Saved by sgian dubh?

[Amoskeag]

Good for you!
It appears as if you did all the right things. The knife was stuck in a table, no threat or challenge there. Just close at hand and everyone knows where it is. Your hands on the cane; same thing. It says "I can use them if I have to. Please don't make me." It put the ball in their court. Most importantly, you kept your mouth shut (my big problem). All you did was show them that you weren't afraid and it worked well. There is never any thing wrong with defending yourself.
I really don't like people who prey on fear.

At the very least they think your a crazy old coot in a kilt, and that's not a bad thing!
Bob

ps Old is a relative term. You've only got ten years on me!

[robthehiker]

Back when I was a skinny high school kid a couple of clowns at the local McDonalds (no, it wasn't Ronald McDonald) decided to loudly question my masculinity. I ignored them at first but they continued. I quietly asked them if they wanted to step outside. They laughed and said "which one of us?". I smiled and said "both". They looked a little uneasy and said "oh yeah, you'll go first and jump us" and I replied "why don't you go first and jump me?". They quickly backtracked and apologized. Funniest part was that they were both bigger than me and I wasn't a fighter.

In both cases I think the aggressors thought "this guy should be scared. what does he know that we don't?" It won't always work and it's usually a better idea to avoid the confrontation but sometimes you have to stand up to them. (It doesn't sound like you had much of a choice).

I'm glad it worked out for you but I recommend you be very careful if you're in the same area again. Give them time to think about it and they'll realize they fell for your bluff. A few weeks later I had my bluff called by one of them.


I kicked his a$$.

[jordanjm]

I am glad you were not injured.

[kiltedinUSMC]

Well first of all I glad those punks back off when you showed them you not to be messed with. It reminds me of a story from last year. Some older gentleman was in a store and some thief tried to steal his wallet. The gentleman felt the wallet leaving his back pocket and turn and punched him. Now you see the gentleman was a former Marine and two time golden glove boxer. Lets just say the thief need a BIG piece of beefstake to go with his jail sentance.

[Panache]

Streetcar made a very valid point here:

Good on ya! Vermin prefer victims that won't fight back.

I believe a lot of Self Defense classes stress the importance of not looking like a victim. People that show confidence instead of fear are less likely to be victimized. Thugs want an easy target.

It was also mentioned early in this thread the importance of being aware of one's surroundings. Attackers want the element of surprise or at least isolation.

I have a suspicion that these two factors were as much responsible for the punks leaving NewKilt as the knife.

I have a couple of sgian dubhs and a couple of "sgian don'ts" and I wear one or the other based on what I happen to be doing and where I am going. So I am aware of the responsibility one must have when carrying a weapon.

(Side note: I was at a school fair at my son's elementary school and was approached by a police officer. She had her hands at a ready position and asked me to step aside and wanted to question me about what was in my sock. Carrying a knife at school would be illegal so this time it was a comb. I explained what it was and asked her if I could show it to her. Only after she said yes did I pull it out slowly. Had I acted foolishly or belligerently I probably could have gotten myself shot.)

The act of drawing a weapon on others offers a choice to those people. Do they stand down or do they escalate things to the next level? It is something that shouldn't be done lightly. If you pull a knife it does offer the possibility of them drawing a weapon in response. Or perhaps taking your knife away and using it on you.

I'm not a pacifist. As an adult human being I am going to assume that any physical assault on me or mine is done with serious intent and I will respond with equal deadly focus. I think if you draw a weapon on another human being it is because you absolutely have to and you are fully intent on using it. I don't see a place for bravado here.

For the record when I go out walking in the foothills I carry a stout walking stick or hiking staff because we have Mountain Lions in the Santa Cruz Moutains and Los Gatos foothills. It also gives me a bit of peace of mind in case of two legged predators. But having a walking stick handy is very different than actively drawing a knife.

In an age where there are far too many incidents of casual violence I think we need to be careful. We need to not be victims, but we also need to make sure we aren't throwing down gauntlets either.


I am happy that NewKilt came out of this incident safe. My only point for posting on his thread was to offer the point that this could have turned out very differently. The five men he encountered could have taken the act of drawing his sgian dubh and presenting it in a threatening gesture as an invitation to take things to the "next level".

Respectfully

Jamie

[Ancienne Alliance]

Great story ! Congratulations .

Something very silmilar happened to me once. They were only 2 , but when they glanced at the sgian dubh in my hose, they turned white and walked away. They met a third guy and I overheard this last one say : "Hey ! Don't mess around with them kilted persons. They're all warriors and they can go nuts : they have such a sense of honor..."

I was smiling to myself : Strange how urban legends can catch up with reality...


Best,

Robert

[Streetcar]

I am happy that NewKilt came out of this incident safe. My only point for posting on his thread was to offer the point that this could have turned out very differently. The five men he encountered could have taken the act of drawing his sgian dubh and presenting it in a threatening gesture as an invitation to take things to the "next level"....

Panache (rightly) brings up very real concerns that anyone who carries a weapon should keep in mind - be it a sgian, walking stick, pepper spray or something more martial.

Know your skills, abilities and your own willingness in an encounter.

Here's some other food for thought:
Police departments across the country (including mine) have seen a rise in injury to officers during confrontations. Post incident studies have shown that many officers are so concerned about possibly being sued later, that they are not using appropriate levels of force to defend themselves.

The old axiom "Better be judged by nine, than carried by six," is a bit hackneyed, but I believe the sentiment behind it is still valid.

When the "hammer falls," there's really no time to think through all the possible outcomes of what to do next. You go by your instincts and any training you may have.

In this case, it was more than enough for NewKilt to "show his teeth," to get these weasels to slink away.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Panache (rightly) brings up very real concerns that anyone who carries a weapon should keep in mind - be it a sgian, walking stick, pepper spray or something more martial.

Know your skills, abilities and your own willingness in an encounter.

Here's some other food for thought:
Police departments across the country (including mine) have seen a rise in injury to officers during confrontations. Post incident studies have shown that many officers are so concerned about possibly being sued later, that they are not using appropriate levels of force to defend themselves.

The old axiom "Better be judged by nine, than carried by six," is a bit hackneyed, but I believe the sentiment behind it is still valid.

When the "hammer falls," there's really no time to think through all the possible outcomes of what to do next. You go by your instincts and any training you may have.

In this case, it was more than enough for NewKilt to "show his teeth," to get these weasels to slink away.

Another thing to keep in mind is the legistlation of your country regarding fire arms. Guns are'nt allowed in Europe. I UK , "Bobbies" do not even bear them.
Times and circumstances...

Showing teeth is universal.... and a good thing.


Best,

Robert

[Jack Daw]

I'm not against firearms, but they are not my thing. I like blades and I think they are a good protection. Power on.

[Bludongle]

I loathe fighting...

but I dispise predators more.

I would rather stand up to a punch even if I get my backside handed to my with the second swing than to never let myself and others know that their behavior is not acceptable.

even when I lose I win.