Martial arts, physical fitness, defending yourself....

[mmb617]

FWIW, I've seen recommendations to act crazy because even hardened criminals (supposedly) don't want to mess with crazy people.

Might be something to that. I have an in-law who spent 7 years in the state pen many years ago. He told me that when he first got there he ate a lightbulb in front of multiple inmates, the idea being that he wanted them to know he was crazy so they'd leave him alone.

More in keeping with the topic at hand, not too long after he got out of prison he had a run in with a guy who was one rank below a black belt in Tang Soo Do. It didn't quite get to the physical level but my money would have been on the ex-con. He had tons of real world no holds barred fighting experience, I think that would trump his opponents tournament fighting for points experience. Hard to say. It would probably come down to who wanted it more.

Later on that martial artist became the bartender at a pretty rough bar and he got a reputation for beating people up without much reason. Even though that was 30 years or so ago when gun violence wasn't quite as common, I still expected that eventually one of those people he beat up would come back and shoot him. As far as I know that never happened.

 

[Huskerguy]

When I was in my early-mid 20's I took up Tae kwon do. It was almost like a part time job for me, at least 4 nights a week. Many of us became good friends and went to tournaments and worked out on weekends together.

I finally obtained my 1st degree black and was working on my 2nd when we moved. I used my training one time in real life, it worked. Another time three of us couples were going to a movie and dropped the girls off while the guys parked the car. As we were walking up to a light to cross, some crazy guys pulled over and jumped out, wild eyed and threatened us, one had a knife. The other two guys were more in front of me between the bad guys and bigger than me. After some threats from the attackers they kept moving closer. For some strange reason, still unknown to me, (this was 40 years ago) I stepped in front of my friends and told the guys to put the knife away and get back in the car of someone was going to get hurt. I was calm and ready but not really thinking about a fight as I walked towards them slowly. They turned and left and everyone on the busy street corner just looked at me in amazement.

The exercise aspect is incredible. The best shape I have ever been in using so many different body muscles and all the stretching.

I am now 66 and in decent shape, I still lift and work out but don't practice self-defense. I do think it would help me at least to know how to stand, target areas, grips, balance, and general awareness. I would not want to take on some big guys that would overwhelm me but I always thought in the worst case scenario, I could hold a guy or two off while my wife gets away.

 

[MRB1]

I'm 75, and my days of physical confrontation are over. Although I still have my concealed carry permit, I don't carry because, frankly, I don't trust my mental judgment during what I might consider a crisis moment. That leaves a cane as my line of defense.