When to defend?

[kopking10]

If you consider the area you live in to be inherently risky, please also consider training in some form of combative martial art (flash and dash stuff won't likely be much help) -- preferably empty hand as well as edged and projectile weapons -- for both yourself and your wife. Knowing how to cause damage to someone (to stop them, if necessary) and that you really can do so is important in the event you cannot avoid or de-escalate an assailant. This knowledge gives a person confidence, something that predators will usually perceive and which may therefore be enough to make them pick a different target.

Thank you for your response. We did Krav Maga for awhile but it was very difficult with our schedule once we got the dog. We then gave it up. I am considering the suggestion of taking a CHL class for better understanding how to react in different situation.

[MONGOOSE]

Isn't she nieve.

[kopking10]

In self defense class that we attended, it is all about avoidance. This is what we are doing now. Avoiding dark places, eye contact with suspicion person, stay away from drunkards at night and crazy drivers. This is a situation that we could make our decision.

My "when to defend aka shoot question" was for situation where I can't avoid threats. It does worry me about my wife being so casual about walking alone in the evening. She's one tough lady (mentally ).

[MONGOOSE]

My wife and I like to walk, We were walking one evening in an upscale area which you would presume to be safe. We were shadowed by a car with tinted windows, then had our path blocked when they quickly turned into the drive way ahead of us. They then proceed to roll down the drivers side window and produce a gun. I shove my wife behind a large brick mail box and when I level a pistol at them they retreat ASAP. Sometimes "avoidance "does not apply, This is one of two instances I have experienced in "good and safe" environmentalists.

[ShootDontTalk]

I'm always intrigued when people declare their home a "gun free zone." Might I ask you a little about that?

1) You probably have a kitchen? Do you have knives? Specifically carving knives? Steak knives?

2) While in your kitchen, (and here I'm not going to be specific) you have certain household cleaning items under the sink? You probably have some liquids you cook with in your pantry?

3) Do you like to play softball? Own a bat?

4) Have a fireplace and a little rack of tools beside it to manipulate the fire?

5) Do you have a hammer and/or screwdriver and/or needle-nose pliers for fixing things?

6) Do you own a ballpoint pen?

7) I assume you own some form of vehicle?

I could go on for quite a while. If you have EVEN ONE of the items I listed above in your home, you have some of the most lethal weapons on earth in your daily life. You should correct that oversight immediately. On the other hand, you probably don't think of those items in terms of lethal weapons. You see, the real lethal weapon is the human that wields it, not the weapon itself.

Here's a tip: avoiding the threat is good and desirable as long as there is a place to retreat, AND you are the only one involved. When those two conditions are not met is when push comes to shove and you need a reliable, lethal response.

[Middle Age Russ]

Sometimes "avoidance "does not apply

True. It is wise to have force options, up to and including lethal force options, available for times when avoidance is no longer an option. The individual circumstances dictate where on the force continuum we need to go.

[Charles L. Cotton]

In self defense class that we attended, it is all about avoidance. This is what we are doing now. Avoiding dark places, eye contact with suspicion person, stay away from drunkards at night and crazy drivers. This is a situation that we could make our decision.

My "when to defend aka shoot question" was for situation where I can't avoid threats. It does worry me about my wife being so casual about walking alone in the evening. She's one tough lady (mentally ).

Welcome to the Forum. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a bit puzzled about your initial question. It's clear from your posts that you do not want to even have a gun in your home, much less carry one for self-defense. Why then do you want Members to state when they would fire on a person making a deadly assault?

I won't debate the merit of unarmed defense because that's a personal choice. It just seems strange for a new Member to be asking for opinions of other Members concerning an action you would never take.

Chas.

[puma guy]

In self defense class that we attended, it is all about avoidance. This is what we are doing now. Avoiding dark places, eye contact with suspicion person, stay away from drunkards at night and crazy drivers. This is a situation that we could make our decision.

My "when to defend aka shoot question" was for situation where I can't avoid threats. It does worry me about my wife being so casual about walking alone in the evening. She's one tough lady (mentally ).

Welcome to the Forum. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a bit puzzled about your initial question. It's clear from your posts that you do not want to even have a gun in your home, much less carry one for self-defense. Why then do you want Members to state when they would fire on a person making a deadly assault?

I won't debate the merit of unarmed defense because that's a personal choice. It just seems strange for a new Member to be asking for opinions of other Members concerning an action you would never take.

Chas.

Exactly my thoughts!

[kopking10]

In self defense class that we attended, it is all about avoidance. This is what we are doing now. Avoiding dark places, eye contact with suspicion person, stay away from drunkards at night and crazy drivers. This is a situation that we could make our decision.

My "when to defend aka shoot question" was for situation where I can't avoid threats. It does worry me about my wife being so casual about walking alone in the evening. She's one tough lady (mentally ).

