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I have frequently traveled to Philadelphia Pa. For case investigations ! As interesting as the downtown is , the streets are littered with the homeless ..you are constantly pestered by unsavory individuals and >> crack cocaine , in particular , make the streets unsafe so that smart people know enough to finish their business before dark ! Predators pretty much rule the streets at night and they are very cunning in setting up surprise traps for the unwary in spite of the awareness we would like to think we practice !

" The will to win is not as nearly important as the will to prepare to win "

With this in mind , the following true event will strike familiar mindset chords with my regular readers !!

An employee for the city , working the night shift , was smart enough to prepare to "win" with a concealed pistol in the left inside pocket of his winter coat , so that he would have reach across his chest with his right hand in "crossdraw" fashion to access the weapon !

When he walked to his car He saw a group of "hostiles" stirring at a point about 50 yards past the auto on the same side of the street as the parked vehicle . As he got in behind the wheel , he noticed, in the rear view mirror, that the punks were moving fast on him and would have caught up with the car with him in it as a sitting duck before he would have a chance to drive away !

As he stepped out of the car [ good tactical move] he saw one shift to the other side of the street to outflank him ! The would be victim stood frozen , his right hand in cross draw fashion ! The punks sensed the body language and stopped dead in their tracks and reversed direction ! The punk on the outflank , shuffled in confusion and crossed over to join the other retreating s** bags !

Then , He crossed the street and started back towards the car at the same time that the others were now re-approaching the vehicle at a slow pace saying "we are going to our house"! Then the moron angled to the middle of the street glaring at the would be victim for "an interview" i.e., cursing and uttering " What the f** you looking at " >>>The would be victim stood silent , not responding , glaring back , his hand frozen in cross draw …The message was clear ..the punks [ drug dealers] knew the guy would fight with a gun and they were frustrated to have to get into a gunfight even if one of them had had a gun ! They dissipated into the night cursing out loud !

The employee later said that he felt at that moment he would have shot them ..he also said he was aware of the fact no one knows for sure whether they can shoot another human being with the intent to kill them until after they have done it . He felt that what saved him that night is those punks believed he would shoot , and so did he !!

Can you see yourself in his shoes ? Do you think you could react the same way ! What are you doing for "preparation" besides your katas and kumite` ??

Van

Hello Van,

Not much changes about Philadelphia, not even the Cream Cheese. In the 60s I drove through the wrong neighborhood by accident. My car was stoned and was about to be overturned (and most likely set on fire like many were during those troubled times) while my family and I were in it. Safely drove out of there with no more than busted glass and many dents.

allen

Allen

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[This message has been edited by Mike Hurney (edited 11-16-98).]

Allen,
You should have turned Chris loose on them.

Hello Mike,

See Chris Lee advancing forward in front of the car, clearing a path through the asphalt jungle of what seems like hundreds of angry crazy-faced people bent on destruction and killing, with his jumping side-kicks. However, I wasn't thinking of him when I wrote 'family,' but of my eldest, an infant at the time who was resting comfortably in a car-bed in the backseat of my 1956 light-green ford tudor. He has since made me a great-grandfather (at least my grand-children did anyway).

I was driving south on 95 and took an exit off the highway to make a casual and relaxing pit stop and narrowly escaped. Don't remember exactly the year, but it was during the time of the riots and car-burnings across the US.

Don't know if you remember those days, Mike; but they were shameful years in the history of this country that makes the current-day shenanigans of one recently-famous man seem like picking daisies. How soon we forget the scars of history and of the times we went through to survive as a nation. How close we came to engaging in a full-scale civil war is scary.

This is a Beautiful Country, Mike, and we may have to work again someday, and call upon all our Sanchin Strengths, to keep it that way.

All my best to you, Mike. -- Allen

P.S. Chris wil be presenting his story on these pages. He wil pick the time when he wishes to write.


[This message has been edited by moulton (edited 11-16-98).]