Self defense with camera gear

Ahhh yes some words of wisdom. Don't make carrying pepper spray legal because then muggers (usually such law abiding citizens) will get them! Yes they will put their knives and guns down and get some fiery pepper spray goodness. Perhaps certain people should turn common sense on before beginning a sermon.

Regardless, still unconsidered is the fact that muggers are not unknown to stab people etc after they handed all their gear over. Which is why the comments about using good judgement are the best.

Sometimes handing equipment over when facing overwhelming odds might be right. In other situations defending yourself might be the correct choice.
 
One thing to consider is that every time a photographer simply "hands over" their equipment then they are potentially putting other photographers at risk.

That mugger will think "this is easy" and will not think twice about targeting the next photographer he meets.

The mugger who gets his camera, but ends up minus a few teeth after having a 70-200 thrust in his face might just think twice the next time.
 
Would I hand over my camera? Not without a fight!

Can't let muggings stop us from going out at night, muggers are about during the day too.
 
Another thing people have confused in this thread is saying that the action has to be reasonable for someone protecting their equipment. I think that is over simplifying the case.

For example suppose someone tells you to give them your camera and you say no. They grab for it, you hit them. They pull out a knife and a struggle ensues.it results in them getting stabbed and dying. You haven't killed them to defend your property, it was by that time to defend your life.

You haven't set out to kill someone, they raised the stakes. Someone dying is horrible but by this point it is no longer because of a mugging but is quite likely attempted murder in which case defence using lethal force is justified and reasonable.

Would they have died if you had given them the camera? Perhaps not, but you might. Or the next person they go up to might be killed.

So you might feel regret that you killed someone but if you didn't act and they went on to the next person and stabbed them to death, how much regret would you feel that you hadn't tried to stop them?
 
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I'd suggest anyone with half an interest in self protection reads 'Dead or Alive' by Geoff Thompson. And I'll say it again, unless you've experience of being in situations like these, or are well practised in self defense or fighting, chances are whatever you think you'll do now, while sitting in your armchair, will likely go out of the window when the situation gets ugly.
 
I'd hand over the kit in a min....and when their grubby hands are full, skull them with the tripod :bat::D
 
A lot of muggings are drug related. Someone off their face is going to behave differently. A little bag of talc/sugar/flour might be the best weapon...

Personally I think some kind of Derren Brown hypnotic tackle would be your best bet to keeping your kit without having to get blood out of your clothes. I'd rather just completely confuse them so they walk off with no idea what they are doing instead.

I don't know why anyone is bothered if a mugger is flattened. It's much cheaper to flatten them than it is to stick them in prison. If you don't want to be potentially beaten to a pulp by an irate 'victim' don't go out mugging. Simple.
 
To be honest..

I think my missus would do the beating if anybody tried mugging me as she bought my camera!
 
Carry a jiff lemon that u put on your pancakes, it's small, not illegal and stings to Mary hell if squirted in the eyes. That will give you time to give em a little kick and take some cracking photos to post on here.
 
I wouldn't hand over my camera to anyone without a fight.
Im not a big guy but quite used to dealing with thieving smack heads and alcoholics at work, they don't usually put up much of a fight, and that is usually just for £10 of beer.
Aint no way I would let someone take £3k of camera gear off me without knocking me out or seriously hurting me.
And if they got seriously hurt in the attempt, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. They wouldn't if they stabbed someone, so why care if you hurt them?
 
LOL
If that doesn't work borrow a diabetic friends needle and tell any would be muggers that it contains the ibola virus.

Edit - response was to Tony's jif post in case it don't make sense.
 
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viewfromthenorth said:
I'd suggest anyone with half an interest in self protection reads 'Dead or Alive' by Geoff Thompson. And I'll say it again, unless you've experience of being in situations like these, or are well practised in self defense or fighting, chances are whatever you think you'll do now, while sitting in your armchair, will likely go out of the window when the situation gets ugly.
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Agreed. If everyone had to do martial arts training there'd be a lot fewer street crimes.

