How do you protect yourself from killers or robbers?

Scenario 1: You wake up in the middle for the night, 2 guys in masks break into your house with knives and guns. You have to protect yourself and family. What do you do? Hide behind a corner with a knife and wait for them to cross that corner? What are ways not to choke up and crawl up into a ball? This is a serious question, to do with survival in your home, when someone breaks in meaning to do harm?

Originally posted by MaddogkullWhat are ways not to choke up and crawl up into a ball?

Go over the scenario again and again and again. Have a plan and stick to it.

Generally the thing to do is gather everyone into a designated "safe room" usually a bedroom far away from where the break-in is happening then call the cops and keep that shotgun aimed at the door.

Let them steal and smash and kill the dog or whatever it is they are doing because your life is more important than any of those things.

And playing hero with a direct confrontation or solo sans backup, training, body armor, house sweeping is grade-A stupid.

I am too passive so maybe little. Being in london this is not far fetched, and we have had people trying to get in at night here.

But i doubt you really could do much as people are rotten and once they are in, what can you do, especially if they are on drugs or something.

1. You ensure your home is secured and do not obscenely parade your money around. You dont become a target.

If desperate robbers decides to take a chance and got lucky through your defense system, be aware that Robbers only want one thing in mind - money, not life. Your life is more precious than that few bucks. Give it to him. Nothing is worth losing your life for. Not even a family heirloom.

2. If you face a killer, such as those mad ones in recent times who brook no negotiations, then NEVER back away should his gun be pointing at you. You will lose your life anyway, there is no place or time to hide. Take a chance, grab him and smash him to pulp.

One bullet rarely can stop a man, not even a direct head shot, which will require very close quarters. You will still have some energy to grap him and pin him down. Rigour Mortis sets in quickly and he will not be able to lift you up.

At least if you die, you will ensure others will live when he is stopped by you.

May you be blessed to avoid such confrontations. Good Luck and cheers!

If somone wants to kill you or your family and they are smart... theres nothing you can do.

If your worried about being robbed.... dont live in a nice house and dont own things that are better than the people around you.

reply to post by Wertdagf


There’s nothing you can do....There is always something you can do. Always. Are you saying a robber’s intellectual ability outweighs the person that is getting robbed?

Vigilance and preparedness ultimately are your only defense - having 4 dogs and no kids helps me tremendously! I'd have to rethink my lifestyle completely with kids, because I'm rarely beyond arms length from a loaded weapon. But my answer to your question is: reach under the pillow and blast away, unless the dogs alerted and there's time to get the shotgun from under the bed. I don't live in an urban area so it's not that unusual to be within arms reach most of the time. CCW away from home.

gj

Dogs are always a great deterrent as well as protection. They can wake you up if they hear someone creeping outside.

Always have a gun in your bedroom that you can access and always sleep with all the doors locked.

I have an escape out of my sleeping quarters to the outside where I am close to both the side and back door. If either door were being kicked in I could silently flank them outside as I keep a gun in my room as well. That would be the end of that situation.

For both me and my father... if someone was to break in it would almost be a game to us.

Just for fun...

Answer.... I wake up to my ADT alarm screaming "IF" my German shepherd was not already barking or eating someone coming in... I reach up to my holster and grab my 9mm hanging from my bedpost or more likely I grab my AR which is under the bed.... The rest is hypothetical depending "if" the intruders have been dumb enough to stay with the dog and alarm.... they had better be fast and waste me before I open by bedroom door.

This country doesn't permit the average citizen to own a firearm or even mace. So here, you have to think differently about a whole range of issues

I've lived in some fairly dangerous locations and for many years the only thing between the world and my children, was me

Whether or not I'd freeze in reality, I don't know. But I've done my best to prepare myself mentally, for if the worst should ever happen.

