A lot of good suggestions and observations posted in this thread. I have far from read the entire thing, but wanted to put a couple of thoughts down based on my own experiences, maybe give some things to think about, like those who have posted have done for me. If these have already been posted, then sorry....
My family teases me for this, but I pay close attention to what I wear in public. Even if I am going to get gas or a quick wally world trip:
- I do not wear sandals. They are terrible to move in, you will end up barefoot and that is no good.
- I do not wear anything around my neck. Example; my wife and I went to a big Expo in phoenix and the passes they gave when you bought tickets came on a lanyard to go around you neck. It went in my pocket. To easy for one or more attackers to get hold of. If I am driving home from a formal work meeting/event/church the tie comes off as soon as I step outside.
- If I cant fight the way I train because of my clothing, I don't wear it. If I cant use what I am learning in normal clothes, I don't train it.
- Urgency and speed of action is key. I have had several "group" altercations in my life and I have learned that if the attack seems imminent, than I should get a shot off first, without any reservation. I know this has been said, but I have personally seen that if you can make the first guy go down hard and ugly, it will often take the wind out of the sails of the other guys.
- If you can, signal out the leader, most often the mouthy one, and put him down hard, it will increase the effect.
Attack first, and do it if you can before they get any positional advantage. Here is a personal example I can relate to illustrate this:
I got out of my car in a parking lot at a grocery store late, trying to get in and get something home for dinner since my wife and I would both be getting home late from work. Just as I was closing my car door another car screeched in about 5 feet away. there were 4 guys in a car, windows rolled down threatening and swearing at me. The driver pushed his door open and started getting out. I bolted across the distance and did a running front kick into his driver door, smashing it into his body as he was halfway out. This was pretty damaging to him physically, but I stepped to the side and gave him another front kick to the face as he slumped in the seat. This elicited both a degree of shock and anger from the rest. He appeared incapacitated so I moved around to the other side of the car since the other front seat passenger was nearly out. By the time I got there he was out, but pretty up against the car. As this was a two door car I stopped him there, making it difficult for the other two to get out. I immediately attacked him. He swung a time or two, but after a stiff jab to the nose landed, he tried to withdraw into the car covering up with his arms. My car was left unlocked, so with the other two stunned and stuck in the back of the car, I jumped in my car and left.
Now, I acted aggressively, because that's my nature, because it had worked in the past, and because altercations aren't unfamiliar so much of the "first time hesitancy" is gone. The fact that I attacked first and did it before there were four guys out of the car helped a lot, since on my best day i can't beat 4 guys, and I didn't have a weapon that day.
Maybe I could have jumped back in my car immediately and drove off, but I felt the driver may have been able to keep me from getting in while the others surrounded.
Upon reflection afterward, the other potential serious issue with this situation is that I could have been shot at from a gun I couldn't see within the vehicle. Of course, I may have ended up shot point blank if they had gotten out of the car.
I have had some other experiences with multiple attackers, but I think this example illustrates the point.
Just some thoughts.
And, since some have made decent movie mentions already, I'll quote Josey Wales;
"Now remember, if things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is."
