Why Would You Need Your Gun There?!?!

How often do we hear it? Someone is talking about the places they carry, and inevitably another person will chime in "what, do you think you're going to need it there?!?". Often, (and unfortunately) the person making that exclamation is even a fellow CCW'er.

One of those places you commonly have this discussion about is the gym. "What, you think you're going to get mugged in the parking lot?"

Well, unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to a friend of mine very recently. He, like many of us, is attempting to shed the detritus of a too-sedentary lifestyle, and has been going to a local national chain gym to exercise. He lives in a reasonably decent area of North Dallas, I've been in that area to visit him a number of times.

He was coming out after his workout and heading for the car. He is not a CCWer, however, he does have a number of years of martial arts training, and has had enough experiences that he knows how to handle himself in a hands on situation. Well, as he's heading to the car, a young person in too heavy of a jacket approached him and gave the classical "approach/disarm" statement, something to the effect of "can I borrow a couple of bucks". When my friend answered in the negative, the thug-in-training reached into a pocket and pulled a knife, demanding his wallet.

A few things went very right for my buddy. Firstly, the thug telegraphed his movement for his pocket pretty well, my friend understood the moment the guy went for his pocket that things were very wrong (he went condition red, though he doesn't know it by that name), and as he told me, "I knew something was coming out, I just didn't know what it was." Finally, the thug was in grappling distance - not good when the other guy knows martial arts. My friend was able to control the thug's knife hand the moment he saw a knife come out of that pocket, and commenced to, shall we say...rearrange the thug's face. Once again, action beats reaction.

Long story short, he pounded the thug for a short bit, and when two other folks coming out of the gym saw that and asked what was up, the thug unfortunately was able to get away. Police were called, standard after action stuff here.

Ultimately, this continues to prove what I have known since I saw a SWAT team start clearing the building I was working in one day - life and death situations can happen anywhere. There are a number of people I know that only carry once in a while, "when I'm going to a bad place". They consider myself, and those like me that choose to go armed whenever and wherever possible, paranoid and delusional. "You'll never need it, and if you do, you won't be able to use it 'cause the guy will have the drop on you."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that thugs don't hang out in bad places, they go to good places where the pickings are much better. They don't care if you're on your way out to a nice dinner, or are on your way to work out, etc. They want money, and they want it now. Do not make the mistake of thinking these kinds of people are rational like you and me.

A while back, I posted my thoughts on this in a post called "Just Give Them What They Want". Feel free to take a gander if you have the time.

I'll leave you with a video I linked in that post below. Please, for the good of yourself and your family, watch this video and think about what it means to be sharing society with people that think this way. The story behind the video is here.
(The sound is a little odd at the beginning, but it gets audible pretty quickly into the interview.) (caution, there is uncensored language, don't blast it at work)




My friend ended up unharmed, other than a slightly sore hand. It could have been so much worse for him. Remember, it just takes a moment for someone that, when thinking about your family, can only say "f@#$ 'em" to truly ruin your life, and the lives of those around you.

Stay ready, and always be prepared to stop any threat that presents itself. Be safe out there folks.