, so most people tend to leave me alone or.. you know, go on the other side of the street at night.
I did have an encounter with 2 wannebe muggers though, they took out a knife and tried to put it against me, so I shrugged and walked away. Had a backpack on which was ripped apart, but they didn't follow me, which was nice.
(Living in a building where there's blood sprayed on the entire entrance hall at least once every two weeks leaves you desensitized quite quickly.)
That + being overly paranoid and constantly hyperaware of my surroundings keeps me relatively safe.

[Flake]

Never been robbed, been burgled though.

They decided my stuff wasn't even worth stealing and grabbed my flatmates gear instead.

The year before someone did my mates flat, they stole the stereo but ejected the Pantera CD and removed the Bowie album from the record deck.

Burglars as music critics? That's cheeky..

[Straight Edge Ryan]

I once paid 4 dollars for a drink at the state fair. I'd say that counts.

Those bastards have a monopoly on the soft drink market at that fair

[Sunseaker]

I'v never personally been robbed, but one of my mates has been robbed at knife point, 3 times. At the same ATM. At this point I think he deserves it.

[Christian223]

I got robbed 2 times some years ago, they didn't harm me though, but they did harm my brother when they took his wrist watch, they left his face almost un-recognizable, also he lost some little bits of some teeth... he is ok now, but that was a tough time for the family. Things like these have been increasing over the years in my country, a murder is announced every single day, if they don't steal your car, it's your cell phone, if you don't give it, they kill you, it sucks, but that's the times we are in... violations, crimes, twisted morals, all on the increase...

[kab]

Never been robbed in the traditional sense, but I had my phone stolen at a party. One guy distracted me while I had my phone laying on a table, another guy swiped it. They also took a lot of stuff from the house.

About 5 months later, one of the guys were bragging while drunk about the whole thing and someone who heard him told the guy whose party it had been, we called the guys up and basically told them to return everything they took and pay for our expenses getting new stuff. Otherwise we'd turn them in to the police, or find our own justice.

A week later, I got my phone back (the asshole had actually given it to his girlfriend as a birthday present, I can imagine the conversation when he had to ask for it back), along with the $800 I claimed to have spent on a new phone.

[GhostValkyrie]

If you want to open a private channel; I can give you some specific tips on physical security, Threat assessment, engagement, etc.

[Hookswords]

A guy attempted to rob me once. It was outside a concert venue. I was walking back to my car and this guy asks me for change. I say "I dont have any." and try to keep walking.. He pulls out a knife and says "Give me your wallet." He was a shaky crackhead that looked a little unsure of what he was doing. I said "Seriously dude? You're robbing people? HERE? Tonight? I just stepped out of a Gwar show. You might want to wait until Bob Seiger night or something." "JUST give ME your Wallet." So I pulled my wallet out "Ok, here." and I dropped it on the ground in front of him. He bent down to pick it up and took his eyes off me. As Mr. Miyagi says "Always look eye." I kicked him in the face and broke his nose. A good break too....like, his nose went flat. I picked up my wallet and kept going as I was. He was too busy screaming and bleeding to do anything.

As for tips. Yeah, there is all kinds of things. The biggest problem with people these days is they dont think. Dont think it will happen to them, Dont think about where they are. Dont think about what kind of mark they are walking down a street.

Dont walk down the street with your iPod blaring. If you cant hear the world around you it's easy to sneak up on you. Being on a cellphone like he was isnt bad, but you cant let yourself become absorbed in the conversation. It is a good safety thing so if something looks suspicious the other person can aid if something goes down. They can tell you where they are regularly and it can be a bit of a trap. It may look like they are lost in conversation, but are actually aware of the world around them and reporting it in to the other person on the line. So if shit goes down the other person can call the cops. So the cellphone is more of a prop in this case.

People answer is always pepper spray. Pepper spray is, in my opinion, a bad idea. Too many variables. It's only good once, the device itself offers no other use, if the wind is against you you're screwed, if it's a tighter area like an alley you can get spray back, etc.

So then people think "I'll take a self defense course." So they go to some course at school or the Y or something and that is that. That does nothing. Not only are the tactics they give you often situational and not versatile, but you cant just try them a few times and think you're ready for street trash. Self defense tactics have to be practiced over and over on a regular basis. That way they become muscle memory, not thought about. They just happen. You dont have time to think about what it was you're supposed to do when a guy grabs your shoulder when it's actually happening. You have to be able to just react.

You say a number of art students have been attacked. Might it be because they can often be easy targets? Over burdened with backpacks, man purses, portfolio cases, and brush boxes? If you can hardly walk or run you're disabling your ability to counter attack or flee. An artist has things in his/her possession that would make great self defense items. That big brush with the really solid handle is great for stabbing and leverage. Xacto knives, tools for clay and modeling, hell even a tube portfolio case might not be bad.

Above all you just have to be alert. Know your route, but not only that know the safest way you can take that route. Which side of the street has better lighting, which side has less dark doorways and alleys, is cutting though this dark hole in the fence to save 2 minutes really worth it? Always look around, try not to travel alone, take advantage of school sponsored safe walks or driving services (even if that's only for nerds).

There is all kinds of stuff in this department but these were some basics. Hope it helps at least get the brains juice flowing.

[Brushcommander]

People answer is always pepper spray. Pepper spray is, in my opinion, a bad idea.
I don't know, it worked fine for me.
I was about to get mugged but that shit saved my ass.

[fukifino]

I got robbed in at gunpoint in a phonebooth once. Pretty scary experience. Was on a major street during high traffic too, very visible. But I was hunched over, not really being aware of my surroundings which allowed 3 gang bangers to sneak up on me. When I felt the gun in my side and someone say "give me your wallet" I thought it was my g/f at the time playing a joke on me. Not too funny when I turned around.

I definitely try to be more aware of my surroundings now when I'm idling around, but overall I'm probably still a relatively easy mark. :/

[Hookswords]

I don't know, it worked fine for me.
I was about to get mugged but that shit saved my ass.

I'm not saying it's totally ineffective. When used properly it's quite incapacitating. I'm just saying that it is situational. And people dont always read all the instructions. I dont know how many people I've heard say "Yeah, I tried it out when I got it just to make sure I understood how to use it." Great idea but you just killed that one and now have to buy a new one. They dont hold pressure very well over time and are rendered useless quickly. And wind and the confines of where you may be will effect the spray. There's nothing worse that incapacitating yourself when faced with a situation.

