Practical Defense 157 - Cars and Kidnapping

[Alex Haddox]

Cars and Kidnapping - It is becoming increasingly common for robbers to force victims to a cash machine and withdraw money. What can you do if awareness fails and somehow you find yourself a victim of a cash machine kidnapping? We review a recent police report and present some safety tips.

13:32 mins

[Daeglan]

I have a bit of a disagreement with this episode. Based on what I have read in Gun Facts you should never comply you should fight back and the best way is with a gun. Why do you say differently?

[Alex Haddox]

It totally depends upon the situation. If you are ambushed and have a chance to walk away alive and unharmed you should take it. Give up the money; it is not worth your life.

The scenario I specifically cover here is kidnapping for profit (to take you to an ATM machine for a withdrawal). As I state in the episode, if you believe you will die or sustain grave bodily harm regardless of what you do, then by all means fight with all you have. Comply until you have reason not to comply.

"Never" is an absolute. The world has few absolutes.

[Daeglan]

My issue is the idea just give them the money or comply in anyway. From what I have read that is the best way to get injured. I always here law enforcement give the advice you give. But the studies I have read say that complying is the method most likely to get you injured. resistance and armed resistance is the method that gives you the best chance of getting out with no injuries.

Myth: You are more likely to be injured or killed using a gun for self-defense
Fact: You are far more likely to survive a violent assault if you defend yourself with a gun. In episodes where a robbery victim was injured, the injury/defense rates were:160
Resisting with a gun 6%
Did nothing at all 25%
Resisted with a knife 40%
Non-violent resistance 45%

From Gun Facts.

Muggers and kidnappers are not entering into a social contract with you and should not be treated as such.  Violent criminals are looking for weak easy to rob people. Your advice sounds like you are advising that you should be a weak easy to rob person.

[Alex Haddox]

I think you are confusing armed robbery with violent assault. They are distinct encounters and one will not necessarily lead to the other and you might even have an opportunity to avoid the progression.

I don't teach kubotan, knife, firearms and defensive tactics because I think people should roll over. I teach those things for when they are appropriate. Jumping straight to physical defense is not always the right thing to do.

For example, as in the examples I gave during the show, if someone gets the drop on me and has a gun to my face, I'm not going to be stupid and try to disarm him or go for my own weapon. I'm going to hand him my money. It takes him a fraction of a second to squeeze the trigger and it will take a LOT longer for me to do anything.

However, if I think, based upon any number of signals, that the guy is going to kill, rape and severely injure me, I will do whatever is necessary to protect myself.

Your duty to yourself and your family is to survive the encounter. Material things can be replaced. Your life cannot. Take my car, take my money, take my wedding ring; I want to live through the encounter. All of the force on force that I teach is for when things go to hell and you have no other choice left. They are your last-ditch tools.

It is a complicated issue because you are dealing with violent criminals in a highly volatile encounter. Even if their brain wiring is considered "normal" you are most likely dealing with someone is intoxicated with drugs, alcohol or both. It is true that being overly submissive can invite an attack when none was forthcoming. However, the same is also true for resisting an armed robber. There is a fine line between compliance and submission.

My rule and what I teach is if the armed robber demands money, give it to him. If he attacks you, do whatever it takes to stop him.

So, yes, I completely agree that you should defend yourself against a violent assault. However, you should do what you can to prevent an armed robbery from turning into an armed assault.

[Daeglan]

True however that is not really the impression you gave me. I think it would have been wiser to talk about biding your time looking for your opening. because yes if they have a gun to your head that is not the moment to strike. However you can use verbal skills and body language to give your self the opening. Saying you should just kowtow unless you think they are going to rape you or kill you i think sends the wrong message. Really the message should be assess your situation, remain calm, look for your opening to extricate your self from the situation. For example you could make like you are going for your wallet step off the line of fire while drawing your own weapon.