Real life experiences.

Ok, well I havn't seen a thread like this yet, so I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where people could share their own personal experiences. I'll start off:

A couple of months back, I was at the skatepark with some mates, about ten mates or so, when a group of five lads and two girls came into the park. They started walking around the park, watching us, and idiot here is completely turned off and takes no notice as to what they were doing. Well all but one of my mates went over to the other side of the park, which left me and one other. Well anyway the reason they moved was because this group was behind us, a couple of them starting to walk over.

One of the smaller ones walked infront of my mate, and then started saying things like "What do you think your doing blood, walking infront of me, wanna slap?" My mate kind of nervously laughed at him, and then they started having a go at him for that. I now realise, after it has happened, that this was their way of testing our reactions, because just after this the rest of them came over. Suddenly I was on my own, my mate had gone over to join my other mates, and before I knew it, they were all running out of the park, leaving me on my own with the group.

My first thought was what great fucking mates eh! And then one of the group was like "What you got for me, give me ya phone blood." I just went over to get my stuff to leave, but no sooner had I picked it up the one lad had called all his mates over to try and stop me leaving. I picked out the biggest one, and surprisingly walked through the group wihtout being set upon, and just dropped my stuff and hit him in the face. He had moved his head back just a split second before so I didn't really get him properly. But anyway while they were standing there all shocked and confused I ran out the park while I could.

Then they all got their confidence back and started running after me. So I turned round the corner where they couldn't see, and helf my skateboard in my hand, and as they all came round they spotted it and stopped as if there was an invisible wall there. And started asking if I would hit them, to which I told them I would if they came near me. After that they just lingered for about 15 minutes before getting on the bus.




Not a spectacular story, but normally I never stand up for myself, so this was a big step for me really. I can now look back and spot all the things I should have done and shouldn't have done, which if it was a more experienced group, would have got the shit kicked out of me, or worse. For example I wish I had hit him as hard as I could. I know I can hit hard and I know I have it in me to stand up for myself effectively. It just seems like there is some mental block stopping me.

So, anyone else got anything to share?

to be honest Ben, it sounds like you got pretty lucky there. I vaguely remember reading a Peter Constertine article in MAI many years ago. Peter's a fairly accomplished RBSD pioneer, and he was saying one on one or even two or three, he wouldn't break a sweat dispatching youths acting the way you describe. However, a pack of them is a different matter.

5 on 1 I think you got very lucky not to take a serious tonking. I'm glad you got out ok but your best bet would have been to hot foot it with your mates as soon as the gang made it obvious they were there to pick a fight. As Peters partner, Geoff Thompson often said, "leave your ego in your other suit" and make your exit safely rather than stand your ground against those odds.

You said you never normally stand up for yourself and that it was a big step for you. I would suggest there might be better opportunities to test your bottle than that.

If escape REALLY wasn't an option then a single shot to one of the gang is a distant second favourite to a flurry of shots at two or three of them followed by the best run of your life.

Another thing people often forget to mention. know where you're running TOO. have a destination in mind that you can make at a sprint. Somewhere down hill so you can jump on your deck maybe

This thread seems to have a strange tone to it.. but I will still post an experience..

Quote :

but turns out i got £5000 in compo for it so id easy do it again lol

I'd rather not get stabbed personally.. but thats just me..

Anyway.. i've had more experience in 6 months working in the bar I am than the rest of my life.. but heres one that happened on my night off..

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I got the night off from working the door and me and my friend went to the club where I work.. was all good, not much happening.. but at one stage we went around to goto my car, which is in the carpark behind the club..

There was a group of 5 guys, about 17yo hanging out there and I got a bad feeling but stupidly ignored my intuition.. and kept walking.. 3 of them come over and one was like "hey your a security guard arent' you".. and grabbed my arm and said "come on show me an arm lock, you should know a good arm lock".. and I asked him to let go of my arm.. and he tried a few times.. and eventually I said "look i've told you not to".. and he went to grab me and I just pulled his arm across his body and pulled him off balance.. at this point me and my friend were trapped against a wall surrounded by 3 of them with the other 2 close.. and he went to grab my friend.. who pulled him off balance as well.. and then the guy started swinging at my friend.. who blocked them and run through him and was telling me to run, the guy come swinging at me and I blocked them and clinched.. but then pushed away and run.. he blocked me in against another wall swinging.. and I blocked most but went to claw his face and fucked up and he hit me in the mouth.. I just disengaged and pushed him away.. jumped the fence and went inside and got the guys I work with.. but when we went back they were gone..

I didn't know who this guy was.. but found out he was the son of the guy who runs the other nightclub.. and has sent people to cause trouble several times to try and close us down because were doing better business.. anyway I went to the police and made a statement as this guy goes around trying to bash everybody and is a bully who needs to be taught a lesson.. and I just found out a few days ago he admitted to it and got charged.. so i'm happy about that..

My friend told me that he seen it in my eyes that I was about to lose it and lay into him.. but its probably good because his other 4 friends probably would have come in.. thats why the best course of action was getting away.. and we succeeded at that..

I'm glad my friend was yelling at me to get away.. because all my emotions were telling me to fight.. I know that I would have been in good hands with him as we have trained together and he has taught me alot of functional stuff and is the one person i'd trust with my life..

But he knew it was the better option to escape.. which I know rationally.. but my emotions were clouding that..

Ended up all good in the end anyway..

-Ben

I agree about the tone.

learning from situations that go wrong is one thing, sharing scrapping stories is another.

I never intended it to be a thread about sharing scrappy stories. I was just interested about reading how other people coped and dealt with situations. I was interested in knowing what went through peoples mind's when these things happen, and how they get into the right mindset for the situation and these kinds of things. Sorry for not making myself sound clear.

~

I dont mind people sharing scrap stories, its something everyone can learn from.

Dont be coy, just because your telling someone what you did in a fight doesnt necessarily make you a wannabe hardcase.

Just keep it as unsensational as possible and say what you learnt from it.