Some other people think carrying a knife will do the trick. I always tell my students....Heh, I just realized I didnt mention that. I teach Chin Na, which is part of kung fu and tai chi. It is the fine point techniques that can be used as self defense. Joint locks, muscle separation, sealing the air flow and blood flow to the brain, and pressure points. Anyway, I always tell my students that anyone on the street with a knife is either A) Really good with it. Or B) An idiot/ crazy person. Both are dangerous. If you carry a knife and dont know how to use it, you just gave them a knife. So unless you go through years of training in knife fighting I would stay away from that avenue.

Another thing you hear is to position your keys in your hand to create this menacing ball of flesh and metal. Try that and put some pressure on it from various angles and tell me that you dont think that will hurt you just as much. There is a cheap solution along these lines called a kubaton

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9O4dQ3_ykSg/Sf1eB5IJi6I/AAAAAAAAAHc/XTlWOefyJPU/s320/Kubaton_36172407.jpg

You can get these for 5 or 6 bucks. These things are solid. You could punch through a car door with one of these. They are discreet and legal. Enough to put a hurt on someone so you can flee, or much further. Something like this doesnt take much training, but you can get pretty wicked with them. Just youtube it for some mean pressure point strikes and what not.

But like I said before there are plenty of things in an artist's arsenal that would suffice. And not just artists, but there is all sorts of everyday stuff that works great. Pens, belts, purse straps, those belly chains that used to be popular, those godforsaken scarves that people wear everywhere year round regardless of weather. Some simple movements while unarmed work great too. Step on their instep, knee to groin, claw out eyes, throat punch, etc.

All that being said, you do have to know when to be smart. You need to know when to use better judgment and just sacrifice a few things that are less important than your life. You'll see all sorts of self defense versus guns books and videos. Dont ever screw with someone with a gun unless you are willing to die. Reaction time is a factor, but it doesnt take much to pull a trigger.

Be smart

[hippl5]

I'm not saying it's totally ineffective. When used properly it's quite incapacitating. I'm just saying that it is situational.

What about a gun?

Edit to add on: I've never been robbed, so I don't think I have much say in this thread, but if someone has a knife to your throat or a gun to your back, do you really have time to take out whatever weapon be it pepper spray or a keychain?

[Eugie]

From now on I think we need to address hooksword as hooksword sensei. Oh speaking of which I have been robbed a couple of times, that's what happens when you work in Newark.

[Hookswords]

What about a gun?

Edit to add on: I've never been robbed, so I don't think I have much say in this thread, but if someone has a knife to your throat or a gun to your back, do you really have time to take out whatever weapon be it pepper spray or a keychain?

Not every state has laws allowing you to carry a gun. If laws are meaningless to you then I cant tell you what to do.

Generally you can legally return the amount of force put on you. If you feel your life is in danger you can go above and beyond, to a point. If a guy grabs your shoulder and hasnt uttered a word or gone beyond said grab it is generally not fair in the eyes of the law to turn him into a drooling quadriplegic. But if you are in a situation where you feel your very life is threatened you may use additional force to save your life and generally avoid trouble for doing so.

The idea is to be ready. Something like the keychain is easy to have in your hand and ready if you think you're in a situation that warrants it. So that you are ready before you are in a compromised situation. But if these things are buried in your purse, then yes they wont do you much good.

[DSillustration]

What about a gun?

I strongly believe in the right to bear arms...
But a gun is the absolute WORST way to deal with a mugging.

Firstly, you can only legally use it if you are faced with immediate and deadly force (for instance, if THEY have a gun).

Most muggers (provided they are somewhat sane) do not want to commit murder... they just want to make money.
The gun is simply a power play.
If you are not a threat to them, and they will simply take your money and leave.

But if you pull a gun, YOU are now an equal threat and put the thief in a desperate situation.
His choices are:
1. get shot
2. shoot.

Trust me...
They will ALWAYS choose #2.

[Cthogua]

What about a gun?

Edit to add on: I've never been robbed, so I don't think I have much say in this thread, but if someone has a knife to your throat or a gun to your back, do you really have time to take out whatever weapon be it pepper spray or a keychain?

From everything I've ever been told this is likely to be just as bad if not a worse idea than attempting to use a knife in that kind of situation. Unless you're Jesse James with that pistol you're just as likely to have given your attacker the weapon. The other issue at hand when you pull out a gun, is that you've upped the ante in an already volatile situation. In order to actually make good on the threat you pose with that gun you're going to have be willing to kill or severely maim someone. At this point a lot of folks (usually guys) puff up and say "I would have absolutely no qualms about killing or crippling someone if they were robbing me." the reality is you'll never really know until that situation is right there infront of you. Would you continue to feel the same after you found out he was robbing you to pay for his child's food? A buddy of mine got robbed at knife point and the guy forced him to give him his PIN number for his ATM card (which he lied about) Later that night he got a phone call FROM THE GUY who robbed him saying that he shouldn't have lied about the PIN number and that he knew where he lived (wallet) and was going to kill him if he didn't come up with 3000 dollars by tomorrow. Not sure what to think about it, he went over to his neighbors and started telling him about the situation, and the guy called back AGAIN saying some crazy shit about how he shouldn't have called the cops (he actually hadn't yet) and how he was going to get him and shit. At this point my friend started asking this dude questions and he got all flustered and hung up. A few days later the cops caught the guy (traced his cellphone or something) and got my friends stuff back. It turned out he had charged 300 dollars to his bank card to pay his baby mamma's over due power bill....kinda sad, but stupid too. It certainly doesn't excuse his actions, but I don't think it would've warranted an on the spot execution. Killing someone is something you can NEVER take back, and you've irreversibly changed the lives of everyone associated with that person, good, bad, mother, father, child, etc... Not to mention the fact that if you were alone with said attacker, and all he turned out to have was a pocket knife or nothing at all, and you remained completely unhurt...You might have a more difficult time explaining the situation to the police.

[J Wilson]

I've had my car broken into a couple times. Friends have been mugged in town. I've never had anything happen in front of me other than asking for change and being a little aggressive about it, fortunately. I chalk it up to either not looking like I have anything worth stealing, or there just being much softer looking targets around (the area is Yale, so it's not hard to find wealthier and softer looking targets I'm sure). I always walk women friends to their cars even in nice neighborhoods, because you can never be too safe.

