Fight, flight or surrender.

    How would you respond to an assault?

   Would you fight?  Some people, by their very nature, are inclined to fight when faced with an imminent assault.  Some of them are very capable fighters that have dedicated the time and energy to developing and maintaining serious fighting skills. But, realistically, most of us are not that person.

   In most circumstances of a typical assault, the assailant has the advantage.  They strategize it that way.  They identify targets that they perceive are weaker, slower, clumsier, etc. Most of us would have to bring some assistance along with us if we were to stand a reasonable chance of prevailing in a physical confrontation.

   No one has yet invented the magic ‘Incredible Hulk’ pill. (That famous little blue pill’s effects are too limited to serve us well in this magnitude of assault.)  If we can’t enhance ourselves when facing an assault, the next best option would be to diminish the capabilities of the assailant.  There is a multitude of  techniques to accomplish this.

   Remember that ‘flight’ is always a plausible reaction to an assault – IF the opportunity presents itself.  An assailant who has put thought into his or her attack may have thought about that and strategized to minimize any opportunity of flight.

    Surrender is also an option.  Some hold that resisting an assailant just escalates the confrontation and increases the odds that you might be more seriously injured.  I guess it depends on the assailant’s end target.  If the assailant is after your money, I’m inclined to say, “Surrender it.”  Contemporary philosophy concerning robbery is that it’s not worth the risk of injury to protect things monetary or material.  Some hold that same philosophy concerning sexual assaults as well.

   Whatever you decide to do in response to an assault, don't let anyone tell you it was the wrong decision.  Only you can make a decision under such circumstances. You are the only one who had an opportunity to assess the magnitude of the threat you faced. You are the only one who could assess your immediate capabilities, your level of wellness, and the odds and risks of resistance. Too many people (even some crusty old cops) are way too quick to blame the victims of assault saying things like, “He shouldn’t have been there”; or “She shouldn’t have been dressed like that.”  But this is America. We’re supposed to be able to go wherever we want to go, whenever we want to go there, dressed however we want to be dressed.  It’s called "freedom."