You handled your encounter very well though I hope you don’t mind a tiny bit of constructive criticism (can’t help myself, my wife says I nitpick everything and I always like to try and pass on helpful techniques ): you talked too much to those people. Bad guys, of the really dangerous or just mildly annoying variety, just about always seek to engage you (in just the manner they did in your case); they hope to lower your defenses AND stop you in one spot that will be more or less convenient for their attack.

Refusing to engage with them through the use of a simple sentence that rejects them while not provoking them (“sorry, can’t help you”) while you keep moving away from them and preferably towards an area where you can get help or fight more advantageously, is most of time very effective in dissuading more contact (nothing is 100%). There are a couple more verbal responses if things don’t improve followed by a counterattack if it is required.

We call these responses “tape loops” because it is like turning on a tape player. You don’t have to think about specific responses for every situations (it takes time and thought, neither of which you may have much of). If you have just one or two that apply to nearly all encounters, you can actually plan how to turn the encounter to your advantage while your tape loop plays out without much conscious thought on your part.

I believe your faith in your ability to kick ass is a major part in your ability to project strength and use fear and anger properly and thus turn those people away. Confidence in one’s abilities greatly minimizes the mental clutter that can occur when dealing with potential violence (the Japanese concept of mushin is dead on as you already know) and minimizes fear greatly. I deeply believe that the physical skills we possess, the mindset to use them properly and the attitude we project to others are not separable; these are actually all one and the same in my mind.

Anyway, I’m a fan of your books and keep looking forward to the many more to come .

Thank about the many things that can go the way yours was & mentally practice fighting viciously. The whole enchilada. Tooth & nail.

I used to be in banking and that was how I survived the bank robberies & one was in your town done by Bandits (only not cute like Bruce Willis).

But, nothing like having kids present to really change a situation…