I am back home in my country Sudan now I came a week ago from VIenna in Austria, yesterday about 3AM armed thieves broke into my house to steal. I woke up to the noises and found 2 guys in front of me one armed with a knife and another with a flashlight....i was able to smoothly pretend to go back to sleep without letting them know i was fully awake. Anyway they were heart stopping moments and the guy had the knife ready so close to me incase i woke up to attack. I had my eyes open and he didnt see that in the dark. I was a bit shaken in the first seconds but controlled myself and decided to attack! I knew it was a risk but i thoght since the other guy was busy stealing and his back turned to me and they do not know i am awake, i would do it. The armed guy had his groin so close to my hands reach and was a perfect target but a third guy walked in and i lost hope in over powering all three of them, i also feared they would harm the rest of my family who were sleeping. The guy was constantly bending over with his knife to see if i was asleep or not and he never took he never took his eye off me, at once stage they went to another room where my mother and little sister were, and here I was so afraiud he would harm them...there was nothing that i could use in sight only a scale but it was light and would maybe knock one guy down but the other two would have the opportunity to attack me or one of the family members who were asleep but they soon came back and luckily enough i quickly went back to my laying down position.....man i was so piissed to be helpless and see them take away things but at the same time the rush of fear that brushed through me at first when i saw the knife had me thinking twice whether to attack or not...but i overcame that after trying to focus and relax my mind...but it was a very hard experience thouugh...
This had me questioning my training in Wu shu and if its at all effective in such situations...anyway right now i am still so confused, but this has motivated me to work more on my martial arts and my strength. Tell me what you think and what you would have done if you were in my situation?
Almost lost a life yesterday
Almost lost a life yesterday
"Believe nothing that you hear, and half what you see." -Bruce Lee
Re: Almost lost a life yesterday
Don't think it would matter what you train in:-Moe wrote:This had me questioning my training in Wu shu and if its at all effective in such situations...?
You were outnumbered in the middle of the night by intruders who were(at least one of them) armed.The way they acted implies they had done this routine before.You had more to lose than they did(you family).
I think you stayed calm and considered all your options carefully before deciding on the best course of action.Moe wrote:Tell me what you think and what you would have done if you were in my situation?
Possessions can be replaced,your family's life,or your own,cannot.
I'm sure you'll talk to someone who says you should've done this move or should've done that move....Don't listen to them.They have probably watched far to many Jet Li films.
You did the right thing...
All the best to you and your family,
Dragon
Well Done
Wow, what a night you went through! I guess you have now experienced what I also have - That is that although we train martial arts for our self-defence, often in real situations there is more than just our own self defence at stake. As in your case, there is often your family or other loved ones who are also at risk.
I totally agree with dragon. You have come through safely and so has your family, therefore there is no argument! You made the right choice. Like you when I was in danger, afterwards I considered the many things i could have done, but it always came back to one reason why I didn't do them - that is, if I had my family would have been in jeapordy. As dragon said, well done in keeping a straight head!
As for your question on Wushu.. what kind of wushu do you do? The reason I ask is that i have done some wushu (long fist - ie chang quan) and although it is a lot of fun and looks great, it never dealt with real self-defence at all.
That being said - whatever you have or had trained in, you made the right choice. Feel comfort in knowing you kept your head in a tough spot. Well done!
I totally agree with dragon. You have come through safely and so has your family, therefore there is no argument! You made the right choice. Like you when I was in danger, afterwards I considered the many things i could have done, but it always came back to one reason why I didn't do them - that is, if I had my family would have been in jeapordy. As dragon said, well done in keeping a straight head!
As for your question on Wushu.. what kind of wushu do you do? The reason I ask is that i have done some wushu (long fist - ie chang quan) and although it is a lot of fun and looks great, it never dealt with real self-defence at all.
That being said - whatever you have or had trained in, you made the right choice. Feel comfort in knowing you kept your head in a tough spot. Well done!
Sadly,many martial arts don't deal with the psychological side of training(either the build up to a confrontation or the aftermath).
There is a very good self defence book you can buy that deals with all of the psychological aspects of self defence-adrenaline,uncontrollable shaking,feeling sick,etc.
When you understand why your body goes through these physical/mental feelings,it helps you to accept them and control them.