If art students have been mugged several times in the area, then odds are some group has realized it's a good spot for that kind of thing. They aren't likely to walk away from an area that has paid off before until they get caught or run off by police. That's why an area will often have a rash of home break ins, or car thefts, or muggings- once an area has been shown to be easy pickings it's going to keep getting hit.

My suggestion would be to get the school to insist on more cop patrols in the area, and to have students walk in groups whenever possible. It's probably not a good idea to obviously carry valuable items like cell phones, cameras, iPods, laptops etc. If you carry them, hide or disguise them as best you can. If you get mugged hand over whatever they ask for because it's not worth your life. I'd only fight back if you feel your life is in danger, or you are confident in being able to drop them fast and hard.

[J Wilson]

I strongly believe in the right to bear arms...
But a gun is the absolute WORST way to deal with a mugging.

Firstly, you can only legally use it if you are faced with immediate and deadly force (for instance, if THEY have a gun).

Most muggers (provided they are somewhat sane) do not want to commit murder... they just want to make money.
The gun is simply a power play.
If you are not a threat to them, and they will simply take your money and leave.

But if you pull a gun, YOU are now an equal threat and put the thief in a desperate situation.
His choices are:
1. get shot
2. shoot.

Trust me...
They will ALWAYS choose #2.


I 100% agree. The thing to remember is people mugging others are already desperate. They are already prepared to do just about anything to get that money by this point, and the usual deterents already are meaningless to them. They may well be more afraid of not getting their drug of choice tonight then they are of getting shot. With less to loose, they will go into a fight meaning business if it comes to it.

[Hookswords]

If art students have been mugged several times in the area, then odds are some group has realized it's a good spot for that kind of thing. They aren't likely to walk away from an area that has paid off before until they get caught or run off by police. That's why an area will often have a rash of home break ins, or car thefts, or muggings- once an area has been shown to be easy pickings it's going to keep getting hit.

My suggestion would be to get the school to insist on more cop patrols in the area, and to have students walk in groups whenever possible. It's probably not a good idea to obviously carry valuable items like cell phones, cameras, iPods, laptops etc. If you carry them, hide or disguise them as best you can. If you get mugged hand over whatever they ask for because it's not worth your life. I'd only fight back if you feel your life is in danger, or you are confident in being able to drop them fast and hard.


Absolutely right. I work at a college and we never really had a crime issue. Then all of a sudden there were a ton of incidents. The student body spoke up about being concerned for their safety and the school and local law stepped up. The safe walk staff was upped and hours extended, the campus safety patrolled more and gave more safe drives, I taught a weekly self defense course, the cops patrolled the area more, etc.

It's not uncommon for crime waves to hit different parts of town. Criminals switch up their spots. If this area is easy pickings then it will continue until it isnt worth the risk.

[FranciscoShreds]

We got a knock on the door at 3 am and my dad was smart enough to open it. Two dudes busted in with guns and took the money on the table. also took the money I was saving up then to go to a show. got the money back from my parents then and they called the cops but nothing was resolved. Seriously, who opens a door at 3 am when everyone who lives at the house is there. Especially in the shitty neighborhood we lived at.

Second time it happened myself and a few people were up at the skate park and a drug deal went bad, so the people who were buying decided to try and rob us, luckily the dealers are cool people and all stepped out of their car with their guns and the buyers left. 2 against 6 was pretty easy math.

Some other times people have tried with knives but when we're out we're usually skating so with our boards we had longer reach and knives were never really effective.

Sucks but you gotta deal with things as they come. Only upside to this is that you develop a real sixth sense for when things are go awry. And you can act accordingly. (I.E. get your ass out of there)

[kab]

Hookswords, If you had kicked that guy in the face, and he had pulled a gun, you'd been dead. You were lucky. He could be the most shaky crackhead in all the world, and still carry a gun, just opting to use the knife, as a gun, as you said, has a lot more serious potential consequenses. Or perhaps he had five more crackheads, waiting in the shadows. I appriciate the fact that you know how to handle an agressor a lot better than the regular guy, but this guy wasn't agressive towards you. You'd been a lot better of giving him your wallet and not risking going away from that concert in a bodybag. I'm pretty sure you agree with that as well.

Self defense is one thing, escalating a robbery in progress into a fight is a totally different beast. You could be a seasoned martial artist, hell you could be the heavyweight champion of the UFC, you won't win by knockout against a guy with a glock.

Unless you are 100% sure that your mugger/attacker does NOT have a weapon, do as he says. Sure, more people fight off attackers than get killed from provoking them, but do you want to risk ending up on the wrong side of that statistic so that you'll get to keep your phone/wallet? Ever heard the term "robbery gone wrong?" well, a lot of those cases are everyday heroes who try some fancy kung fu shit and get themselves murdered, to save a few dollars and a contact list.

If the guy attacks you, obviously you have to defend yourself, and as Hooksword said, pepperspray will more likely than not result in an angrier attacker, while your keys will cut your hand. One of those self-defense key-chains is a much safer bet, aim for the eyes or the throat. Trying to hit some fancy pressure point on a guy who is raining down punches on your head will not work, pusing that spike into his eye socket, there you go.

Another tip is taking away the element of surprise, look directly at people coming towards you on the street. Take a look behind you every so often, for example a few seconds after going past an alley etc., because often that will be enough, taking on an unsuspecting victim is easier than someone who is seeing your coming from 20 yards away. This has saved be a couple of times, guy comes walking towards me, black leather jacket, I watch him closely, get eye contact, he turns slightly towards me and looks to be gathering his nerve to go for it. So I stop and take my hands out of my pockets, guy starts moving and walks in another direction, muttering "fucking asshole" as he walks by me.

[Baron Impossible]

Damn, I'm glad I don't live where some of you guys live. The only person I've known who I can recall being mugged (or rather, attempted) was a guy I used to know years back. He was a thin guy with a moustache, about 140lb soaking wet, looked like a breeze could carry him off. Thing is, he was ex-Forces, so when two big guys thought he'd be easy pickings they got a shock. He absolutely mullered them, smashed them unconscious then calmly phoned emergency services and waited for them to arrive. When the culprits awoke from their slumber they refused to make a complaint which, everything considered, was the best move for all involved.

