[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by GREENBACK

I think it was stated several posts ago"don't bring a knife to a gunfight".

Ah, the good ole "Don't bring X to a Y fight". Elsewhere in the internet-land, I try so darn hard not to get drawn into that, because in the end, it just depends on the situation.

In the case of a burglary, where everything is indoors, close quarter weaponry such as knives are actually extremely effective. In the right hands. In some ways perhaps more so than firearms. They don't require loading. They don't require ammo. No issues of over-penetration. The list can go on and on.

This subject, long mused, analyzed, and debated, have eventually come to the consensus by groups much more experienced and skilled than I am, and it's what I have stated earlier: Skill trumps tools.

Originally Posted by kork13

BA, do I understand it correctly that if someone breaks into your home, you cannot threaten harm, draw a gun or other weapon, or anything like that unless there is a threat of death to you? That's absurd.

Heh. Yeah, I've heard of that rebuttal before. I'm not saying it has to make sense to both you and I. But that doesn't mean it isn't the law.

Fortunately, laws surrounding the circumstances of self defense varies from state to state. Texas? Most likely legal. Massachusetts? Most likely not. It just depends, so again, I urge everyone who wants to take self defense seriously to be up-to-date on their state laws.

To draw a weapon is a threat. When your home is broken into, isn't there an implied right to protect yourself, your family, and your property?

No... you can't imply that. Not unless you can clearly articulate the threat of serious bodily harm or death clearly based on the events and circumstances that follow. For example, a burglar going after your TV isn't the same as a burglar going after you or your loved ones.

When it comes to serious situations such as this, be prepared for anything, but don't assume anything. I might sound overly dramatic, but it really can spell the difference between life or death, freedom or prison. This isn't the same level as losing money in our 401k.

That said, I'm not a lawyer and don't even pretend to be one in your state. So, again, please check with credible sources and your state law for further guidance.

As for the psychological element, you're right. It is difficult. However, it's also true that once a person realizes the need for close combat, adrenaline goes crazy and the fight/flight mechanism sets in. You have to either fight to whatever end, or figure out a way to escape. When the latter is not an option, the former will set in. That's human nature. (the other case, a person may freeze up entirely, which really is about as dangerous as doing nothing at all, so it's a wash anyway)

Well, yes, I'd agree. However, as we sit comfortably in front of our computers, ruminating the possible scenarios that may occur, it's... pretty easy to discern how things should work out....

In an actual fight or flight though, those who are not properly prepared and trained mostly just freeze up. This may even include some who have supposedly trained for years in self-defense (because they didn't train properly for it).

Yeah, ultimately, we all do what we have to do. However, it's funny how some people, when they finally face that white elephant, up close and in the flesh, what we often end up doing is far from the results we hope for. Many just end up in the hospital with a lot of gashes on their forearm and torso because they simply find themselves frozen and balled up in the instinctive defensive posture. Is that what they wanted to do or have even trained for? No, but that's reality.

For anyone who is serious about self defense, the real question we need to ask ourselves is this: Are you prepared to risk your life to fight? Are you prepared to get beat, get cut, and slowly bleed to death for what you are fighting for?

Now, I'm not asking, "Do you want to?" Nobody wants to get hurt. I'm asking, "Are you prepared to ante up to that level of risk to yourself?" Because, that's what we risk in real life lethal encounters, whether we realize it or not.

If not, that's OK. It means you're a rational individual like most of the rest of society. That's also why it's universally recommended to avoid a fight if it can at all be helped. Actually, even highly skilled individuals go out of their way to avoid fights if they can help it.

However, being prepared to hurt someone isn't the same thing as being prepared to get hurt. Most people can somehow get past the first part, but few are actually capable of handling the second. And that's why even some supposedly trained individuals end up freezing. That's the life and death difference.

However, if you ARE willing to sacrifice yourself that way. If you ARE willing to get hurt and die for what you believe in. Well, then....