Defense against 2 or more

[CostaRicaBound]

A couple of things occur to me in your original posting: 1) "A group of guys" walking towards you as you near your car in a parking lot..... As you walk out of the store, or for that matter, anywhere, always be aware of your surroundings, and know the telltale signs of trouble. Staying ahead of the curve starts way before the curve is bent in anyone's favor. Avoidance is always the best measure. That being said, should you find yourself in the scenario as stated, 2) as was wisely said "Distance favors the trained shooter" & "Proximity negates skill". Never allow someone within your arm's length (or for more insurance, more room than that), do what you can to maintain enough distance to react as best you can. 3) One poster said watch your 3-9. Wise. When flanked/confronted by several men who you feel are in a threatening approach, not knowing which one has the teeth to bite, oftentimes the bite will come from the area you are not watching. This plays back to distance. Up close and personal denies you the ability to see all angles. Keep as many feet between your threat and yourself as possible at all times.

Protective Measures (I really enjoy gleaning knowledge from your posts, and consider you one of the finest "go-to" guys in this arena, but I apologize-I don't know your name)...can you elaborate on how to identify in this scenario which one is carrying? The shirt grab, the elbow touch, it would be good to be able to identify right away which one in a group as described above is the lethal threat.

My 2 cents. And tax free!

 

[CornBG]

Im sure this could diffused with out drawing a firearm.

Simply drop your drawers while making hoola hoop motions and yelling like an Apache Indian going in for the kill. This sure to get attention and thwart the plan of the attackers :sly:

If it happens on security cam, fame and fortune might also come your way.

 

[pepsiray77]

Lol!

 

[chucklenut]

i dont think to much about the law if my life is threatened

in that situation a firm warning to not come any closer usually will suffice. if it doesnt, introduce them to your gun and that should be the end of it. god help you if they decide they want to make you use it

 

[G.Floyd]

I really hope your not serious. About giving them a ride or your change.

 

[prevsrt4owner]

I like the drop your drawers idea. If you don't feel threatened, can you still drop your drawers?

 

[Rolling_trip]

Tagging to read later

 

[protective measures]

A couple of things occur to me in your original posting: 1) "A group of guys" walking towards you as you near your car in a parking lot..... As you walk out of the store, or for that matter, anywhere, always be aware of your surroundings, and know the telltale signs of trouble. Staying ahead of the curve starts way before the curve is bent in anyone's favor. Avoidance is always the best measure. That being said, should you find yourself in the scenario as stated, 2) as was wisely said "Distance favors the trained shooter" & "Proximity negates skill". Never allow someone within your arm's length (or for more insurance, more room than that), do what you can to maintain enough distance to react as best you can. 3) One poster said watch your 3-9. Wise. When flanked/confronted by several men who you feel are in a threatening approach, not knowing which one has the teeth to bite, oftentimes the bite will come from the area you are not watching. This plays back to distance. Up close and personal denies you the ability to see all angles. Keep as many feet between your threat and yourself as possible at all times.

Protective Measures (I really enjoy gleaning knowledge from your posts, and consider you one of the finest "go-to" guys in this arena, but I apologize-I don't know your name)...can you elaborate on how to identify in this scenario which one is carrying? The shirt grab, the elbow touch, it would be good to be able to identify right away which one in a group as described above is the lethal threat.

My 2 cents. And tax free!

Their entire group is potentially a huge threat, whether one has a weapon capable of deadly force or whether the group en masse subjects you to a beatdown.
As far as one individual being a greater threat than the rest... pheww, where to start (or end)?

Predator/ prey dynamics are a lengthy part of our classroom discussion.
They are several factors to consider:

As far as weapon "tells" (or telegraphs) as you made reference to there are several indicators i.e.