In so many accounts, it's said that the attacker threatened the victim/s with injury or death unless they did as they were told. And we hear and read stories of the victim complying

So I've told my children that if someone orders them to 'drive and do exactly as you're told', they should drive the car straight into a building -- a shop or house or even into a lamp-post. At least that way there's a chance people will come to investigate. And the attacker (if he was still alive) would be more interested in escaping than in killing the victim

After all, if they've got a knife in your neck or ribs as they order you to drive, what do you have to lose ? Theyr'e going to kill you and worse anyway, once they've forced you to drive somewhere secluded. So it's better to smash the car in a place where at least there are other people around, even if you break your legs or neck in the process. Better than being raped, tortured for days and finally killed anyway

Same inside your home. Might as well smash everything you can lay hands on. And throw heavy objects through the windows. That way, there's a chance neighbours will come to investigate, or call the police. At very least, it might start neighbour's dogs barking, which could lead to people coming out of their homes to see what was going on. Even grabbing the tv or radio remote control and ramping the volume as far as it will go before smashing the remote with your foot, is better than nothing and will draw attention

Or you could turn on the gas jets in the kitchen, etc., if you have gas ... then light a match. Or set the curtains alight. Fire draws attention, as does the sound of glass breaking

But every situation's different. Some robbers are professionals and just want to grab stuff and get out. Let them. Others smash in strangers' doors with baseball bats and then get to work on the occupants

You'd need to sum up very quickly as to what the attackers' intentions are. If they immediately take more interest in you than in your possessions, it's bad and you might as well give it all you've got for as long as you can, in the hope of convincing them they'd be better off getting out before neighbours call the police

Most people aren't used to physical violence. It's programmed out of most of us. So they tend to be obedient in the crazy belief that if they do as the attacker says, the attacker will let them walk away. Or they believe they can appeal to the attackers' better nature. But look at it -- they're in your home, your car, your personal space. You've seen their face/s. They don't want to lose their liberty. You and the fact you can identify them stands between them and jail. So they're going to make sure you can't identify them

I saw a video on Youtube of a man who went ape in a courtroom. It took four or more officers to pin him down. So one person (you) are capable of putting up a hell of a fight if you put your mind to it. Better to die that way than meekly allow them to tape your mouth and hands

reply to post by Maddogkull


Boobie Traps...
(hehe, I said boobie)

No, on a serious note my house is well protected against invasion. We built our house with safety in mind, the children have a way into our panic room through their rooms and I have arms in the house if worse comes to worse.

Although the dogs would give them quite the run for their money. We have 3 full grown 80+ pound pitbulls in the house. Ohh and my cat, whome may seem nice and cuddly, but is the ruler of my house on any given day .

I'd rather have my family protected than my property. I don't care if they come in a rob the place and steal everything I own, so long as my children are safe, I would gladly let them do it.

~Keeper



[edit on 4/17/2010 by tothetenthpower]

Wouldn’t hiding behind a corner with a butcher knife be a good idea? They will be taken off guard, and of course they would most likely die, but if they come into your house they have to expect trouble.

reply to post by Maddogkull


Killing or even disabling someone using a knife is NOT as easy as it sounds or how they make it look in the movies...

Your better off with a Baseball Bat

Semper

Originally posted by Maddogkull
Wouldn’t hiding behind a corner with a butcher knife be a good idea? They will be taken off guard, and of course they would most likely die, but if they come into your house they have to expect trouble.

That could work brilliantly. Or not. Every situation's different.