[Grafguy]

I have never been robbed/attacked or something on the street, got in trouble a few times but always found a way to talk myself out of it or walk away.

But some of my friends got attacked though. Getting stones of the pavements thrown at them or a fist to the head, but they either talked themselfes out of it, or gave those people what they wanted.
I've only heard one time of this punker who runs a bar in the city, he got threathend with a gun and he jus puched the guy in the face and messed up his face while he was down. Now he either has no fear what so ever or is just kinda fucked up.

As for 'defence' goes, always have your friends with you, close friends that would have your back. Try to smooth talk out of it or punch the guy if he attacks you. As a group you appear alot stronger and also act stronger because u dont want ur friends to think u pussied out. so u stand united when things go wrong.

If your alone on the street,.. I mean if I am out alone at night, I pay close attention to other people, if on a bike i dont just pass them closely cause its easy to kick someone of his bike while he's riding. Try yo look though and mean, look confident of what your doing. I am a pretty tall guy and I look sporty, look like some kind of street thug so people might think that I'm not such a weak target;
"It's all about the presentation" :P

[Hookswords]

Hookswords, If you had kicked that guy in the face, and he had pulled a gun, you'd been dead. You were lucky. He could be the most shaky crackhead in all the world, and still carry a gun, just opting to use the knife, as a gun, as you said, has a lot more serious potential consequenses. Or perhaps he had five more crackheads, waiting in the shadows. I appriciate the fact that you know how to handle an agressor a lot better than the regular guy, but this guy wasn't agressive towards you. You'd been a lot better of giving him your wallet and not risking going away from that concert in a bodybag. I'm pretty sure you agree with that as well.

Self defense is one thing, escalating a robbery in progress into a fight is a totally different beast. You could be a seasoned martial artist, hell you could be the heavyweight champion of the UFC, you won't win by knockout against a guy with a glock.

Unless you are 100% sure that your mugger/attacker does NOT have a weapon, do as he says. Sure, more people fight off attackers than get killed from provoking them, but do you want to risk ending up on the wrong side of that statistic so that you'll get to keep your phone/wallet? Ever heard the term "robbery gone wrong?" well, a lot of those cases are everyday heroes who try some fancy kung fu shit and get themselves murdered, to save a few dollars and a contact list.

If the guy attacks you, obviously you have to defend yourself, and as Hooksword said, pepperspray will more likely than not result in an angrier attacker, while your keys will cut your hand. One of those self-defense key-chains is a much safer bet, aim for the eyes or the throat. Trying to hit some fancy pressure point on a guy who is raining down punches on your head will not work, pusing that spike into his eye socket, there you go.

Another tip is taking away the element of surprise, look directly at people coming towards you on the street. Take a look behind you every so often, for example a few seconds after going past an alley etc., because often that will be enough, taking on an unsuspecting victim is easier than someone who is seeing your coming from 20 yards away. This has saved be a couple of times, guy comes walking towards me, black leather jacket, I watch him closely, get eye contact, he turns slightly towards me and looks to be gathering his nerve to go for it. So I stop and take my hands out of my pockets, guy starts moving and walks in another direction, muttering "fucking asshole" as he walks by me.

Oh sure, totally. The crackhead situation happened when I was in high school. A lot younger and a lot less wise and before I was a trained martial artist. Had he been on PCP and not crack he wouldnt have felt a thing. Or he could have sprayed blood on me and given me AIDS or Hep. And sure there could have been more. I had a friend that was coming out of his house to take out the garbage and found a guy standing in his yard. The guy saw him and made his way out and he followed to find three more guys working on breaking into his car. Luckily being seen spooked them and they ran instead of working him over.The list goes on. There was a request for robbed stories and I gave mine. I think everything past that was reasonable advice or things to consider. I'm not Tyler Durden telling you to go out and cause chaos. I'm just offering some basics of things to think about as far as spacial awareness and options as well as things I think are "Not to dos".

And you are right, in that no kind of trained fighter can beat a gun. I always have students asking about gun tactics. I tell them to do what the guy says. You can cancel credit cards and earn more cash, but you cant Ctrl Z a bullet out of your head.

I'm not telling anyone to arm themselves to the teeth and go out and fuck up muggers and log yourself onto superheroregistry.com. I'm just trying to offer some tips, faq, and options to consider as well as common things I hear people do and why they're wrong. If I've learned anything from teaching it is that most people are rather sheepish when it comes to engaging with another person in a situation that will warrant either of you pain. If you're in a fist fight you will get punched. If you're in a knife fight you will get cut. On any given day you will lose. When people find out I'm a martial artist one of the most common questions is "Ok, what would you do if a guy punched you." My response is always "I dont know...I might get punched." You can never know the outcome and you cant plan your moves. All you can do is react and move through muscle memory and calm assessment.

Not long ago there was a long time muay thai kick boxing instructor in my area that was gunned down at a gas station because he wouldnt comply. No one is invincible.

The best thing for a regular civilian is to be more aware of the world around them. But it doesnt hurt to have a little basic knowledge of defense. Things like that keychain are a good bridge. You can hit a sensitive or weak area and run. If you have a "never gonna happen to me attitude" then you may become a statistic. You might as a blackbelt in Fuk Yu Soon Bahd as well. A bit of awareness along with some psychological warfare goes a long way. If you do get into a situation it doesnt hurt to have your wits about you in more ways than one.

[Baron Impossible]

No one is invincible

I dispute that. Even bullets can't harm you when you're made of wood...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Steven_seagalpa.jpg

[kab]

Hook, I hope you didn't take my post as being negative, as I said, I was sure you'd agree with me totally =)

Self defense is something everyone should know, for example because that increased confidence can save your life by allowing you the calmness to NOT strike at a robber. Also, in the unfortunate event that physical attack is unavoidable, you'll be MUCH better equipped to handle yourself.

As you said, if your in a fistfight, you'll get punched, knife fight you'll get cut. If someone came after me with a punch, I might try to fight him off, but if someone came after me with a knife, you'd see me do my very best Usain Bolt impersonation =p There is only one way to never lose a fight, and that is by not fighting.

[Hookswords]

Hook, I hope you didn't take my post as being negative, as I said, I was sure you'd agree with me totally =)

Self defense is something everyone should know, for example because that increased confidence can save your life by allowing you the calmness to NOT strike at a robber. Also, in the unfortunate event that physical attack is unavoidable, you'll be MUCH better equipped to handle yourself.

