not just guns: other methods of self-protection

[Guest]

<P>

<BR>A pitbull is a great deterrent (and companion). Many people just&nbsp;look at them and are apprehensive. Plus a "pitbull on board" sticker on the back for anyone looking at my ride funny. Although it's more&nbsp;of a&nbsp;psychological aspect as they are actually quite friendly and not well suited for intentional&nbsp;protection purposes generally. But if you are in real danger they will fight for you and&nbsp;are capable of&nbsp;serious damage when they do.&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR><BR><BR>Would you stand around with this coming at you?<BR><BR><IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6220/6324491110_6a47779aa3.jpg"><BR><BR>Of course a&nbsp;small&nbsp;aluminum t-ball bat under the seat and a&nbsp;solid handle knife on my person or near me at all times. As well&nbsp;general willingness to be ruthless and&nbsp;hostile when required is not a bad thing to have either.<BR><BR>&nbsp;<BR>

&nbsp; </P><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Actually yeah I would. But then I raise the dogs and know exactly why the best ones make really lousy guard dogs , quite simply , due to their original purpose they *do not* bite humans reliably enough for protection work. <br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now I've a Malinois&nbsp; , a fully trained one that came from ten generations of dogs bred specifically for manwork. Nobody looks twice at a Malinois , few even know what they are and few keep them as a *pet*. <br><br>&nbsp; If one has the space for a large dog then one might wish to look closely at the Fila de Brasiliero and the various Ovchartkas , though keeping either is a *very* serious responsibility. <br><br>&nbsp; With a Fila , think LGD but oriented towards humans , a 110-200 lb dog that moves like a Cat. They are truly dogs that the intruder may get in , but he'll never get back out. <br><br>&nbsp; The modern Ovchartkas were ( simplistically speaking) developed by the GRU for prison , crowd control and riot work and will quite literally tear your arm off and beat you to death with it. <br><br>&nbsp; As I said both breeds and indeed the majority of the manwork breeds carry a very heavy personal and social responsibility.<br>

 

[Guest]

&nbsp;The sound of a 12 or 16 guage pump is something akin to having Clint Eastwood saying, make my day.

&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Siiiiigghhhh............there's the myth again , the " Rack the action and the Bad Guy is going to run" myth. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Look I don't want to upset anyone but I'm going to point something out. <br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll play the bad guy.............I just broke in your house and am skulking around , all of the sudden I hear the sound of a pump action shotgun from a dark corner. <br><br>&nbsp; What do I do? <br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Empty a whole damn magazine of whatever I'm carrying into that aforementioned dark corner. <br><br><br>&nbsp; That myth *can* and *has* gotten folks killed , if there is a threat that round should have been chambered when you picked up the scattergun. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; That unmistakeable sound signature identifies your location and the fact that you're armed and tells them what with. <br><br><br>&nbsp; And as I stated , I mean no offense by this. Give some thought to it.<br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Just a thought. You on an RV/van/ mobile living sorta forum. So these discussions are not generally centered about a dark living room. I'm all for pre-emptively loaded weapons, but I know of a prowler outside a vehicle who didn't hang around after hearing that sound.

I cannot imagine a Fila in a van. Not even a big RV.

Most of us will not need our weapons for grizzlies.

Just for perspective!

&nbsp;The sound of a 12 or 16 guage pump is something akin to having Clint Eastwood saying, make my day.

&nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Siiiiigghhhh............there's the myth again , the " Rack the action and the Bad Guy is going to run" myth. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp; Look I don't want to upset anyone but I'm going to point something out. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll play the bad guy.............I just broke in your house and am skulking around , all of the sudden I hear the sound of a pump action shotgun from a dark corner. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp; What do I do? &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Empty a whole damn magazine of whatever I'm carrying into that aforementioned dark corner. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp; That myth *can* and *has* gotten folks killed , if there is a threat that round should have been chambered when you picked up the scattergun. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp; That unmistakeable sound signature identifies your location and the fact that you're armed and tells them what with. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&nbsp; And as I stated , I mean no offense by this. Give some thought to it.&lt;br&gt;

 

[Guest]

<P>

<HR SIZE=1> <SPAN id=post_message_1269645045>

</SPAN><HR SIZE=1>can you get knives into Mexico?<SPAN id=post_message_1269645045></SPAN><SPAN id=post_message_1269645045>

