Components Of A Criminal Assault

* There is usually the presence of disproportionate armament and unequal initiative. This means that the bad guys have more (or better) weapons than their victims, and they have the advantage of knowing when the assault is going to take place.

* Criminals are not interested in a contest of skill, they’re interested in getting paid. If criminals wanted a challenge, they’d start a business, join the military, or become professional athletes. They will almost always be lazy enough to not want a job, yet sociopathic enough to be willing to hurt you and take whatever you possess if you present a soft enough target.

* They understand the value of an ambush. Successful violent criminals do not telegraph their intent. By the time they show their intent, you’re already getting a gun pressed to your head, a blade placed on your neck, or your teeth knocked down your throat.

* Employing a firearm on your part, early enough in the encounter, can be a deterrent. This goes to the aforementioned “wanting to get paid”. For a criminal, getting shot does not constitute a good days work. For the intended victim, this means being aware enough to realize what’s about to happen as early as possible in the encounter.

* Criminals have to get close enough to you to employ whatever their particular choice of physical intimidation in order to take your goods. Generally speaking, most handgun schools will give lip service to the fact that you can’t get mugged from across the street. However they will then proceed to conduct shooting drills at ranges of anywhere from three to seven yards and believe it is a reasonable method of training for an actual situation. The truth unfortunately is that most attacks will occur at conversational distances of 3 feet or less.

* There is usually more than one assailant. Criminals may be bad guys and not rocket scientists, but they certainly understand the value of strength in numbers. Multiple assailants are always bad news.

* Last but not least, there will almost always be a weapon involved. Whether it is a gun, a knife, or a beer bottle, you can expect something will be used to either put a hole in you or beat you down.