Even people with extensive combat training freeze under fire. What planning ahead do you think the ordinary Joe Public can put themselves through that would be any use in such a situation?
Poll: A George Cross for Samir Zitouni
- Thread starter Hagar
- Start date
Doing a form of martial art would certainly help.
An old training partner of mine took on 5 kids armed with knives trying to rob him of his phone, yes he got some injuries to him, but he also beat ten bells out of 2 of them which stopped them attacking and stopped them from robbing his stuff.
Even just having 2 people trained in an effective martial art (effective being key word here), they would have been able to deal with the POS, yes they could have injured themselves, but they would have stood a better chance than the railway staff at resolving the issue and stopping people being injured.
You have to go from zero to 100% aggression instantly though, whilst the attacker is already on it. You can do all the prep in the world, doesn't mean you are going to be John Wick when it kicks off.
They've got a knife, you've got a latte.
They've got a knife, you've got a latte.
Gotta go full platinum87, you mean.
Some people can, most people can't. The ones who can (that are not just drunk thugs or football hooligans) should be celebrated.
I hope this guy gets a reward, but I hope the other ones on the train don't get forgotten.
My wife was telling me the train driver was ex-military, and about him having the presence of mind to radio ahead and get things moved around so he could stop the train at an appropriate platform to get people off the train, as he was otherwise due to sail through Huntingdon on an unsuitable platform. That’s really smart thinking in an intensely pressured situation. Is that brave? Not as such, no, but it will definitely have helped getting people to safety quicker. That should also be lauded.
it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing to have - i've always advised people learn some form of self defence - but there's still the inherent fight or flight response and none of us know how they'll will respond in that situation until they've been in it. having a couple of folk on board who were trained in an effective martial art is still no guarantee they won't be the first 2 out the doors at the first sign of trouble. but overall, yea it's absolutely a good idea for people to have at least a bit of basic self defence training. i just don't think there's anything general public can do to prepare for something like this - which is what my initial reply was in relation to.
George Michael, maybe?
Yeah completely fair enough.
Yeah I agree those with certain martial arts backgrounds would be some of the first to be going out the door. But from other disciplines such as BJJ, MMA, I would expect them to be in fight mode.
This is where effective martial arts comes into it and as @Uther mentioned going from 0 to 100 is not for everyone. But BJJ, MMA, muay thai and even boxing would be better suited and more effective at flipping the switch, so to say. In BJJ and MMA, you do learn what it is like to go at 100% and get comfortable going to that level. This is due to a lot of grappling where you can go 100% without seriously injuring another, where as you're not going to go 100% sparring in boxing or kickboxing as you will do damage.