Awareness Along With Naiveite

[pop pop]

I am reading a book by Dave Spaulding, "Handgun Combatives". In most books trainers talk about thugs can pick an easy target by the subtle ques one sends froth from the manner they carry themselves and they way they appear to others in public. Well! I just realized that body language reading also works the other way. Give you an example. When I was perused in my own front yard, while going to the mail box a few years back by 3 thugs driving down our road, one of them read my body language. Edited to add: Furtive Movements As I squared up to the first thugs continued advance toward me, after being told not too, the second pursuer read my intent and stopped in his tracks. Loudly told the other, "it ain't worth getting shot over." Then the first guy stopped his advance. I perceived that they were coming at me in a very hurried pace. What he read was, when he reached that 28 to 30' line, (I am oLd and slow)I had set in my mind that I was going to react, I dropped the mail, I slumped, crouching forward, run my hand quickly in my pocket, set my feet, and dropped my head in a fighting stance, another follower, of the 3, read my intent that I was preparing to fight, then he/they quickly decided they wanted no part of me. He told the other guy to discontinue his aggression and he did. I just realized this happened after reading this book. That thug surely read my body language, and backed down, just as I had read theirs. Now I am not bragging, but was totally glad that the incident ended, with me just being cussed at, by them, and me not being beat to within a inch of my life on that day. They all slowly retreated to their truck, entered it, all the while cursing me. When I got the chance, I beat feted it to my front porch, and collapsed in the front porch swing with knees of jelly. Thanked God my morning was not painful or deadly. I had no doubt that was what they had intended to do to me. I read the aggressor's body language. Matter of fact, I am convinced they were the ones that almost beat one of my neighbors to a pulp later on that morning. He was doing the same thing as me, except he was 84 and legally blind, but had a little peripheral vision. His son told me he never really recovered after the beating and robbery. Poor guy died 3 weeks later. Since he didn't die shortly after the severe beating they said he died of old age. Makes the crime stats look better for the county. That body language reading goes both ways, guys. Trainers have been beating that into our heads, for sure, for years. I was a little naïve in thinking I could continue to go to my mail box, as I had previously done for 30 years, IN This Day-In-Time. Almost paid a big price for being naïve guys. I post this here so some of you young guys can learn from my experience. Many older guys here have traveled miles down this path. Dave said, "If you look like meat, they will most likely eat."

[pop pop]

Don't know what happened to this post, but it is really messed up. 

[DaveTN]

34 minutes ago, pop pop said:

Don't know what happened to this post, but it is really messed up. 

I was wondering the same thing. Never saw anything like that before. 

[Omega]

2 hours ago, pop pop said:

Don't know what happened to this post, but it is really messed up. 

Edit the post and get rid of some of those hard returns [enter] between sentences.  Some forum software can't handle them.

[AuEagle]

Did you copy & paste? That could be the problem' Someone posted in the classifieds & had similar problems.

If you hit the quote button, you can read the post within the borders.

Edited November 23, 2020 by AuEagle

[xsubsailor]

On 11/21/2020 at 11:50 AM, pop pop said:

http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_posticon.gifPosted - November 21 2020 :  11:46:46 AM  http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_profile.gif  http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_email.gif  http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_edit_topic.gif  http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_reply_topic.gif  http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/icon_delete_reply.gif

I am reading a book by Dave Spaulding, "Handgun Combatives". In most books trainers talk about thugs can pick an easy target by the subtle ques one sends froth from the manner they carry themselves and they way they appear to others in public. Well! I just realized that body language reading also works the other way. Give you an example. When I was perused in my own front yard, while going to the mail box a few years back by 3 thugs driving down our road, one of them read my body language. Edited to add: Furtive Movements As I squared up to the first thugs continued advance toward me, after being told not too, the second pursuer read my intent and stopped in his tracks. Loudly told the other, "it ain't worth getting shot over." Then the first guy stopped his advance. I perceived that they were coming at me in a very hurried pace. What he read was, when he reached that 28 to 30' line, (I am oLd and slow)I had set in my mind that I was going to react, I dropped the mail, I slumped, crouching forward, run my hand quickly in my pocket, set my feet, and dropped my head in a fighting stance, another follower, of the 3, read my intent that I was preparing to fight, then he/they quickly decided they wanted no part of me. He told the other guy to discontinue his aggression and he did. I just realized this happened after reading this book. That thug surely read my body language, and backed down, just as I had read theirs. Now I am not bragging, but was totally glad that the incident ended, with me just being cussed at, by them, and me not being beat to within a inch of my life on that day. They all slowly retreated to their truck, entered it, all the while cursing me. When I got the chance, I beat feted it to my front porch, and collapsed in the front porch swing with knees of jelly. Thanked God my morning was not painful or deadly. I had no doubt that was what they had intended to do to me. I read the aggressor's body language. Matter of fact, I am convinced they were the ones that almost beat one of my neighbors to a pulp later on that morning. He was doing the same thing as me, except he was 84 and legally blind, but had a little peripheral vision. His son told me he never really recovered after the beating and robbery. Poor guy died 3 weeks later. Since he didn't die shortly after the severe beating they said he died of old age. Makes the crime stats look better for the county. That body language reading goes both ways, guys. Trainers have been beating that into our heads, for sure, for years. I was a little naïve in thinking I could continue to go to my mail box, as I had previously done for 30 years, IN This Day-In-Time. Almost paid a big price for being naïve guys. I post this here so some of you young guys can learn from my experience. Many older guys here have traveled miles down this path. Dave said, "If you look like meat, they will most likely eat."

