How to avoid street violence

[Akashic_Librarian]

Ok this may seem obvious to some people but i felt I should share this knowledge to some who don't.

The best way to not attract Violence is to become proficient in a Matrial Arts for or some type of fighting. Why you ask?

Well its simple....If you are no longer afraid of being beaten in a fight, you won't think about it. And thus you won't attract it.

[MartialDev]

This is pure induction, but even if your logic was sound: who spends more time thinking about fighting than a martial artist?

[Shaden]

Of course this is all based on the assumption that subjective reality is real. If you don't believe in it and you believe in the laws of probability then it's not going to make much difference to the chances of it happening.

But of course it's certain that learning Martial Arts will make you ready to defend yourself against such violence. I remember reading one of Steve's articles once - talking about Tai Kwon Do and how his reflexes became faster to the degree that he was acting without fully thinking. Definitely sounds like something you would want to have against a mugger. Your average thug or thief ain't gonna have a chance against a fully trained martial artist

[Mayo]

1)Be silent in the place of unrest and don't look at the eyes of opponent
2)Walk away from the source of unrest
3)If attacked, attack back with all your phisical and mental power you possess, neutralize pain in the time of fight, attack most vulnerable parts of body (neck, eyes, ears, plexus-solaris, and most specially groins!)

For not to be attacked you must look more aggressive and have most aggressive stand point(not faked, but real - but beware this can backfire on your character and karma) so you cant be attacked on street(it's like if you ever watched Crocodile Dundee, the tug gets on him to hand him the money, but Dundee doesn't obey, after that thug gets out his jack-knife on which Dundee shows him the real 10 inch blade knife... OR cold-war case: you got big H bomb, i got bigger H bomb, you get bigger H bomb, i get even bigger H bomb -- but no-one EVER gets into DIRECT conflict), , never walk alone in shady parts of the city, look vulnerable, or wealthy outfitted.

Also get to gym 3-4 times a week, and aim for stamina not size + 5-10 miles run every day OR better yet min. 30 mins. of swimming in pool(sea if capable). In martial arts i would go for Krav Maga. Also to attain peace of mind go for Yoga or Zen or any other meditation technique. (uff... i set this one year ago and never got into realization.... :( )

[joshbickford]

You could probably avoid street violence if you carried around a shotgun in plain view as well.....

Just saying!

[Baltar]

Originally Posted by joshbickford

You could probably avoid street violence if you carried around a shotgun in plain view as well.....

I don't know about that.. I mean, you'd probably be more likely to cause street violence yourself in that case.

[Dani]

Personal confidence makes a big difference to this as the original poster pointed out.

I used to be very geeky and wimpy when I was younger, I was getting beaten up and into fights almost on a weekly basis.

After taking some martial arts lessons, and joining the army, I became very confident in my ability to handle myself.

Since that point when my confidence shifted, and my fear of getting into fights stopped, I haven't had a single fight.

It was an amazing shift for me. Like coming out of a storm that had been raging around me for years. One year I was in regular fights, the next, nothing.

[Jams]

The people who conduct street violence are 99% of the time bullies no different than in a school - they prey on the weak. If you show no weakness, they will usually chose another victim. At the end of the day they're cowards, and they will not enter a fight if they're not sure they can win.

Anyone who's seriousley worried about street violence should definately check out books by Geoff Thompson, i'd especially reccomend 'Dead or Alive: The Choice Is Yours':

This book teaches simple precautionary measures that everyone can take to make themselves less vulnerable to attack, and explains what victims should do when confronted by an assailant. Geoff Thompson interviews murderers, rapists and muggers who reveal why they target certain people.

Don’t risk being unprepared when a violent predator gets you in his sights.

Geoff Thompson is one of the UK’s most respected martial artists. He is the author of over 25 books on martial arts and self-defence.

