I was just mugged!

[Velociryx]

Bah! Guns, schmuns!

Go to any gas station that sells diesel fuel. Buy a thing called a "Tire Buddy" for $5.95.

It's a length of wood about two feet long. One end has a wrist strap so you can keep it in-hand (ie - in this case, the muggers would have had to rip your hand off entirely to disarm you). The "business end" is wrapped in 16-gage steel. Ostensibly, it's used to thump truck tires and guesstimate how much pressure is in them, and it does a fine job of that. It's also a small, easily concealed weapon that won't raise ANY questions if you're caught with it, and it'll put the fear of Albert into anybody you use it on.

When I worked nights, I took mine with me religiously. Used it twice. 100% success rate.

Best five bucks I ever spent.

-=Vel=-

[Whaleboy]

A good strategy, but its not easy depending on your surroundings. Muggers here, and presumably in the states, will be less likely to target you if you look like you can fight back. I am 5'11, heavy built and capable of doing some damage, so I guess I'm not the safest guy to pick a fight with. However, if you are attacked, there are a number of things you can do. If they start with the usual provacative crap, and you want a peaceful solution, say stuff like "hey come on I'll buy you a beer and we can talk about it" (believe it or not its worked! ). The more fun solution is more forceful, this is some quick stuff if you dont want to do proper martial arts.

If you can cope with the stigma, knee or kick him in the family jewels. Needs no further explanation. To temporarily incapacitate him, chop (side of hand away from thumb, hand slightly curved inwards) him in the neck. He'll instinctively step back and then you can take out his knees, soc him, or fork his eyes. The fork to eyes takes practise (draw eyes a realistic distance apart on a punch bag or cushion), but it works very well. Fairly obvious really. Probably the most successful if you can pull it off, he's defenseless if blind, most of these people don't actually know how to fight beyond street style, which is lame. Standard punches are good, however, if you want to go for a softer area like stomach, kidneys or groin, instead of head and ribs, bend your fingers at their first joint up from the hand, not the knuckles. This will create a sharper point of impact so you can deliver more force to a smaller surface area, increasing likelihood of internal bleeding or organ damage, and at least wind them badly. DO NOT KICK! unless they are bent down or his groin is an easy target. You must remain balanced and kicking will compromise that. Be careful, any shots to the head and neck can kill, but of course, when you're in that situation, there are no rules except, survive.

C0ckney: Don't worry, I'm harmless

[Alexander's Horse]

or just run like buggery

[Whaleboy]

or just run like buggery

Where's the fun in that??

[Solly]

We're not Australians up here, Horsie.

[Spiffor]

I personally always avoid being mugged by walking quickly in the street.
When some cretins want to trouble me, there is usually an introduction scene (such as them asking for cigarettes, weed and whatnot). I quickly dismiss them without stopping walking. They could only catch me by running, and they never bother to run. So far, 100% success.
The only times where I had to tolerate the presence of these cretins for more than 2 seconds are when I must be waiting for something outside without moving.

Building up muscle or walking with your friends also ensures you won't be mugged, except by organised bandits (much less likely to stumble onto than occasional the *******). But really, you shouldn't underestimate the power of walking quickly

[our_man]

AS, a gun is not the answer. The best thing you can try to do in a situation like this is run (if you're able to). If you have a weapon, you'll just be tempted to try and fight, which might not be the most prudent choice. In all probability the muggers will also be armed. Only fight if you've no other choice; I'd recommend taking up a martial art over buying a gun.

Someone attempted to mug me once, but the situation wasn't really comparable. For a start it was in broad daylight (10am), but it began with him telling me to "relax". Some 16 year old kid. He then demanded "20 euro or my mobile phone". He also added that he had several friends across the road. Instead of walking away, like an idiot I ended up engaging him in conversation, telling him I didn't have a mobile, and that I needed my money for my bus fare. I then said "sorry" and walked off. Lucky for me he turned out to be bluffing.

Funny what issues from your mouth when put in a situation like that.

Spiffor makes an excellent point about walking. If you walk with purpose, i.e. quickly and with your head up, you'll look like a tougher prospect, and the muggers will look for a less easier target. I was strolling when that fellow tried me on for size.

[Pekka]

AS, I'm sorry this happened to you man... I havent' been mugged, but my buddy has been and I know it's scary stuff and it's tougher mentally. He had hard time to sleep for a while, not wanting to go outside etc.. and he is a grown man. So it must be tough.

If I really really needed a gun to carry it around so I'd be safe.. man I'd move the hell out of where I was. I don't know, maybe this is not a possibility to you. Gun might be good idea, but then again I'm not sure. You might end up shooting somebody and getting into trouble, or someone shooting you because you had the gun.. and if this is everyday stuff there.. I don't know, it's your call.