 I had a friend that would carry his weapon in his hand when he went out to get the morning paper or mail.

[pop pop]

I don't walk to the mail box any longer. 

[FUJIMO]

I know of a home invasion that started at the mailbox early one morning. You have to always be aware no matter where you live

[TGO David]

On 11/23/2020 at 8:02 AM, pop pop said:

Don't know what happened to this post, but it is really messed up. 

It's because you copied and pasted the whole thing from another site.  It brought their formatting over with it.

When you do that, our forum will ask you at the bottom of the editor if you want to paste as plain text.  Answer YES to that.

 

[pop pop]

Thanks TGO David. 

[m16ty]

I watched a video from a very respected self defense instructor about this very thing. His thinking was to not look strong, saying it makes you a target. I'm not sure I agree with him. I think the balance sits somewhere in between. 

I don't believe in walking around, open carrying, and decked out in "tactical" gear. I do think that looses any element of suprise, and if something bad is fixing to go down, you'll be the first one dealt with. If something is fixing to go down, you don't want to be first one to take the assault, I don't care how much training you've had, you'll likely be dead before you have a chance to respond, if it happens fast and is a suprise. 

On the other hand, if you appear weak and cowardly, you make an easy target for people to try you. You want to appear strong enough that the bad guys will think twice, and turn their attention away from you and go to an easier target. 

All that being said, I think most of the above is for when you are in public with other people around you. When you are on your property , I think it helps to present the stongest front you can. I collect military vehicles, and do a lot of shooting at my place. I'm kind of jokingly known in the community as "the crazy gun guy with all those army trucks". People that know me know I'm harmless, but it's not a bad reputation to have. A few years ago we had a rash of break-ins. Every single one of my neighbors either had their house broken into or at least an outbuilding or garage, but nobody ever bothered my place. I can't help but think my "reputation" may have had something to do with that, on top of that my place looks very secure from the road. Of course being known as "the crazy gun guy with the army trucks" also lets it be known that there could be good rewards for anybody lucky enough to complete a successful robery, but it's worked out so far. 

[pop pop]

m16ty, it is easy to do when your middle-aged and fit, or younger, but when you get to my station in life(72) and have several health problems bad knees, back, heart, and neck, among others, it is hard to look any other way but, OLD. I really think that may be why these thugs felt they could succeed  with me.  They saw meat and made the decision to eat. They saw opportunity, me out of my house and 300' away,  much younger than I , and Ability,  3 of them to one of me. I sensed, very clearly,  I was in jeopardy.

As Sam Colt said, God made men large and small, but his invention made them equal.  Luckily, I had the equalizer in my pocket.  

I will say I agree with your assessment on how to carry oneself if at all possible. In my case one really must rely on a equalizer, if forced into defending oneself. I like to be the "Grey Man", in public, and in life.

[hipower]

1 hour ago, pop pop said:

m16ty, it is easy to do when your middle-aged and fit, or younger, but when you get to my station in life(72) and have several health problems bad knees, back, heart, and neck, among others, it is hard to look any other way but, OLD. I really think that may be why these thugs felt they could succeed  with me.  They saw meat and made the decision to eat. They saw opportunity, me out of my house and 300' away,  much younger than I , and Ability,  3 of them to one of me. I sensed, very clearly,  I was in jeopardy.

As Sam Colt said, God made men large and small, but his invention made them equal.  Luckily, I had the equalizer in my pocket.  

I will say I agree with your assessment on how to carry oneself if at all possible. In my case one really must rely on a equalizer, if forced into defending oneself. I like to be the "Grey Man", in public, and in life.

In total agreement. I'm older, slower, heavier, far less mobile and flexible than I was even a few short years ago. 

Situational awareness is key for anyone, especially we older guys and gals. 

[Jeb48]

This story doesn't really fit but I think it applies. An NRA instructor I know and have taken two hand gun course from told this story at the last course I took from him maybe 10 years ago when I was still in Western NY. He was early middle age and in good condition so that is the part that doesn't really fit.

He was leaving a theater in downtown Rochester with his wife and kids after dark heading for their car on a dark street. Three shady looking guys changed direction and started heading towards them. Now he looks like someone you don't want to mess with but they probably figured 3 of them and he is with his family. He made a quick decision and just slid his coat back showing he was carrying. They instantly changed direction away from them. He ended the story by saying by NYs stupid gun laws, what he did would have been considered brandishing and could have gotten him arrested but he made the decision that taking that chance might save shoot one or more people.

[Swamp ash]

I suppose I can get pretty freaky-looking and have noticed folks cross the street to avoid me.

Sometimes it's not just your body-language, but hygiene that can create an aura of protection. 

At least my mail carrier loves me...

[pop pop]

That is a good thing Swamp ash. Chevy Chase's mail man threw his mail at him in the movie "Funny Farm". I guess they are still looking for "Yealler Dog"?