Opinion
“Shooting is a science, but ‘fighting for your life’ is an Art. The difference is identical to that between limit and no-limit poker.
When competing, you’re shooting at an inert target. When fighting, your target is alive and is sincerely trying to kill you by whatever means he can!
Limit poker, like ‘shooting games,’ is just quaint recreation. Like real fighting, no-limit poker is unequivocal, unforgiving, and final.
In the former case, lost fortunes are never ‘refunded.’ In the latter, death is never ‘reversed.’
Operators’ Axiom:
“Never get into poker games with those who can’t afford to lose, nor into gunfights with those who can!” ~ Bret Maverick (played by James Garner) in the 1960s Warner Brothers TV Series, “Maverick”.
Men (mostly, but sometimes women too) occasionally adhere to “Old-School Rules.”
That is, some men, when ‘rules of personal respect’ are challenged, will instantly resort to force. This may include restoring respectfulness on the part of the miscreant via a well-aimed fist.
Indeed, there was a time when such a ‘fist-borne attitude adjustment’ by the offended party, visited upon an offender, was generally regarded as right and proper. Such a ‘correction’ was often viewed as an act that would assist in maintaining public order and would send a message that bad acts by wayward punks would not be tolerated. Whoever meted out such a righteous and richly deserved blow (or two) to a deserving reprobate gained respect, and word spread that bad behavior was not welcome in the community.
How quaint!
Now, welcome to “The New Age”.
Today, bullies (including violent criminals), along with their bullying behavior, are condoned and rewarded from an early age. Self-defense on the part of the innocent, in any form, is denigrated (by leftists) as “taking the law into your own hands.”
Public order has suffered greatly as a result!
Today, I sadly have to recommend that parades, fairs, political rallies, block parties, religious services, and large public gatherings in general be avoided. At such events, fist-fights often quickly intensify into knife fights and gunfights. Injured/dead often include parties who were not even involved!
In any event, today’s violent criminals/bullies are confident they have little to fear from the police or our criminal/justice system in general.
Good and decent people who go armed need to consider the foregoing carefully. Even a justifiable employment of deadly force will be extremely expensive, as well as corrosive to your mental health.
In fact, so much as a justifiable “defensive display” of a gun, even when it is never fired, will likely get you charged with a felony!
Yet, some carry-permit holders say they’re “ready to fight” over verbal insults.
When I can, I advise them to seriously re-think their verbal bravado!
Those who “win” serious fights under any circumstances can expect an “intimate tour” of our legal and civil court systems.
A fight avoided is better, by far, than a fight “won.”
“In order to master poker, you must first master (1) patience and (2) discipline, as a lack of either is sure disaster, regardless of all your other talents, nor even lucky streaks!” ~ Freddie Gasperian.
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor, John Farnam will urge you, based on your beliefs, to make up your mind about what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to ensure that its students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
De-escalation is an art. The one time my siblings went out drinking many years ago my older brother pulled a knife on 6 guys. I didn’t realize I had the de-escalation gift until that day. Everyone got calmed and we all moved along. But the master de-escalation lesson was by a veteran police officer I saw not too many years ago who had a guy with a sword – the officer got the guy to set it down and come over and talk to the officer. No drawn guns, no threats, no commands. Just a sincere, caring plea. The secret… Read more »
Your right. And firearms fall way short to be deadly weapons. Over half of everybody shot survives.
Excellent advice. The best win is the unnecessary fight I didn’t get into.
I learned this in the Martial Arts many decades ago now. We learned it this way:
“It is better to deescalate a situation than to fight. If one must fight, it is better to parry than to block, better to block than to strike, better to strike than to maim, and better to maim than to kill.”
In all of those decades, from then until now, my experience has shown this to be true. And it still seems to be exceptionally good advice. But probably too simple for many to understand.