I don't know if you should thumb the attacker in the eye with full power as David suggested, as that is lethal and very dangerous. To the attacker. But then again I don't know what it's like there.. But it sure is effective and easy to do. Almost every guy well be shocked by the pain it creates, and because it's his eye, tender spot.
He'll either drop fast, but you can't let go until you know you have submitted the guy. So he won't go for guns after you let go, as most people will think it as a life threatning situation to have their eyes really pushed.
So you don't get a hurt psycho bear with a gun in his hands on you. Then again the pain won't go away and he can't see anything. Good with multiple attackers if they close on you and you have to take some punishment anyway. Drop the first guy in matter of few seconds, and focus on the other guy. He will be scared of you right away, as it looked brutal and he knows he's going to be hurt BAD. So attackers might get even more aggressive as they fear you now, so control space, quick glance over the area if there are something handy next to you, like a trash can, crow bars, anything. Take it up and start being all godzilla on them. When you have the first chance to flee, RUN.

You could ask David about what there could be for you to learn this stuff properly. It doesn't match gun, but it doesn't hurt to be able to give serious damage without weapons. Many are lethal, easy and very effective on streest, on multiple attackers etc.

Listen, I don't know if you read or not, but I was confronted with 3 opponents next to my parents house and had to take them down. The idea is to know what you're doing, and your chances increase many times.
You still might lose the situation, but you have good chances of winning, you have self confidence and if only one or two attackers, you can possibly control the situation, and that makes the other guys recievers.

So there are big mofos, strong guys who knows how to brawl? No worries, that's the other case I posted here too, had a small confrontation with that bouncer who was whailing on my buddy, and ended up him going inside an ambulance. So.. my point is you can defend yourself if you learn the right stuff, and you will understand it when you go there, you know 'this **** is real!'.

I suggest you do that, or get a gun, or the best, move somewhere else.

[Pekka]

Just don't be easy target, look like a guy who will be giving troubles if attacked. But don't over do it, so people won't challenge you.

Pretty much people said here, avoid walking alone etc..
ALso, if you get the attacker down, and you're in control, don't hesitate to kick in his groin, don't hesitate to teach a lesson. But don't over do it. It is studied and study shows, that most muggers and robbers goes for victim they think they can beat. So don't look scared, don't look like a victim. Some people will beat you just for that, they hate scared people. Don't be afraid to punish attackers, don't think 'they'll get only more angry if I hit back'.. man that's not true! If you're in full brawl, remember to be NASTY. Thumb eyes, you can even grab his testicles and squeeze REAL hard, strike in the ear, grab his ear and yank it SUPER HARD, if you think you might get killed, strike throat, grab the adams apple and force your fingers to connect on the other side of the adams apple and yank towards yourself. You are likely to kill this man by doing this, but if you're the one getting killed, it's better you do it.

[SlowwHand]

Some of you guys need to figure out wtf you're doing wrong.
I have never, not ever, been "mugged", and I've walked alone in some fairly dangerous areas.

[DanielXY]

Yes the victim is at fault

[SlowwHand]

HE says he's a victim.
Probably muttering how nicea guy Idi Amin is.
That would do it.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Move to a safer area.

Or buy a gun - that would definitely be good.

Can you afford to enroll in self defense courses? I can recommend several street-effective styles.

They grabbed his hands and then frisked him, so not only could he have not fought them off, he could not have used his gun either. Instead, you can imagine what would have happened if this crazy pair had found a gun on him! I mean, they continued to beat him, demanding his weed, even after they had searched him. Did they think he carried his dope up his a**? Crazy. This is just thesort of situation where having a gun would have been suicidal.

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Some of you guys need to figure out wtf you're doing wrong.
I have never, not ever, been "mugged", and I've walked alone in some fairly dangerous areas.

Pure luck. I've walked alone through pretty dangerous areas, whether Santiago de Chile barrios or areas in Peru where you'd better not be white and alone and nothing happened. I got the **** beaten out of myself during daylight on a not little frequented street in my city, which is a pretty safe place. Don't think you're immune, you just had luck, although there surely are ways to avoid trouble. But then again I guess Albert knows about those ways living in downtown Philly...

But on the gun issue: I have to conclude with chegitz, they make everything worse. Just imagine, would you have been able to use it in that specific situation in order to deter those freaks? Or would they have noticed while you were drawing it, taking it away from you and then get REALLY angry having their guns or your gun instead of "just" beating you up. Being in a shooting is almost always worse. And again, when you shoot at them and can't prove it was pure self defence, it's YOU who'll go to jail.

[monolith94]

You should probably carry weed around with you so this sort of thing doesn't happen.