As you said, if your in a fistfight, you'll get punched, knife fight you'll get cut. If someone came after me with a punch, I might try to fight him off, but if someone came after me with a knife, you'd see me do my very best Usain Bolt impersonation =p There is only one way to never lose a fight, and that is by not fighting.

No, I just wanted to clarify and make sure I wasnt giving the wrong impression. With text having no inflection and stories of bum fights I didnt want to seem like I was sporting some martial art machismo, and not the sound advice I was trying to express. Sometimes people read something and it strikes a chord with them and then they dont digest the rest of what they're reading. Yes, by all means run if you can!

[Pezz]

I teach Chin Na, which is part of kung fu and tai chi. It is the fine point techniques that can be used as self defense. Joint locks, muscle separation, sealing the air flow and blood flow to the brain, and pressure points. Anyway, I always tell my students that anyone on the street with a knife is either A) Really good with it. Or B) An idiot/ crazy person. Both are dangerous. If you carry a knife and dont know how to use it, you just gave them a knife.


Ah man, I love me some qin na. I do hung gar and some tai chi and qin na is an integral part of submission and close quarters fighting. We combine it all together in our San-da fights. It's so intriguing how the wrist folds... followed by the shoulder, the hips and then the knees buckle. I love learning body mechanics...

[Ilaekae]

"Hookswords, If you had kicked that guy in the face, and he had pulled a gun, you'd been dead. You were lucky. He could be the most shaky crackhead in all the world, and still carry a gun, just opting to use the knife, as a gun, as you said, has a lot more serious potential consequenses. Or perhaps he had five more crackheads, waiting in the shadows. I appriciate the fact that you know how to handle an agressor a lot better than the regular guy, but this guy wasn't agressive towards you. You'd been a lot better of giving him your wallet and not risking going away from that concert in a bodybag. I'm pretty sure you agree with that as well."

kab, Hook' may basically agree, but I don't. Why didn't you just keep going and point out that the spaz with the knife was a trained Navy SEAL, had a small nuclear weapon hidden in his back pocket, and was just waiting for you to turn towards him so his 300 buddies in their silent helicopters could drop down and dismember you. And before you react badly to this, keep in mind that I just did what you did--took someone's example, blew it into something it wasn't based on unfounded assumptions or proof, just to make some kind of point that I really don't understand.

Let's deal with some facts here...

1. Hook' DID kick him in the face, and from the sounds of it, injured the guy to the extent that even if he did have a gun, shock, pain, and blood would have made him fairly ineffective just long enough for the victim to react appropriately.

2. He a fuckin' crackhead. If he has a knife AND a gun, the odds are incredibly in favor of his using the gun FIRST. HE'S a FUCKING MORON! if he doesn't. Odds are, he had no gun was a pretty safe bet.

3. "Perhaps he had five more crackheads waiting in the shadows..." (as reserves)? These are fuckin' junkies, and they already have the shakes. If there's six of them, they're ALL gonna be in your face at one time, not patiently wait to take turns like a carnival ride. Exactly what kind of reasoning are you using here?

4. "...this guy wasn't agressive towards you." WHAT!?! If this is not aggressive, would you mind explaining what you DO consider aggression, please?

I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm jumping down your throat here, kab, but I really can't figure out where you're coming from with these comments, or why you even made them. None of it makes sense to me.

WHAT does make sense is...

1. If you pull a weapon of any kind, be prepared to use it IMMEDIATELY to try and KILL the motherfucker attacking you. Otherwise, you shouldn't be armed.

2. It doesn't matter if someone attacking/threatening you is somebody's mother/a nun/some poor misguided result of demonic experiments in some asshole's basement, don't GIVE A SHIT! They are ATTACKING you. Fuck 'em!

If you can. RUN.

If you can't, and you think it will work (due to being in a heavily traveled or highly public place), give up your shit, then run as soon as you can.

If you don't gut-trust the reactions of the person(s) in front of you, no matter whether or how they're armed, assume the worst and do everything you can with anything you can to try to distract/disable/KILL them as quickly as possible, including screaming at the top of your lungs the whole time. Your goal is to GET AWAY. If that's not possible, take as many of them with you, or leave as much evidence and damage on them as you can.

3. Where junkies are involved, there are no proper politically correct methods of protecting yourself. They ARE NOT CAPABLE OF THINKING as you do (if at all), and if you assume something reasonable will happen, you're an idiot. 50% of the time, you will probably be killed/raped/mutilated/injured in some way JUST BECAUSE...no matter what you were told you SHOULD do. React/plan accordingly.

4. Don't rely on weapons if you're from a "white bread and mayonnaise" background with all the little ethical politically correct "Jesus says..." notes sticking out of your ears. You have a weapon of any kind and you pull it, YOU DAMN WELL better be prepared to use it in as lethal a manner as possible the second it leaves your pocket. Otherwise, learn to talk fast and well, and brush up on your sprinting.

5. Only an asshole travels through life with his/her eyes and ears covered. Save your phone calls, texting, and porn viewing for when you can sit or stand in a safe-looking public well lit space. Leave your fuckin' ipod home unless you're goin' to the library or a really boring movie. Watch everything and everyone around you, especially cars that slow down when they get near. Carry those little weights that look like tiny barbells when you run or jog alone. They can kill if swung back-hand, and take somebody's fingers or face of if jabbed forward.

6. We're talkin' common sense here, people. Not theoretical physics, theology or pre-Cambrian literature. We're talkin' survival. The world's usually as dangerous to you as you let it be. You can't avoid everything, BUT you can avoid MOST of it.

Sorry, all, for this rant. I didn't grow up in a penthouse on Park Avenue or have a white picket fairy tale house in the 'burbs. I grew up in a filthy mill neighborhood with over 60 nationalities/colors/religions represented, most of them hating each other. If you were approached threateningly by a bunch in front, a bunch behind, and they all looked alike, you picked up the heaviest longest piece of shit within reach that looked lethal and attacked the closest to you, with the intention of splitting his skull open and moving on to the next closest. If you made a mistake, you went to jail. If you didn't, you lived one more day. Use common sense, and be safe.

[squidmonk3j]

Amen to that, Ilaekae:)

Most self-defense training is self-delusion programming.