Geoff Thompson: Dead Or Alive

He's also written a couple of decent personal development books

[Mayo]

Here is a collection of mindless beating of the innocent foreign looking people by russian KKK, the first is a "promo" from their KKK clan, this kind of violence builds in me negative energy towards bullies to give them some led in their guts:

T-Zombix (The Chronicles of…) » Blog Archive » Clockwork Orange

[Mayo]

Next time i encounter a bully in my personal vicinity i will surely shoot him in the but. (^_^)

[stephencp]

"But of course it's certain that learning Martial Arts will make you ready to defend yourself against such violence. ... Your average thug or thief ain't gonna have a chance against a fully trained martial artist"

Absolutely not. Your "average" matial artist has no experience dealing with a real aggressive attack meant to do him (or her) bodily harm and will be crushed by the "average" thug who does. Martial arts are an exercise or a game or sport to most who take them. "Thuggery" is reality. This is like saying that a person who has a PhD in anatomy is more prepared to jump in an ambulance than a rookie EMT who's been on the road a few times.

"1)Be silent in the place of unrest and don't look at the eyes of opponent
...For not to be attacked you must look more aggressive and have most aggressive stand point"

This is contradictory. I agree with the second point but not the first. You want to look EVERYONE you pass or meet squarely in eye with the intent "I will be your friend but never your victim"

"I don't know about that [You could probably avoid street violence if you carried around a shotgun in plain view as well.....] I mean, you'd probably be more likely to cause street violence yourself in that case. "

This opinion is not based on fact. Please read Lott's "More guns less crime". It is an EXTREMELY well written book based on ALOT of crime data from before and after various counties and states adopted gun control measures and thier actual effects on various kinds of crime. Indeed the aphorism "a well armed society is a polite society" is true. Some one carrying a sidearm in plain view is stating "I will not be a victim" to anyone in sight. Who's houses and buildings were looting in aftermath of Katrina? Not those with their owners on the roof with shotgun! Until the POLICE came and unconstitutionally took away their guns!!

Stephen
P.S. I am a former Marine with over 20 years of martial arts so have a little experience in this matter...


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[Matthew Shea]

I think the key here, as others have said, is confidence. I've never had a problem with attracting violence and I'm certainly no martial artist, but I am confident in myself and don't feel I would be an attractive target. I suppose being 6', 240 lbs doesn't hurt in that regard, either. I would say, though, that if you lack confidence in yourself and martial arts gives you that confidence, by all means go for it, but you should definitely keep what stephencp said in mind. I'd say, for most people, a reality-based self defense course involving practice on a real human being would be more effective for most people.

[Jams]

I agree 100% with stephencp... there's a famous story among martial artists here in the UK. It tells about a Karate practioner, who spent the better part of 20 years perfecting his art. He was renowned as being one of the top Karateka in the UK. One day he was out with his wife and his baby child, walking in the park - when suddenly he was confronted by two men wielding knives. The man froze to the spot, unable to move and rigid with fear. Although he had spent years perfecting Karate, when the time came, he was so overcome by the massive amount of adrenaline in his body, that his years of Karate training counted for nothing.

The meaning of the story - simply being proficient in a martial art does not make you a fighter. You have to be intimately aware of your own body and it's response to fear. In this case, the two robbers defeated the man before a physical fight even occured.

[Alvin]

In case you browsed onto this thread looking for some real good advice (which some of the posters here have), I'm going to give my 2 cents and ask you to check out Marc MacYoung's very informative website:

No Nonsense Self Defense - Reliable information for dangerous situations

It's insightful, it's free.

It's not martial arts that will keep you safe, it's your mind.

[Mello]

The best way to avoid violence in case of being attacked is running. Yes, it'll look cowardly, but do you mind?

[Mayo]

Be silent in the place of unrest and don't look at the eyes of opponent

Ok here i made a gaff, i meant something entirely different. When in shady neighborhoods don't look people directly in the eyes because that could get other party to attack you. You should look besides, but give one distinct look for a second that you give him notice that you are not interested in him but you are monitoring him at the same time.

But at the time of life threatening position always center on the eyes, the one thing i was afraid, and i passed fair amount of street fighting was the lone pit-bull terrier standing in the mid of a single way road, i did not know what to expect from that animal, will she bite me for the ass or will she keep her own business, the only thing i could do is watch her all the times in the eyes and long pass when i get away from her till i was sure she wont act in aggressive manner. Also with dogs i noticed that if you look them straight in the eyes some of them will try to attack you once you pass them if you put the eyes off them, but once you get fronting them while trying to walk backwards they will again keep their distance, if you don't do that with an aggressive dog or a mutt person he will almost surely attack you from behind.