The book also has interviews with muggers,rapists,thugs,etc to find out what they look for in a victim,the attack ritual they go through,etc and how you can make yourself/your property a harder target.
The book is Dead or Alive by Geoff Thompson.
As for the point Kit raised about Wu Shu-I always looked at Wu Shu more of a display/performance art.I know some schools also teach San Shou in their syllabus,but those schools seem to be uncommon.
Whatever art you do,i'm a firm believer in cross training.Take a long honest look at the art you do and see if there are any weaknesses.
If there are,train in something else too(not instead of).
I train in Kung Fu for the art side of things(i enjoy the way it looks,the sets/forms,etc) but i also train in kick boxing and grappling for more contact and to try and make myself more of a well rounded fighter.
Dragon.
There is a very good self defence book you can buy that deals with all of the psychological aspects of self defence-adrenaline,uncontrollable shaking,feeling sick,etc.
When you understand why your body goes through these physical/mental feelings,it helps you to accept them and control them.
The book also has interviews with muggers,rapists,thugs,etc to find out what they look for in a victim,the attack ritual they go through,etc and how you can make yourself/your property a harder target.
The book is Dead or Alive by Geoff Thompson.
As for the point Kit raised about Wu Shu-I always looked at Wu Shu more of a display/performance art.I know some schools also teach San Shou in their syllabus,but those schools seem to be uncommon.
Whatever art you do,i'm a firm believer in cross training.Take a long honest look at the art you do and see if there are any weaknesses.
If there are,train in something else too(not instead of).
I train in Kung Fu for the art side of things(i enjoy the way it looks,the sets/forms,etc) but i also train in kick boxing and grappling for more contact and to try and make myself more of a well rounded fighter.
Dragon.
I am very sorry to hear what had happened and I am relieved that no one was hurt. Dragon pretty much sumed it up. You were outnumbered and you had family members around and so just letting them take what they wanted was the best course of action. I am sure you have thought of it already but of course if they really wanted to harm you then they would have done so as soon as they entered your house.
If anything, that is the one good thing about all martial arts. It teaches you how to defend yourself but it also seems to show you that fighting is hard. Many people who do not take a martial art don't realize that it's not easy to knock someone out or at least even stun the person in a real life situation. It's very uncontrollable even in sparring competitions and understanding this fact can actually save people from getting hurt or even killed when they are comfronted and there is a chance to avoid conflict.
You can never be prepared for every situation no matter how hard you tried. That is why it is more important to practice keeping a cool and clear head. Question and rationalize everything you do. Of course you can prepare yourself better by cross training in different martial arts or sports but always remember that your choices and reactions to all situations is whats most important.
be well,
jrlefty
I think it would be very hard to find a martial art that dealt with these types of situations and I wouldn't say that your art was not helpful in this situation. Like Dragon and Kit mentioned, you acted in a very controled and responsible matter. I definitely believe that you would have reacted differently if you were not in some sort of martial arts training and could have made the situation worse.This had me questioning my training in Wu shu and if its at all effective in such situations...anyway right now i am still so confused, but this has motivated me to work more on my martial arts and my strength.
If anything, that is the one good thing about all martial arts. It teaches you how to defend yourself but it also seems to show you that fighting is hard. Many people who do not take a martial art don't realize that it's not easy to knock someone out or at least even stun the person in a real life situation. It's very uncontrollable even in sparring competitions and understanding this fact can actually save people from getting hurt or even killed when they are comfronted and there is a chance to avoid conflict.
You can never be prepared for every situation no matter how hard you tried. That is why it is more important to practice keeping a cool and clear head. Question and rationalize everything you do. Of course you can prepare yourself better by cross training in different martial arts or sports but always remember that your choices and reactions to all situations is whats most important.
be well,
jrlefty
"If you love life do not waste time because time is what life is made of"-Bruce Lee
On the same note as the last post from jrlefty, there is an old japanese story:
One farmer owed a landowner a large sum of money. The land owner came to collect the money, but the farmer begged for more time. The land owner gave him one more week.
The following week the land owner returned to collect his money, but the farmer said, "Please give me more time." The land owner, who was well known for his skill in martial arts, reached for his sword and said, "Pay me know, or i will be forced to kill you."