Always:
1) Know the territory.
2) Know that the map is not the territory.

[SalOnimaruRem]

have i ever been robbed...hmm yes, my sketch book mostly. In middle school i was stupid, leaving my things unattended, i come back its gone. The damn sketchbook was filled with crapped anywayz...but i love having to buy a new sketchbook, i love the smell of a neewww sketchbook x]

i dont get robbed right in front of me, having to look like a killer or gangsta has its wayz, and knowing martial arts too, HA!! love it!! :P....
just wish ppl would at least fuck with me...been craving to uleash what i learned....not saying am violent...just want to play thats all...

basically ya need some common sense man, if ya been around the blocks and you notice the type of people around the place...dont be foolish enough to walk that street with goodies on your hands...especially wearing the wrong color also...u dont want to get shot at like i got shot at...O_O

and its also good to get to know them too, that way walking that street, you wont get mugged, robbed, watever if ya do, ppl you know there got yo back :P


I do believe the part if your life is in the line, by all mean do watever necessary because life is precious man...i would go psycho on there asses to stay alive >:D

Hooksword knows what he talkin about :)

[MiniGoth]

I remember teaching a self defense course in college. One of the women didn't like what I had to say (I'm a small female, and it was a self defense course for women).

Most of what I said was common sense stuff, be aware of your surroundings, etc.

She decided, as a 'trained martial artist' that she could take anyone. I offered her space on the mat.

While she was getting ready for some kind of kick, I hit her in the solar plexus and dropped her to the ground. She was about six inches taller than I am (most guys are at least a foot) and outweighed me by at least fifty pounds. I'm an amateur martial artist.

I then told the class that the chances of dealing with a five foot tall, unarmed mugger are pretty slim. Kinda drove home the points.

[GriNGo]

I've been robbed several times in my home country (most of the time without me noticing it, like getting pick pocketed or something like that), but two times have been at gun point. One was walking on the street, afternoon, talking with my cellphone, distracted. Bad mistake. In one empty part of the avenue I got cornered, 3 dudes, one with a gun. You just have to give them everything. Luckily they only stole my cellphone. That was like 3-4 years ago. This year, about 4 months ago, I was in my car, in front of my girlfriends house, and we were talking, and we didn't notice two guys coming up from behind. They got to the windows, both aiming their guns, and forced us to open the door. Unless you are some sort of trained ninja-like dude, there's little you can do... So i just opened the doors (i really can't tell if the gun was fake or not, but one thing for sure: the glass isn't bulletproof. These guys seemed more professional, they checked the whole car to see if anything of value was present (opened all the doors and trunk, checked our wallets (luckily I had no money), and lifted up the hood of the car. Another car then suddenly parked in front of ours, and they got in it and left. It was only two minutes or so, and luckily the only thing of value I had with me (beside the car), was my old crap cellphone. They just stole that, and took off. My girlfriend, was scared shitless, and so was I, but what could we do?

But I haven't been robbed all the time. In one of those experiences, I would say I acted very stupid (so don't try it): these two guys tried to mug me, and one of them just said: "Hey, If you don't give me your money I'll shoot you head off" or something like that, but he just pointed to his cloth wrapped arm. He was holding something, but I couldn't see it. I got so angry and pissed, I said "Then shoot me you motherfuckin piece of shit" (in spanish though :P ). When I saw he didn't respond, I just kept on walking. Next time something similar happened (near my house), A guy said the exact same thing, I just laughed and kept walking. Nothing happened. As I understand it, you have to know their possible tactics: if someone threatens to shoot you, but doesn't show any gun, then there's a 80-90% chance he doesn't have it. So proceed accordingly: run or walk away. The last time, this dude approached me and tried to grab me, I didn't let him touch me, and was just avoiding him, this happened in the bus stop, with lots of people around. Since I avoided him, he started taunting me: "Are you afraid of me, why are you scared of me, huh?" I just looked at him, straight in the eye (but with my balls in my neck), and said "I'm not going to give you anything." He then just left. And the people around me (the normal bus waiting people), acted like nothing happened. If he robbed me, nobody would have done shit. So don't think your safe around people.

As you can see, no situation is similar, and not any situation is safe. Ilaekae and Hooksword have given some quite good tips on how to proceed on the street. Be wise, and check your surroundings, I would say be suspicious of people that ask you stuff in the street. Don't let one near you as well, and run if you need too, avoid walking the same path as they are if you have too. You are not a wimp if you do it. It's common sense.

[vardoburrito]

Pressure points, nut cracks, eye pokes, headbutts. Whatever works.
A guy swinging to your face with his fist, I'd rather he hit the top of my head with his fist. [Top of the head, one of the hardest bones] It breaks hands, sometimes, unless he's got sledgehammers for fists. Headbutt to the nose
for those bad breathe. Whatever works man. Just think jungle/Tarzan.

Ear claps. Nostril pulls.
You really don't have time to think when you're confronted in these situations.
If your heart is good, then it's always self defense if your hurt the guy.
You can even call the ambulance for his safety afterwards.

Keep away from unlits. Make sure you're wearing functional shoes for chasing away? or running away from.

Just always be aware really and be ready to react with a 1,2,3 step.
There's really no time to think. Take his ID for future vengeance. Ha.

Start with verbal, action and then follow with a reaction.

[I really hate this situations, it's like. Don't you have better things to do? Don't you paint? true?].

Stay safe everyone.

[kab]

Ilaekae, the reason I made those comments was that I believe strongly that you should never do anything to escalate a potentially dangerous situation. Kicking a mugger in the face is taking the whole thing in another direction, it might work most of the time, to me, still doesn't justify risking your life for a wallet. The way he outlined the situation, the guy was robbing him and not attacking him, and he put himself in harms way by attacking the guy holding the weapon, and thereby the most dangerous of the two, crackhead or no crackhead.

I realise there are people who have to fight to survive, but hell, if you can get away from that situation unharmed, I'd much rather give up my wallet than putting up a fight.

And obviously everything I said was common sense, but hey, there are a lot of people out there who lack just that and being reminded doesn't hurt.

