Street Self Defense is where a physical confrontation exists between attacker and victim. In the act of Physical Self-Defense, a victim may employ “tools”. These tools could be pepper spray, a handgun, an impact device, fighting and grappling techniques, sonic alarms, dogs and etc. However, no matter how much expertise you have, there are no guaranteed methods/moves that will work 100% of the time.  In addition, physically fighting off an attack carries a great risk of getting hurt.

Having a tool or tools can be an aid and increase your chances of success. A responsible person does not start trouble and does his or her best to avoid violence if trouble comes to them. If insulted, ignore the offender; if he persists, walk away. Never escalate a situation, no matter how much your pride may be bruised. However, it is an entirely different matter if an aggressor physically assaults you.

A responsible person should be prepared to defend one’s self and one’s loved ones. The author recognizes only one exception to this rule: If a person’s moral convictions preclude them from resorting to violence under any circumstances, then that is his or her choice. Anyone else who does not prepare to defend against attack is simply lazy. A few glances at newspapers will convince any reasonable person that there are individuals who hurt and kill their fellow men. You have no way of knowing whether or not you will meet such an individual. Prepare for the worst.

If your heckler physically assaults you, despite your attempts to de-escalate the situation, everything changes. Remember, you’re innocent. You’ve done nothing to intentionally antagonize this aggressor. You’ve tried everything you can think of to convince him to leave you alone. If he is still intent on assaulting you, stop him by any necessary means. Your attempts to end this confrontation non-violently have released you from any obligation to fight fair. Your first consideration should be to attempt to ascertain whether your attacker withes to kill you or whether he is simply attempting to assert his dominance or prove some infantile point. If circumstances convince you that your attacker does not actually wish to kill you, stop the attack by whatever less-than-lethal means are at your disposal. If you carry pepper spray, a taser or a stun gun, this would be the appropriate time to use it. Of course, not everyone chooses to burden themselves with such a bulky and ineffective weapon.

If you don’t carry a less-than-lethal weapon, use whatever equalizer is available. There is almost always something close-at-hand which can be used as an improvised weapon. Hit him with whatever blunt, heavy object is available and keep hitting him until he stops trying to harm you. Do not engage him in a fist fight unless you are a skilled boxer. You have no way of knowing your attacker’s skill as a fighter, so it is foolish to risk putting yourself at an unnecessary disadvantage. If he comes at you with a knife, shoot him. If he draws a gun, shoot him before he has a chance to shoot you. Don't worry about shooting to wound or shooting to kill. Shoot until your attacker is no longer a threat. I am assuming, of course, that you are armed. Since we have already established the idea that you should be prepared to defend yourself, it is logical that you should have some means of defense.

Many people today are uncomfortable with the thought of taking another human life. Consider this: if you believed that someone were going to kill you or your loved ones, would you kill them to prevent it? I suspect that the answer is yes. If so, you have no excuse not to be prepared to do so. Every responsible person, who is not morally opposed to taking a human life in defense of their own, should carry a pistol. A pistol is a purely defensive weapon. People who attempt to portray it as an offensive or “assault” weapon are either woefully ignorant or are consciously attempting to mislead others. A hand gun is ill-suited for offensive purposes. It lacks power, accuracy, and capacity. Its only positive attribute is that it is easily portable.

A small pistol is not much more cumbersome than the wallet or cell phone which most people carry with them every day. Its purpose is to ensure that its owner is never without a means of protecting himself or herself. One should have it on one’s person at all times. There are, of course, places where it is impossible to carry a pistol. In these places, make do with what you have. As mentioned above, weapons of opportunity abound. If you do not own a pistol, purchase one immediately. Find someone who knows how to use a hand gun and have them teach you. Ideally, you should fire at least one hundred rounds to get acquainted with your sidearm. It is a good practice to take a trip to a shooting range at least once a month to keep oneself familiar with it.

However, a person’s most important weapon is their own intellect and senses. One should constantly practice situational awareness. A person with full use of their senses should always know what surrounds them. There is no reason to ever be taken by surprise. Lazy people mock individuals who choose to take notice of their surroundings, because they find it easier to go through life in a haze, depending on the good will of their fellow man to help them survive. That is no way to live. We have already established the fact that there are people in this world who are willing to harm you. To assume that you will never meet one is a foolhardy gamble. You wear a seat belt when you drive, although you are unlikely to suffer a life-threatening automobile accident. You have a smoke detector in your house and perhaps even a fire extinguisher, although you are unlikely to ever need them. If you have taken time to prepare for these dangers, then why would you neglect your personal defense?

Defending oneself is a complex activity.  The reason for this is that there are many unknowns.

1. We don’t know when it’s going to happen.
2. We don’t know where it’s going to happen.
3. We don’t know our attacker, therefore:
   1. We don’t know his real motivation.
   2. We don’t know his potential for violence.
   3.  We don’t know what he’s going to do next.
4. Some of us don’t know our own:
   1. Motivations
   2. Potential for violence.
   3. What we’re going to do next.

So we can see it can get very complicated very quickly.  We need to know that it can be complicated and that we may have to rely on your instincts.  We may have to fall back on what we do know.

We may have to take some chances.  And we may fail.  We will probably have to decide on your own if and when to make your move.  Many learned people advise to make that move early on in the confrontation.  But sometimes that may not be possible or in your best interests.