Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Men Only Message Board Defense of self and family

AS has left me feeling like an easy target for criminals. It has also affected my traditional male role as protector of the family. I would be at a major disadvantage in a physical attack. Anyone else ever feel this way?

Fortunately I live in a State with a liberal concealed carry law.

toby

I have always practiced the art of walking away from a fight. I understand that there will come a time when you can't. But in almost 99 percent of all cases, there is a way to get out without injury. You may have to give up worldly possessions and ego in order to do it though.

If you want, you can look into Akido. You don't actually fight and you don't have to be in shape.

Totally with you. In fact, a punk threatened to hit me a couple weeks ago at work because he doesn't "buy" that I have AS. Not that he even knows what it is, or bothered to listen to my explanation. I very deftly avoided an incident and made him look like a fool at the same time.

For the next two days I had people thanking me for putting him in his place. He naturally isn't very well liked and he's been nothing but nice to me since.

I don't walk so well anymore and that 1% is what worries me. Ego? As if I could have one looking as I do. I don't care about possessions. It's the principle that matters to me.

I'll not tolerate myself or my family being preyed upon. No one should. It only proliferates criminal behaviour. As far as looking into Akido... I'm more comfortable looking down my pistol sights. Thank you.

Edited to add: Tadao, you said in chat once that you can walk fine, you just can't stand. I'm the opposite. I can't walk well, or run at all. I have to stand. I do respect your point of view. I hope you'll respect mine.

toby

Heh, no worries. You can have a gun as long as I can not have one

I find an authoritive, well-modulated vocal delivery goes a long way in deterring threats.

If that has no effect, you can always go into 'crazy' mode. No mugger likes to deal with crazy people. You just have to be prepared to 'out-crazy' them. LOL

This is where my acting background comes in handy.

Seriously though, you raise a good point. It's an issue we all have to deal with at some point in our lives, whether it's from getting older or from having a condition which makes you less able to fight back.

To me, the solution is usually my wits. Your handling of the punk is probably the way I would have gone if similarly confronted.

Spenser23

I can fully understand feeling like you are no longer able to defend yourself or family. For myself, no matter how great the pain, how debilitating the disease, as long as I can move at all, I WILL find a way, a place, or a time to take care of those that matter. I'm not your typical macho acting guy, but have definitely been in more than my share of fights both in (boxing) and out of a ring. Go ahead, let them hit me if they won't listen to reason, hurts less than I do everyday anyway.

I completely, absolutely, totally disagree with that.

Do whatever you have to do to get out alive. Even with disability, make sure you have the mind set of a survivor and use everything you have in your tool box (brain, mouth, every part of your body that moves, things around you) so that a bad situation ends positive in your favor. Your brain and quick thinking are your best weapon so keep it sharp so you know what tool to pull out of your tool box when the time comes.

Tadao, are you saying that 99% of the time, you can avoid injury when dealing with a criminal wanting to fight? Or when you are being victimized by a criminal, 99% of the time...or in general when dealing with confrontation where you aren't necessarily dealing with a criminal? Just curious.

I think he was saying that 99% of the time, you can avoid violence or injury, if you walk away or give the attacker what they want. The attacker who WANTS to be violent just for the sake of violence is another matter entirely.


Spenser23

Spenser, do you believe you can avoid violence 99% of the time by walking away or giving the attacker what they want?