[Wasker]

A girl once stole my heart but that's about it.:geekg:

hehe, im so corny

[Straight Edge Ryan]

I think every situation is gonna be different and no one can really write a "what to do" list in case of a mugging, especially since a lot of self defense practices focus largely on remaining calm and keeping your head when stuff like that happens. It's easy to think about what you might do in that situation, but I think most people would just blank out. I've never been robbed though, muggers tend to look for targets that look like they can't defend themselves, not that I look all that intimidating but I can't help but think there are easier looking targets than a guy wearing combat boots, and a bullet belt with a mohawk

I think Hookswords made the right decision, a junkie looking for a fix is in no condition to fight. Depending on how bad they have the shakes they could feel weak, nauseous, dizzy, his vision could be off, his balance would almost certainly be off, and his focus would definitely be off. Once the body starts craving drugs, he'll be too focused on his achin' body to actually think straight, no one in any clear state of mind would take their eyes off their opponent, whether they had fight experience or not. Plus, he does have a background in martial arts training to back it up. And hitting in the nose is always a good thing to do. Anyone who's ever been hit square in the nose knows that it's a horrible pain that can incapacitate you for a couple of seconds, plus when you get hit in the nose your eyes automatically start to water, blinding you for a few seconds, more than enough time to change the tide of a fight. I'm sure that if he wanted to, Hookswords could have taken the gun from the guy and used it on him if he had half a mind to. Probably would have been written off as self defense, all in all it was more of a lucky break for the would be mugger in my humble opinion. Some people wouldn't be as forgiving

[CGMonkey]

Sorry for being provocative but reading this I can't help to think that something is fucked up with the states. The notion of being afraid to be mugged is seriously bat shit insane and that it occurs regurarly is even more frightening.. That's not how a fucking society should work.

However what makes me angry is your reactions to this problem. It makes me sad to read that you reason in a way that sounds like you're in war with your own people.. No compassion towards eachother and no sympathy. You guys talk about crackheads and gangsters in terms that makes your mental framework think that all "crackheads" are the same and should be treated as such. NO, NO, being sympathic will help you. It could VERY WELL be the previous poster having an unfortunate crossing with drugs. Learning to communicate in a nonviolent way will help you in a much safer way.

Okey, I'm not advocating saying "I understand and feel your trouble -- but let me help you out instead.." in point blank. Being realistic and taking the right assesment is probably the safest bet... But kicking a poor fucking guys nose to pieces is not a fucking good thing, especially if he was very strung out and desperate. People are not as fortunate as you are.

So head over to Center of nonviolent communications (http://www.cnvc.org/) and arm yourself with the PROPER way to deal with muggers. My advice would be: If nonviolent communications desn't work or the situation doesn't call for it, just hand over your stuff man. Seriously.

Just saying -- You guys live in a very scary culture, you've been nursed and craddled into thinking this is how life is supposed to be lived.

[Baron Impossible]

So head over to Center of nonviolent communications (http://www.cnvc.org/) and arm yourself with the PROPER way to deal with muggers.

I was feeling pretty peaceful until I visited the Centre of Non Violent Communications. Now I want to find the founder of that site and beat the shit out of him.

[Straight Edge Ryan]

Sometimes an ass kicking can be a wake up call. Not always, but sometimes it can be enough of a push to make someone reconsider their actions, who knows maybe it'll be the final straw that makes them say "I can't believe it came to this". Also, think of it this way, you give them your money, they go and get more drugs with it and their drug problem gets worse. Give them your money, you hurt them. Fend them off, you hurt them. Maybe fighting them off changes them for the better, maybe it stops them from killing someone in the future, maybe it makes them buy a gun and commit more violent muggings. Maybe giving them your money makes them reconsider their actions through guilt, maybe it just feeds their addiction and leads to further muggings. The point is we don't know what effect our actions will have, we don't know how far the effects of our actions will ripple through the life's of others. Maybe we indirectly save a life, maybe we indirectly end one, the results of our actions may not match our intended motives. All we can do, is do what we believe is best

[Hookswords]

CGMonkey's post is interesting. I cant tell if you're being serious or just trying to get people to pay the troll toll. You speak of a softer method and refer us to a website seeking peace for all mankind and in the same sentences use inflammatory language. You wouldnt believe this conversation I overheard the other day between a pot and a kettle. In addition, my eyes might be failing me, but it seemed to me that people from all over the globe were posting their mugged stories.


So, have any of you guys ever been robbed? What happened and what did you do?

That was the question that started the thread. I simply answered it.


A lot of art students have been mugged or attacked recently around where I live lately, and I spend a lot of time walking back and forth between school buildings on deserted city roads late at night, so I was wondering if any of you macho guys and gals had any tips.

Again, I simply answered as best I could, a few times. From the posts Katfayheirti has made in the past she seems like a nice person and appears to be an average size girl that isnt terribly menacing. I tried suggesting some basics and tips. I dont know anything about ballet. If I asked a ballerina about ballet I'll bet I'd learn some things that I didnt know or never considered.

The me kicking a crackhead story is from when I was in high school, before I was a martial artist. He who wasnt an idiot in high school may cast the first stone. That was 11-12 years ago. As a martial artist I've been in 2 maybe 3 physical conflicts. I've been a martial artist for about 9 years. All of those incidents were done to defend someone else who was unable to defend themselves. Old men, women, people already overwhelmed. None of those incidents ended in any lasting injury to anyone and one didnt even require physical action, it ended at psychological warfare. Martial arts are not for offensive action, only defense or those that cannot defend themselves.

That website that CGMonkey posted is great. But, I'm sorry it will never happen. I'm not trying to be negative, but humans just dont have it in them. I really wish we could be in a peaceful world with no ills. I do. Until you rid the world of humans it will never know this peace. We can all do our part to try. I've learned a number of styles of martial arts and many many different weapons. My favorite way to kill is still kindness. Just being a good person does go a long way. But there are situations that cannot be reasoned with. It is an unfortunate truth.

Again, I cant, nor am I interested in telling anyone how to live. I can only provide experience from my life and hope that it answers questions or helps others.

CGMonkey, you may want to consider taking a spoonful of your own medicine. And, if you wouldnt mind, elaborate on this a bit....


Just saying -- You guys live in a very scary culture, you've been nursed and craddled into thinking this is how life is supposed to be lived.

Are you suggesting that we've been raised to assume the world is a volatile and dangerous world? Or that we should be aware of our surroundings and act accordingly in a manner that will allow us a longer life? And then how is either of those statements wrong or bad advice? Or am I way off base and you meant something entirely different?

