The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Trained dogs -- can you defend yourself?

Spectre · December 24, 1998, 11:07 PM

I would not wish to come across as bragadocious, but I believe I am meaner (and, thank god, smarter) than any dog I'll meet. I believe some of the better advice I've seen advocated shoving the "reaction" side forearm deeply into the dog's jaws when it attacks, placing the other arm behind the dog's head, and "rolling" the arms to break the neck. Of course, one gets fewer punctures if one has had time to wrap the forearm!

If I have a knife (and, I always do), I might feed the dog my left, and gut him w/ my right hand. If an option, I would prefer to keep dogs at distance, but I feel that I could take any single dog-or two, on a good day- regardless of weaponry.

In the martial art I train in, we often do shinai drills, where the student must face an instructor, who cuts at him with a bamboo training sword. The key to doing this well is waiting until just the right moment. I would tend to believe that most dogs will spring, unless they are ankle biters (which would place them in the "annoying but not really dangerous except for potential diseases" category). If one has an impact weapon, or even just knows how to deliver a good blow, I cannot see having trouble defeating a dog my weight (140 lbs) or less.

December 24, 1998, 11:07 PM	#12
Spectre Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 23, 1998 Location: ATL Posts: 3,277	I would not wish to come across as bragadocious, but I believe I am meaner (and, thank god, smarter) than any dog I'll meet. I believe some of the better advice I've seen advocated shoving the "reaction" side forearm deeply into the dog's jaws when it attacks, placing the other arm behind the dog's head, and "rolling" the arms to break the neck. Of course, one gets fewer punctures if one has had time to wrap the forearm! If I have a knife (and, I always do), I might feed the dog my left, and gut him w/ my right hand. If an option, I would prefer to keep dogs at distance, but I feel that I could take any single dog-or two, on a good day- regardless of weaponry. In the martial art I train in, we often do shinai drills, where the student must face an instructor, who cuts at him with a bamboo training sword. The key to doing this well is waiting until just the right moment. I would tend to believe that most dogs will spring, unless they are ankle biters (which would place them in the "annoying but not really dangerous except for potential diseases" category). If one has an impact weapon, or even just knows how to deliver a good blow, I cannot see having trouble defeating a dog my weight (140 lbs) or less.