Safety Tip
More and more people are starting
to realize that many attacks are initiated by more than one person.
If you are attacked by a group of
people, don't think for a second that it's like some Hollywood movie where they
will all politely take turns coming at you, while you take them out one at a
time. More likely it will be like a football game where the guy with the ball
(that's you) gets rushed by the entire opposing tackling team all at once.
If you are about to get
surrounded and someone blocks your way, take them out quickly and use the
opening to make your escape.
Remember,
people think and act differently in a group than they
would as individuals.
Assailants in a pack can be swept up in the emotion of
the event and become far more dangerous than if they
were acting alone. There can be an "aggressive momentum"
created by the group, and what started out as a shoving
match or a mugging can turn deadly.
Pack
behavior almost always involves an "alpha" or dominant
member who leads and motivates the other
members of the group. By removing that person or his
influence, you can often destroy the cohesiveness of his
followers.
The sooner you can recognize the "alpha member" in a
criminal pack, the sooner you can psychologically
affect the group as a whole.
But
always remember...The primary goal in a multiple
assailant confrontation is not to "win" but to escape.
If your efforts to avoid or defuse the encounter fail
and violence is inevitable... get the hell out of there
at your first "strategic opportunity."
