In the Name of Self Defense
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Fred Fuller
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I finally bought out my shopping cart at Amazon. I'm bad about using it as a reminder re. books that catch my interest and not going back to check the contents for a while.
I've been reading this one for a couple of weeks now. It is indeed slow going because there is so much material ... and so much nuance ... packed into it.
I will be buying a copy for my attorney soon as well...
I've been reading this one for a couple of weeks now. It is indeed slow going because there is so much material ... and so much nuance ... packed into it.
I will be buying a copy for my attorney soon as well...
I finally finished it. For content, it is the best information I have ever come across on self defense, legal issues, violence (how it happens, how to avoid it), etc.
From a literary perspective, it is one of the worst books I have read. Poor editing, nearly double the length it should be, and difficult writing style.
That said, I forgive the writing quality to have access to the material, his experience and perspective is unique. Most people with his "street cred" are in prison, the morgue, and/or illiterate and/or unwilling to convey this info anyway.
From a literary perspective, it is one of the worst books I have read. Poor editing, nearly double the length it should be, and difficult writing style.
That said, I forgive the writing quality to have access to the material, his experience and perspective is unique. Most people with his "street cred" are in prison, the morgue, and/or illiterate and/or unwilling to convey this info anyway.
entropy
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A quote from MacYoung's website-He however is framing it from a criminal's perspective; something to be gained, a wallet, the day's receipts in the till, your Rolex, etc.
He neglects the fact that more and more violent actors are doing so for 'the thrill' or 'I wanted to see what it felt like', i.e., no tangible gain in sight. Some want a gain that they hope will be posthumous-by killling as many as possible before being taken out themselves, or commiting suicide in the face of that-they get their 15 minutes. While such attacks are not as common as the MSM would like us to think, they are not generally defeated by MacYoungs approach of 'not fanning the flames'. Such people (I use the term as a nicety) are only defeated by swift violence of action in resistance to them. It is the last thing they expect, (at least initially) and it is the only response they understand: Power.
The first thing I learned in Small Unit tactics in ROTC was, "If ambushed, attack with everything you have as swiftly as you can. You are in the kill zone, and only savagery and firepower will get you out alive."
And that isn't a guarantee, either. Merely your best hope.
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The classic and well known current example demonstrating that this "something [tangible item] to be gained" perception is wrong...the knockout game.
Fact is there always have been and always will be people who violently attack other people. You can simply label them as violent criminals, maybe say "some men just want to watch the world burn", maybe call them process predators, perhaps they are not of a sound mental state, whatever...but sure enough the fact remains that it is a dangerous thing to assume that a violent actor is only using said violent to accomplish something as simple as taking possession of a watch or other 'valuable'.
Posted by entropy:
Posted by Warp:
Why would one conclude that the "knockout game" is not about "something to be gained"?
If you read the book, you overlooked a lot of it.
Posted by Warp:
"Tangible item" was not in MacYoung's sentence.
Why would one conclude that the "knockout game" is not about "something to be gained"?
old lady new shooter
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I went to his website. While I thought the warnings against letting the monkey brain take over were excellent, I don't know that I feel comfortable with his advice to believe the BG who says "Give me your money and you won't get hurt."
Also, at least in the time I spent on the site, I didn't see anything about a scenario like a guy bursts into a Bible study class waving an AK-47 and yelling allahu akbar, at that point is there really anything to "negotiate"?
Also, at least in the time I spent on the site, I didn't see anything about a scenario like a guy bursts into a Bible study class waving an AK-47 and yelling allahu akbar, at that point is there really anything to "negotiate"?
No, there isn't.
He covers it all in depth in the book. If he gave away all his material on the website...he'd be starving while trying to maintain all that bandwidth for free.
Fred Fuller
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I didn't see anything about a scenario like a guy bursts into a Bible study class waving an AK-47 and yelling allahu akbar
See
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979045118...qmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3m8l9p2a84_b
for that ...
See
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979045118...qmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3m8l9p2a84_b
for that ...
old lady new shooter
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Wow, that guy was amazing, imagine, a 5-shot .38 spl was all he had against multiple terrorists with assault rifles and grenades but the two shots he fired with it wounded one of them and sent them all fleeing.
old lady new shooter
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Kleanbore wrote:
"Why would one conclude that the "knockout game" is not about "something to be gained"?"
What is gained? The thrill? That was the point made by Warp, it's done for the thrill, there is nothing the victim can give the assailant to make him go away without hurting him/her.
old lady new shooter
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Just found a recent article about van Wyk in which he commented on the Charleston tragedy. He also reported that he is currently "working to develop a curriculum for training African churches to defend themselves against Islamic and Communist aggression." See http://www.breitbart.com/california...sacre-by-gods-grace-i-managed-to-return-fire/
old lady new shooter
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I thought we were talking about whether there is something the victim can give the attacker to make him go away without inflicting physical harm, in the knockout game there is nothing.
I'm glad to hear the book does also address scenarios where the attacker is not likely to be appeased even though I didn't see anything like that on the website. I have a lot of respect for you guys here, based on the comments I'll get the book.
I don't know what brought that up.
Early in the book, MacYoung states that what most people probably visualize in the way of a violent criminal act-- a mugging or armed robbery--is among the least likely.
That is not the only way that a criminal can seek gain.
Someone in this thread added the word "tangible".
Armed robberies are, however, addressed, along with the question about whether compliance is the better response.
old lady new shooter
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I guess I was the one who brought up the issue of appeasement when I said I wasn't sure how comfortable I feel with the idea of believing a BG who says "Give me all your money and you won't get hurt." On the website he indicates to give BG what he asks for.
In the book he points out that if the perp's motive is robbery, and if he isn't spooked, he is unlikely to shoot if he gets what he wants.
There's no guarantee.
If you don't want to give it to him, the question becomes whether you have a rally good chance of stopping before he shoots or stabs you. Notice I didn't say a chance of shooting--I said stopping.
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