Having had 'the proper instruction' for a couple of decades, I know enough to know that the best self defence is not to be there in the first place.
 
boliston said:
One thing to consider is that every time a photographer simply "hands over" their equipment then they are potentially putting other photographers at risk.

That mugger will think "this is easy" and will not think twice about targeting the next photographer he meets.

The mugger who gets his camera, but ends up minus a few teeth after having a 70-200 thrust in his face might just think twice the next time.
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That was my thought.


You could knock the mount off your flashgun and taser them with it. :D
 
SteveH40 said:
steel toe cap boots and a well placed kick in the nuts.
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If you're going to start aiming kicks at people the shin is generally a lot better. Trying to kick as high as someone's gonads is not that easy unless you're fairly supple plus it's very easy for someone to grab your foot and over balance you. A kick in the shin followed by a hasty retreat would be safer if you have to defend yourself. Self defence is not about causing the most pain to the other party but keeping yourself safe.
 
Mike Jackson said:
If you're going to start aiming kicks at people the shin is generally a lot better. Trying to kick as high as someone's gonads is not that easy unless you're fairly supple plus it's very easy for someone to grab your foot and over balance you. A kick in the shin followed by a hasty retreat would be safer if you have to defend yourself. Self defence is not about causing the most pain to the other party but keeping yourself safe.
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a good kick just under the kneecap, or to its side is more incapacitating if you are going to leg it - he sure as hell wont be running after you.

I'd agree about not going for the nuts tho - the only circumstance where that is a good idea is if someone grabs you by the arms from the front (for example for the ladies if he had more than just theft in mind) - then a good sharp knee in the nads should both incapacitate and disuade
 
Tony J said:
Carry a jiff lemon that u put on your pancakes, it's small, not illegal and stings to Mary hell if squirted in the eyes. That will give you time to give em a little kick and take some cracking photos to post on here.
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It becomes an offensive weapon the second that you start carrying it around for the purpose of self protection. Eejit!
 
DemiLion said:
It becomes an offensive weapon the second that you start carrying it around for the purpose of self protection. Eejit!
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yeah but if a cop stops you and asks why you are carrying it its easy to say - ive just bought it officer, i'm taking it home for my pancakes, so strictly speaking it only becomes an offensive weapon if you either use it or clearly demonstrate the intent to do so. (unlike for example a can of mace which is always a prohibitted and offensive weapon with no possible justification for possession)
 
DemiLion said:
It becomes an offensive weapon the second that you start carrying it around for the purpose of self protection. Eejit!
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:lol: Assault with Jif lemon juice....... offensive weapon? :lol: :lol:

Next, you'll be saying we could get sued by Scampi and pancakes :D
 
Jayst84 said:
You sound like a nice guy. :shake: You have no idea of the situation that person is in that led to them trying to take a camera. And you'd be happy to potentially leave a kid without a dad/mum, make a widow of someone, kill someone's child, for the sake of not having to fill out an insurance claim? :thinking:
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He probably is a nice guy, because it is nice people who are attacked and nasty people who carry knives and are prepared to attack or even kill others:shrug:
Unfortunately if someone goes out armed with a knife, and they are prepared to hurt/kill people, then I have no sympathy for them whatsoever. If they die as a result of their violent actions, then they have nobody but themselves to blame.
 
Mike Jackson said:
If you're going to start aiming kicks at people the shin is generally a lot better. Trying to kick as high as someone's gonads is not that easy unless you're fairly supple plus it's very easy for someone to grab your foot and over balance you. A kick in the shin followed by a hasty retreat would be safer if you have to defend yourself. Self defence is not about causing the most pain to the other party but keeping yourself safe.
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I used to do martial arts years ago and that was the advice our instructor gave. He also said it looks better if the case gets to court as it is more obvious that you were intending to disable your attacker rather than do anything lethal.
 
Tony J said:
Carry a jiff lemon that u put on your pancakes, it's small, not illegal and stings to Mary hell if squirted in the eyes. That will give you time to give em a little kick and take some cracking photos to post on here.
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If you soak a few narga chillis in the lemon juice first for a few days (so you like "spicy" pancakes), it sting a lot worse. :nuts:
 
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