</SPAN><BR>I told you the story of my hobo nickel carver friend Tom who when asked at the Christmas dinner table at his folks house how many knives he had in his pockets pulled out 7. My kinda rascal. None were big enough to do more than carve and use for utility work. Certainly none big enough to do more than piss an attacker off.<IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif"><BR>Bri<BR><BR><BR>

&nbsp; </P><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Uh uh. Take a look at the Pinay and southeast asian systems before you slag off the small blades. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And keep in mind how you do damage with the small blade , thrusts will give little return , you do your damage via the expedient route of giving his bodily fluid the freedom to lie in large copious puddles on the ground. Secondarily you take the large muscle groups out of commision.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Just take a moment to look at your hand and wrist , imagine how badly a simple cut across the back of the hand can make an assailant leak. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; A thigh with weight/tension on it that gets slashed on an angle will literally open up , the leg will be useless , similar effects can be had on the muscle groups in the upper limbs. <br><br>&nbsp; Examine the base 12 angles of most Escrima/Arnis/Kali systems , there's only two thrusts. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This still holds true for the long blade , the deadliest attacks with the framework of Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu are "cuts" , most thrusts are more geared towards finishing moves , not that it's needed if you've landed the cut. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; And two of the medium to medium long blades that are most overlooked and under-estimated nowadays are a *good* quality machete , be it any pattern , parang , bolo , kukri style etc............and then of course the true fighting Kukri. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; A person who actually knows what they're doing with either can quite literally take your arm *off*. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; And a machete can always be passed off as " just a tool"......though anyone who ever invaded the Phillipines throughout history would disagree vociferously. <br><br>&nbsp; Small blades have the advantage of speed and surprise , get off a lot of cuts very ,very quickly. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; I *always* have at least a couple on me , a Ken Onion auto and a Spyderco usually , these are especially good for women because women are often *grabbed* , small quick opening blades allow the women to literally whittle off her pound of flesh from those arms that are grabbing her , and though it may sound brutal........well if he's busy bleeding like the pig he is then those thoughts of theft/rape etc. are going to recede a bit. <br><br><br>&nbsp; Old saying from the bad ends of Manila....." he should know you have a knife only by starting to bleed.".......... <br><br>&nbsp; A link to start with as regards machetes , these are *very* good value for the money , personally I favor a Bolo or Kukri pattern blade , but that's more of a case of what works for each individuals movement patterns and body structure. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Also take a look at their *actual* Kukris , I've a number of them and for the money they once again cannot be beaten , it'll cost you a thousand and up just to match a 300 dollar SK-5 , you'll pay 600-700 for a San Mai III and it would cost you 2500 and UP to match it in the custom market. <br><br>&nbsp; Many other patterns and stuff large and small folks might want to take a gander at. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Google ...CRKT.........I've got so many from them it t'ain't half funny , lots of great small blades. <br><br><br><A href="http://www.coldsteel.com/machetes.html" target=_blank>http://www.coldsteel.com/machetes.html</A><br>

 

[Guest]

<P>

Just a thought. You on an RV/van/ mobile living sorta forum. So these discussions are not generally centered about a dark living room. I'm all for pre-emptively loaded weapons, but I know of a prowler outside a vehicle who didn't hang around after hearing that sound. <BR><BR>I cannot imagine a Fila in a van. Not even a big RV. <BR><BR>Most of us will not need our weapons for grizzlies. <BR><BR>Just for perspective!<BR><BR>

[/quote]&nbsp; </P><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; I know that. But heed what I stated , the unarmed prowler may split , an armed prowler may not. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; As goes perspective , I spend a great deal of time off the beaten track in various places , and sleeping out a couple a dozen miles from Homer , Kodiak and some of the other places I get to the bears can be a concern , and there are now places in the lower 48 where it's a concern. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the general sense firearms are a horse for courses type thing , I'm lucky enough to have mine stored with a close friend , I can swap out for what's apropriate , which yes sometimes can be a bit of a hassle. <br><br>&nbsp; If I'm headed for an urban environment for instance , at that juncture it's a Sig 220 and a 12 gauge pump gun. <br><br>&nbsp; And yes sometimes the mere sight of a sidearm etc diffuses things. As for the dogs , yes I understand most folks perspective , but I'm a dog nut , I've always got the Malinois and one of my APBTs with me , granted that both together don't add up to the weight of a Fila , but then I really don't want to go that radical , and Fila's and the like are a well radical solution to a problem most folks don't have. Which is why I worded it the way I did. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; Most folks really only need a dog that will alert and bark.&nbsp; It's a great deal of *hassle* if you end up in a scenario where your dog mugs an intruder up , even when they're a certifiable "badguy".<br>