1.Odd shaped or grip shaped bulges under the armpit area, at the waist/ beltline, or ankle areas
2.Sharp protrusions in the above areas such as from the grip or sights protruding from the gun
3.Way oversized clothing/ untucked, long shirt tails that drape/ cover the waistline
4.Out of season clothing i.e. trench coats, hoodies, flannel shirts or jackets on mild, warmer days
5.Briefly touching the weapon, usually a gun, w/ the hand or elbow to affirm or reaffirm its position (like you mentioned)
6."Hitching up" the pants after getting up from a seated position. Cops often do this by grabbing both sides of their belt &
pulling it up when they get out of their car or other seated positions
7.Shirt collars very askew or unbalanced (from where a shoulder holster isn't adjusted properly & the weight pulls one side
lower than the other.
8.Wide, thick belts or "rigger" belts
9.Pulling a shirt tale down
10.Pants sagging down
11.Positioning one side of the body away from others
12."Stiff" torso movement, not bending at the waist
13.Metallic or solid "thud" or "thunk" when setting down in a booth or other hard seat
14.Keeping on a jacket or other similar covering garment indoors when not appropriate
15.Tight clothing that doesn't fall or move freely. Often accompanied by an arm held closely in proximity
to gun position to "shield " it somewhat

Just as important if not more so is the subjects overall posture/ behavior.
Often, like in other socialized predatory pack animals, there is an "Alpha" male that leads the pack.
Their behavior sets the tone for the whole group or sometimes a lesser male might initiate when given the "green light" from the Alpha

In scenarios like what you mentioned my concern will probably be more with who seems the most likely to initiate an attack than who may be armed.

As you know practicing good situational awareness is a huge advantage in recognizing & avoiding these types of life-threatening encounters.
Sometimes however, despite ones best efforts random,violence can befall you.

Predators typically don't like attacking other predators if they can avoid it.
Anyone can be a victim of random, opportunistic crime but many if not most criminals profile their victims heavily.
As Clint Smith says, "If you look like prey, you will be eaten"

In our classroom discussions we dwell on this topic quite a bit.

Another consideration is watching a subjects hands... and waistline.
Threats come from the hands, be it a punch, a blunt weapon, a knife, a gun, etc.
Which of course is why Police Officers dwell on the hands so much.

Watching for predatory behavior, body language & posture indicators along w/ other factors i.e. looking for weapon "tells", watching hands, etc. are a big part of maintaining good situational awareness.

Also, while not always the appropriate response, criminals mostly do not want to select victims who endanger them so behaving in a "predatory" manner yourself may discourage an attacker from possibly choosing a who might turn them into "prey".

 

[Shrek926]

Great question OP!

This is a growing problem, e.g. Car jacking in Buckhead last week. The ultimate question everyone should ask is "do I have any option other than...".

The moment you draw a firearm you've just introduced a gun to the scenario. If you use it, be able to articulate at the proper time why. Immediately after the first badge arrives IS NOT the proper time. If you do not use use it, can you retain it if they for some reason go hands on?

I am (and this purely my $.02) of the persuasion that if it spirals down to the point of my drawing a firearm... After the main aggressor get perforated by pistol, the others will strongly consider their health and become avid joggers.

BUT, I strongly suggest spending some time in Monty's classroom and learn the nuances of personal protection beyond just being able to punch holes in paper. Marksmanship is important, but your brain is what will keep you safe.

 

[protective measures]

Great question OP!

This is a growing problem, e.g. Car jacking in Buckhead last week. The ultimate question everyone should ask is "do I have any option other than...".

The moment you draw a firearm you've just introduced a gun to the scenario. If you use it, be able to articulate at the proper time why. Immediately after the first badge arrives IS NOT the proper time. If you do not use use it, can you retain it if they for some reason go hands on?

I am (and this purely my $.02) of the persuasion that if it spirals down to the point of my drawing a firearm... After the main aggressor get perforated by pistol, the others will strongly consider their health and become avid joggers.

Agree completely w/ the above statement...which is a whole 'nother topic worthy of lengthy discussion.