If catching them off-guard with a knife is what feels right to you, and if it's what you've visualised -- then that's the way you'll deal with it, initially at least. Because as we know, when we visualise/imagine something repeatedly (and especially if it's reinforced with emotion) then it becomes automatic

But don't rule out improvisation, either. Keep adding to your mental preparation. Look around you right now ... what could be used as a weapon ? Just about anything, right ? A fruit bowl. A fire-extinguisher. A cannister filled with biscuits. The dog's bowl filled with water. A lamp. Virtually anything can serve as a weapon and/or projectile

And even an attacker will flinch and atempt to protect his eyes when something's thrown at him. That split-second gives you time to cover half a room, to grab something else ... or to leap full-body on the attacker, or get in a good kick or give you time to grab another knife or push one of your children out of a window to safety

In those situations, based on what I've observed in movies, etc. it's important to keep moving -- to be a moving target and to do damage to the attacker/s in order to give your family time to run

reply to post by semperfortis


Well with a butcher knife all you got to do is a few quick slashes and jabs? What if someone deeks out the baseball bat? I for one have dodged a baseball bat to my head. I honestly do not think i could dodge a butcher knife coming at me off guard, (IE, me in a corner, coming out of nowhere attacking the intruder with a butcher knife). But also i never dodged a baseball bat off guard either. I don't know i just have a more comfortable feeling with a knife? If anything did happen that is bad wouldn’t it be wise to use the thing you are most comfortable is?

reply to post by Maddogkull


Always best to go with what your comfortable with... But just remember what I said.. It is DIFFICULT to kill or disable with a knife...

Semper

It all starts with preventative measures and deterrents. Then have a plan developed just in case those fail; which, most likely, they will not.

Buglers and robbers like easy targets, so give off the appearance of being secure.

-keep cell phone bedside (have 911 on speed dial)
-keep bedroom door locked, to buy time
-keep weapon of your choice in the bedroom, just in case all of your other measures fail.

When not at home:
-never post on face book or other places that you intend to be out of town.
-keep lights/radio on while gone (or have them on timers)
-have friends/family stop by to pick up mail & news papers (if anyone still gets news papers)....or call the post office and have them pause delivery while gone.

Aside from that, while out in public...simply be aware of your surroundings and avoid potential danger zones (i.e. poorly lit areas, isolated areas, etc.).

Most of all, enjoy life, as you can't live in fear. If someone has set their sights on you as their target and they are committed to it...well, you really can't prevent that...so basic self defense knowledge is recommended.

I'm sure there are many other tips, but that's off the top of my head.

reply to post by Maddogkull



This is just my contribution, but if I were going to use a knife on someone, I'd be going for the back of their heels wtih it, or the big muscles in the back of the thigh, or behind the knee. Then the neck and finally the gut

If they're standing up or above you, you'd be hard to grab if you were down low. And once you'd slashed their Achilles or other major tendons, they'd be going nowhere. So I'd be using that knife to bring them down and immobilise and/or finish them, rather than standing toe to toe, trying to get one into their midsection ... because if you're both up and wrestling around with a knife between you, it could go on for minutes and you could be disabled yourself

So I'd be bringing them down with the knife and going after the others, if there were any

But I'm a woman, so I probably look at it differently, seeing as most men are easily stronger in the shoulders and trunk than I am. I'd have to fight like a snake ... down low and fast

reply to post by Dock9


Remember, this is no small pcoket knife, im talking about a full fledge butcher knife, those things are deadly. But I know what you mean.

I love this investigation, thanks mad dog. And thanks Dock 9, great ideas.
I believe we should have drills and use weapons - oven cleaner spray or rubbing alcohol; lamps or furniture if we do not have anything else. I think the key is mental and physical preparation, and the mental takes time for some ! As a female, i was conditioned to be afraid, cry, and cower. Until a few years as a single parent, when I got tired of the nightmares. So, started making logical defense strategies and scenarios in my head, and preparing my home in each room.
I taught my children to go to a safe room, grab acidic spray cleaner for eyes, and how to **Not Swing, But Jab,** with a bat or posthole digger, etc. etc.
A real dangerous guy taught me that ! Jab em in the gut and groin if you are short like me, or they will grab it.
Honestly, with a prepared home, dog, "special decorations" in each room, and sporting goods, I think like a different person now ! Sleep is sure better !
Get some dowels in those windows and have a good weekend !