[ChristianWeeks]

Sometimes an ass kicking can be a wake up call. Not always, but sometimes it can be enough of a push to make someone reconsider their actions, who knows maybe it'll be the final straw that makes them say "I can't believe it came to this". Also, think of it this way, you give them your money, they go and get more drugs with it and their drug problem gets worse. Give them your money, you hurt them. Fend them off, you hurt them. Maybe fighting them off changes them for the better, maybe it stops them from killing someone in the future, maybe it makes them buy a gun and commit more violent muggings. Maybe giving them your money makes them reconsider their actions through guilt, maybe it just feeds their addiction and leads to further muggings. The point is we don't know what effect our actions will have, we don't know how far the effects of our actions will ripple through the life's of others. Maybe we indirectly save a life, maybe we indirectly end one, the results of our actions may not match our intended motives. All we can do, is do what we believe is best

You speak wise words, good sir. I completely agree. What you may think is the very best decision could prove to be the very worst, and what you think is the worst decision could be the best. You just don't know; theres too many variables in situations like that for anybody to know. You don't have time to weigh the options; you have to make a split-second decision, and its impossible for it to always be the right one.



Sorry for being provocative but reading this I can't help to think that something is fucked up with the states. The notion of being afraid to be mugged is seriously bat shit insane and that it occurs regurarly is even more frightening.. That's not how a fucking society should work.

I didn't know that muggings and assaults were exclusive to the U.S.

[ShotgunTony]

i was robbed and shot in the chest.

[arttorney]

CGMonkey As sad as it may be, you just do not want to be walking around Van Nuys at 3 in the morning unless you have some sort of strategy worked out. There are a lot of people in the world who didn't get the peace memo.

About weapons, Ilaekae is right. When you pull it is when you use it. Anything else gives the opponent time to think. The only problem is the observer. I got attacked outside a club in Hollywood with fifty witnesses standing around. They just stood there and watched. He tried to take me to the ground and was incompetent so I suplexed his punk ass and ended up in full mount. Then I was afraid to ground and pound the pulp out of him because of all the witnesses. Somebody did attempt to tell the authorities that I had started it, though I stayed out of jail by showing the cops the place the guy bit me on the forearm while I was holding his arms. He went to jail. I had too much to lose to be in that situation, but I lucked out. Damned witnesses are so complicated.

Three guys in Van Nuys tried to mug me at a time that the money in my pocket was as important as my life to me. I stood them down by acting even crazier than they were. Maybe I was. I gather from the cops those guys put a high school football player in the hospital that night. I'm pretty sure I was lucky to get away. I guess they could tell I was flat-out planning to kill the first one of them I got my hands on. These days I would gladly give them how much money I had, because I am on a different level. Life is complicated and surprising.

[CGMonkey]

CGMonkey's post is interesting. I cant tell if you're being serious or just trying to get people to pay the troll toll. You speak of a softer method and refer us to a website seeking peace for all mankind and in the same sentences use inflammatory language. You wouldnt believe this conversation I overheard the other day between a pot and a kettle. In addition, my eyes might be failing me, but it seemed to me that people from all over the globe were posting their mugged stories.


Yes, there are people all over the globe but the majority is from the American continents. There is also a difference communicating in a deadly situation or as a troll on the internet, however I do agree that I shouldn't take to inflammatory language to get my points across. I talk about being sympathic and then turn around in the same sentance and provoke - I see the hypocracy in that and what can I say, I guess I'm not holier than thou;) As to being serious, nonviolent communication is not a website, it's a method of communicating and I didn't check that website thouroughly.



CGMonkey, you may want to consider taking a spoonful of your own medicine. And, if you wouldnt mind, elaborate on this a bit....

Are you suggesting that we've been raised to assume the world is a volatile and dangerous world? Or that we should be aware of our surroundings and act accordingly in a manner that will allow us a longer life? And then how is either of those statements wrong or bad advice? Or am I way off base and you meant something entirely different?

In my parts of this globe being afraid to walk in the night or being shot in the chest is very uncommon. Can't you hear the crazyness of this sentance? "i was robbed and shot in the chest." - he said that as casual as it can get. That story would be a headliner here. It was only referring to the subject of being mugged -- being craddled into always be prepared to defend yourself.

My statement might've been an unsympathic and provocative sentance, but it doesn't, in my opinion, make it less true.

Back to the subject - I've never been robbed, mugged or pick pocketed but was shitting bricks when I was walking back from the Space Needle CA workshop party and got lost in some shady neighbourhood.

[Nuthien]

I was about to get mugged once. I'm a tiny skinny girl and I look much younger than I actually am. I was walking down the street when I saw a poor guy in dirty clothes walking towards me. I could just cross the street to avoid him, like most people do. But I think this is prejudice. Then he stepped in front of me and said something like "give me your money or I'll punch holes in you". I imediatelly ran to the nearest shop and asked for help. Seems very smart and brave, but I didn't even think when I did that. When he walked away I just nervously bursted into tears.

CgMonkey, I like your point. I know a girl who was going to be raped by a stranger and convinced the guy out.
However, yes, the situaiton is currently fucked up here. Personally I try to avoid a fight as much as possible. But still many people get shot for no reason here, even if they give the muggers exactly what they want.



In my parts of this globe being afraid to walk in the night or being shot in the chest is very uncommon.

That's why I want to leave to your part of the globe. You are very lucky to be there. Safety is #1 priority, in my opinion.

[Pezz]

I think the last time I was in an ACTUAL altercation physically was in high school, because some jerk kid was grabbing my boobs. That's a punch-able offense, and he chose to fight back so I had to GNP him a little (amazing how effective the elbows are).

Now I just spar and condition my body. I love martial arts, it makes me feel great and the one I'm doing actually makes me feel more competent. I won't go into it here though, this isn't the "discuss your martial art" thread.

Walking around the streets of NYC and Trenton at night keeps my head on a swivel and keeps me nice and properly nervous. At least I'm usually in Trenton to throw darts so I always have one of my 24g Steel Piranhas out, just in case. I mean, I do the smart thing and stay in lit areas and such but you never know.

[hala]

not mugged--but i have been sexually harassed physically; and fought back. to me, it's close enough to mugging. No one's hands belong on your body if you're not comfortable with it. and as long as you know they are not armed--don't be paralyzed with fear. run, scream, fight back. do something.


btw minigoth, your story is badass. :)