The farmer replied, "wait - since we last met, I also have learnt some martial arts!"
"What have you learnt?" The land owner asked.
"That one should never draw their sword, or begin an attack without careful consideration." The farmer replied.
The landowner was surprised by this small piece of wisdom from the farmer and agreed to give him one more week to pay the debt.
A few days later the landowner arrived home early, to find a pair of men's footwear at the entrance of his house and his wife in bed with someone, sleeping. The landowner reached for his sword and was about to strike the 'cheating pair', when he remembered the words of the farmer, to consider his actions. He put his sword back with a clunk and his wife awoke, surprised to see him standing over her with his hand still on his sword.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Me?" he replied, "What about you? You are in bed with another man!"
At this point the other slumbering body in the bed rolled over. It was not a man. It was his wife's mother. It turned out the footwear at the door was in fact his own.
The landowner went back to the farmer and thanked him for his small piece of wisdom, saying the debt had been well repaid.
One farmer owed a landowner a large sum of money. The land owner came to collect the money, but the farmer begged for more time. The land owner gave him one more week.
The following week the land owner returned to collect his money, but the farmer said, "Please give me more time." The land owner, who was well known for his skill in martial arts, reached for his sword and said, "Pay me know, or i will be forced to kill you."
The farmer replied, "wait - since we last met, I also have learnt some martial arts!"
"What have you learnt?" The land owner asked.
"That one should never draw their sword, or begin an attack without careful consideration." The farmer replied.
The landowner was surprised by this small piece of wisdom from the farmer and agreed to give him one more week to pay the debt.
A few days later the landowner arrived home early, to find a pair of men's footwear at the entrance of his house and his wife in bed with someone, sleeping. The landowner reached for his sword and was about to strike the 'cheating pair', when he remembered the words of the farmer, to consider his actions. He put his sword back with a clunk and his wife awoke, surprised to see him standing over her with his hand still on his sword.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Me?" he replied, "What about you? You are in bed with another man!"
At this point the other slumbering body in the bed rolled over. It was not a man. It was his wife's mother. It turned out the footwear at the door was in fact his own.
The landowner went back to the farmer and thanked him for his small piece of wisdom, saying the debt had been well repaid.
This comes back to the point i made about "display/performance" arts.Maybe that was a bad description-Non contact arts would be a better description.jrlefty wrote:I definitely believe that you would have reacted differently if you were not in some sort of martial arts training and could have made the situation worse.
If anything, that is the one good thing about all martial arts. It teaches you how to defend yourself but it also seems to show you that fighting is hard. Many people who do not take a martial art don't realize that it's not easy to knock someone out or at least even stun the person in a real life situation.
I think there are some martial artists out there who are practically suicidal in their approach to self defence because their knowledge may be all technique and theory with no practical.
As jrlefty said,some things are harder than you think.
The fault isn't always with the trainee for believing they may be better/more able to cope with situations than they really are.If a trainee is practicing a non-contact martial art just for health,displays,they think it looks good,etc then that's fine as long as they realize/been informed by their teacher that's what it is.
I've lost count though of how many martial ads/posters i've seen saying "THE ULTIMATE SELF DEFENCE FOR MEN,WOMEN,AND CHILDREN!!"
This type of sales pitch instills people with a false sense of confidence and is dangerous.
I'm not saying that anyone who practices these types of martial art will be useless in a fight.I'm saying that a trainee who has experience in contact fighting will be better prepared.
In the 70's,Bruce Lee described martial arts with no contact work/sparring as "dry land swimming".Seems all these years later some things haven't changed.
Dragon.
Hey guys, i'm very happy with all of your posts and responses and giving me your insight on the situtation. Indeed i think if i had done the opposite things would have taken plunge to the worst. We were called by the police a few days ago to see some suspects and my mother and I were able to make out one of them, she made out the face of one i recognized what he smelled like.
There's more id like to post, and answer some of the questions some people put here but my time is little but i will get back to it as soon as possible.
Thank you all
There's more id like to post, and answer some of the questions some people put here but my time is little but i will get back to it as soon as possible.
Thank you all
"Believe nothing that you hear, and half what you see." -Bruce Lee