Will RBM work if I'm ever attacked?
Does this information really work if I am attacked?
It’s helpful for you if there’s some way to qualify this information as not being just theoretical. When I say it will work for you now, I mean right now. It’s not about what you can do after practicing for decades, it’s about what RBM can do for you, right now. Ben attended a one-day course many years ago. He didn’t think he would ever need the skills, but just wanted to find out more, so he signed up.
“I was walking home, and I saw a guy coming towards me, staggering up the road. I thought nothing of it when he asked if I had any money. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and shouted, “Give me your money”. I realised he had a knife and was pointing it at me, this is when the information I learned seemed to kick in. The first thing I had learnt was, if possible, make a sharp exit, so as a car sped by me, I ran out into the road and legged it, yelling “help I’m being mugged”. The car waited until I got out of the way and continued to drive at high speed up the road. My attacker grabbed me by the wrist again and attempted to pull me into a driveway. I tried to appeal one more time bringing what little change I had out of my pocket, but he threw it on the ground and grabbed me again. I realised; I was going to have to fight back. I grabbed the wrist with the knife and with the other hand I drove my thumb into his eye and pushed. Not the most pleasant thing in the world but I kept thinking “protect yourself, you have to stop him whatever way you can”. He fell backwards, and I kept my thumb in his eye until I was kneeling on him. He tried to get his hand free and swing the knife at me, but I had his wrist and twisted it, causing him to stab himself in the forehead and hurting his wrist.
I realised I had neutralised the threat and there was no need to do anything else. I had the knife, and I was sure he would not get up and follow me, so I left quickly. My mobile phone was damaged, so I couldn’t call the police, but the next morning I took the knife to the police station, made a statement, and handed over my clothes for D.N.A samples. The man who assaulted me was brought in for questioning and pleaded guilty. Apparently three witnesses came forward to identify him. I would like to know where they were at the time of the attack because they were not helping me. One of the witnesses even claimed I was the attacker, which I suppose is what I was in the end. The man received two and a half years without parole for attempted armed robbery and I got the confidence that everything I had been taught works.
So, what have I learnt from RBM? No one has the right to threaten you with bodily harm and if they do, you have every right to do whatever is in your power to stop them. I attended a full day course and after that night it changed my outlook on life completely, I’m not scared to walk down the street because I know I can defend myself, I’m quietly confident of my abilities, of what I am willing to do if someone threatens me or my family. I still hate violence and spurn aggressive behaviour but RBM! taught me that sometimes if threatened you can fight back. I have been shown how to neutralise a threat by swiftly inflicting pain to weak areas and then stop when there is no longer any threat. This training is not about becoming a ‘have a go hero’ or ‘vigilante’, it is about asserting yourself and not feeling scared of what is outside your front door.”
Ben
For the actual article reporting on the incident please refer to: http://eadt.co.uk/1.191251
East Anglian Daily Times: December 2008, Will Clarke, http://eadt.co.uk/1.191251
What I remember most from talking to Ben about this incident, was his annoyance at being referred to as a victim. He was peeved about it as he felt he was a target of knife crime but in no way a victim. His account is as expected for a violent attack and this is how violence functions, it’s not choreographed, it doesn’t always go to plan and you might mess things up, a bit like life really. It’s how you react when things don’t go as planned which is the element to focus on developing, utilising your ability to adapt and create solutions, having a versatility when facing challenges you’re able to focus on seeking out and creating positive solutions.
What Bens’ story does highlight is even though there were witnesses, nobody called the police or came to help. You must learn to look after yourself and have the confidence and belief in your ability to do so, developing a life skill of self-reliance, taking responsibility and ownership of your decisions. Something which certainly is not only relevant in self-defence situations.