Welcome to the Forum. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a bit puzzled about your initial question. It's clear from your posts that you do not want to even have a gun in your home, much less carry one for self-defense. Why then do you want Members to state when they would fire on a person making a deadly assault?

I won't debate the merit of unarmed defense because that's a personal choice. It just seems strange for a new Member to be asking for opinions of other Members concerning an action you would never take.

Chas.

Exactly my thoughts!

I am not offended anyhow. Good question in fact. We didn't want to have firearm at home because wife doesn't feel comfortable with it so we got a dog.

Recent Oregon shooting and some neighborhood gossips worries my family's safety. We are no stranger to shooting gun as we are routinely doing that. So I had a talk with my wife about getting a gun to cancel the no gun policy.

Her answer was when would you fire a gun and will you really shoot? Her father has guns and had misfired before.

Hence, the questions being asked.

[MONGOOSE]

Misfiring in today's world is bogus if you have a quality weapon and quality ammo. I've shot for over 40 years and have never had a misfire under the conditions mentioned.

[kopking10]

My wife and I like to walk, We were walking one evening in an upscale area which you would presume to be safe. We were shadowed by a car with tinted windows, then had our path blocked when they quickly turned into the drive way ahead of us. They then proceed to roll down the drivers side window and produce a gun. I shove my wife behind a large brick mail box and when I level a pistol at them they retreat ASAP. Sometimes "avoidance "does not apply, This is one of two instances I have experienced in "good and safe" environmentalists.

Thank you for sharing. But it is also exactly what my wife is worried. You produced a gun back at the bad guys. What if they shoot first? My wife in this instance rather to be robbed.

Me and my wife do have different views.

[Charles L. Cotton]

In self defense class that we attended, it is all about avoidance. This is what we are doing now. Avoiding dark places, eye contact with suspicion person, stay away from drunkards at night and crazy drivers. This is a situation that we could make our decision.

My "when to defend aka shoot question" was for situation where I can't avoid threats. It does worry me about my wife being so casual about walking alone in the evening. She's one tough lady (mentally ).

Welcome to the Forum. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a bit puzzled about your initial question. It's clear from your posts that you do not want to even have a gun in your home, much less carry one for self-defense. Why then do you want Members to state when they would fire on a person making a deadly assault?

I won't debate the merit of unarmed defense because that's a personal choice. It just seems strange for a new Member to be asking for opinions of other Members concerning an action you would never take.

Chas.

Exactly my thoughts!

I am not offended anyhow. Good question in fact. We didn't want to have firearm at home because wife doesn't feel comfortable with it so we got a dog.

Recent Oregon shooting and some neighborhood gossips worries my family's safety. We are no stranger to shooting gun as we are routinely doing that. So I had a talk with my wife about getting a gun to cancel the no gun policy.

Her answer was when would you fire a gun and will you really shoot? Her father has guns and had misfired before.

Hence, the questions being asked.

Thanks, that makes perfect sense. Even if you don't want to carry a handgun, it would be a good idea to take a CHL class from a good instructor. You will learn a lot about Texas law. Taking the CHL course doesn't mean you have to actually get the license. If you choose to get a CHL, it gives you an option to carry a handgun, not an obligation to do so. If you are ever in the Houston area when I'm doing my Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar you and your wife might find it helpful.

Chas.

[ShootDontTalk]

So, my wife is walking home from the subway in the evening and we live near university housing where unfortunately crime occurs. Also, my ex gf made a stupid mistake once when she opened the gate to the front yard (raining and police impostor) and when she realized and ran inside the house to get a knife. A gun was pulled on her.

I'll ask a hard question here. You mentioned your wife taking a subway. You do know that we don't have subways in Texas, or most anywhere else in the West?

The members here have been telling you to get a CHL. That is a unique Texas nomenclature. Tell us where you live to begin with, just the state will do, so that we can intelligently direct you to the information you seek based upon your laws.

If you live in Texas, great because some of the people here have pretty much all the answers. Irregardless, welcome to the forum.

[lildave40]

I was going to go for a CHL class 6 months back but didn't because we have the "no gun" policy. So, we got us ourselves a dog instead =)

I am a little confused.
Who made this "no gun" policy?
How do you shoot at the range for a year with this policy?

Both of us agreed to it. She think firearm attracts the devil so I said ok but let's keep going to the range for ad hoc basis. Her idea was, if you have a gun, the robber sees you with a gun would most likely shoot you.

Your story isnt making any sence. You go to a range twice a month for a year. But your house is a gun free Zone. You talk about Subways the last I have seen are not in Texas only the border towns. Then you go on talking about how your buddie had buddies that went back and shot him in his ranch. I may be a green horn but where are you going with this? Are you just looking for information only and or are you trying to decide if Purchasing a firearm is a good choice?

[MONGOOSE]

I was about to fire when he dropped his gun threw it in reverse and burned rubber. You mentioned misfires. In 40 plus years of heavy shooting, I've never had a misfire using a quality firearm and factory sel defense ammo.