 

[LaughingWolf]

GSD?<br /><br />German Sheppard d?<br />Great s? Dane<br />....<br />huh<img src="../images/boards/smilies/confused.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><img src="../images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><img src="../images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />....<br /><img src="../images/boards/smilies/cool.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />had a long night cant comprehend... <br />

<br /><br />GSD = German Shepherd Dog

 

[Rollin]

Here is an insteresting artical about bear spray vs guns in bear country.<br /><br />http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/bear spray.pdf

 

[sl1966]

<span style="text-align: left;">Mostly, knives are for intimidating unarmed people.</span>

&nbsp;<br /><br />I thought knives were meant for cutting. I've been using my steak knives wrong all this time. This definitely changes things around the dinner table now.<br /><br />

 

[twokniveskatie]

No sh!t. My life is ruined.&nbsp;<br /><br />

I thought knives were meant for cutting. I've been using my steak knives wrong all this time. This definitely changes things around the dinner table now.<br /><br /><br />

 

[Guest]

Blood loss takes WAY too long, in reality, to save you. Now IF you can incapacitate his arm with a slash, that MIGHT save you. Mostly, knives are for intimidating unarmed people.&nbsp; I'd take a hollow metal, 4 ft long walking stick, legal to carry anywhere, 3 sided, 2 pc, quick take down (QTD) walking stick, with a "cane crook" at the 3 ft pt on the stick, any day, over anything shorter, sharp or not. I want that 'reach" advantage, and i want the OPTION of '2 stick" fighting.

<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; Oh really? So which Escrima system would you favor , I mean you being such an expert and all ..........

 

[sl1966]

I wager 400 quatloos that the newcomer Anon would win.<br />&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

Deleted for relevance.&nbsp;<br /><br />Boys, if you want to piss in corners, go start your own forum and do it there. Then I will come check out your little battle and drive up your page views with bullsh!t, so that you can fork over la dinero out of YOUR pockets.&nbsp;<br /><br />Do not waste my time with this. If you have questions about what is appropriate for this forum, contact me off-list.

 

[tween]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>I LOVE PONIES!!!</strong></em></span>

 

[twokniveskatie]

You truly amaze me, dude. I get blocked for using the word sh!t and you can manage to tell me to F myself! Well, you can leave by the same pony you rode in on <br /><br />

f*ck you and your relevance. I bring more traffic here than anyone else does.

<br /><br />Edited to add: I tried to post this with his quote, and it was blocked. Go figure. I had to edit his F word.

 

[offroad]

1) &nbsp;like the dog sticker suggestion.<br />2) &nbsp;post sticker about agreeing to be photographed automatically? &nbsp;would that scare anyone? &nbsp;not sure<br />3) &nbsp;bandana suggestion is interesting<br />4) &nbsp;Not sure guns can defend, given movie theatre incedent. &nbsp;someone there had to have had a gun. &nbsp;yet no defensive fire?<br />5) stick em with the sharp and pointy end? &nbsp;always a good idea, if close enough.<br />6) &nbsp;Fake wallet, and running away are good ideas.<br />&nbsp;

 

[Seraphim]

<br />@offroad - had a discussion elsewhere about armed citizen and the Colorado shooting, so I thought I'd post this here as well. &nbsp;Not taking a stance, merely food for thought.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />"&nbsp;<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">There are many considerations. Will a second shooter stop, or add to, the injuries? A carry permit does not make one a marksman, and in a real firefight where emotions and adrenaline are pumping, accuracy drops tremendously. And, being shot at, will not the original shooter return fire in quantity - probably being better armed and prepared with a lot of ammunition? Not making a statement, just food for thought. The original shooter is also going in with the expectation they may die by police response, and they are not deterred. If you shoot at such a person, you know he will focus his attention on you. Would you take the chance you would incapacitate him with your first round or two, and chance being his next target? What about friends or family who may be near you, and suffer collateral injury due to your response? And this all happens quickly, with no time to think. Forget bravado, and think carefully."</span>

 

[Seraphim]

And don't underestimate the effectiveness of small blades in the hand of someone trained. &nbsp;Their best effectiveness is their concealability, which necessitates close combat - close enough for the opponent to reach you, as well. Displaying a knife is like uttering a threat - it's, as I mentioned above, a worthless display of bravado which only serves to warn or aggravate an opponent. He may walk away from your knife only to return with a firearm.&nbsp;

 

[Seraphim]

And you could shave with it lol.

 

[Seraphim]

I know.