459 - (FREE) - UK 2024, Another day, another machete fight
(VIDEO) Mailbox: machetes, knife bans, Strategic tactics against blades, S.T.A.B. , Safer kids: Escaping knife crime
Copyright © 2024 by Jeth Randolph
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Many thanks to D for sending this machete fight that happened in North London on Wednesday evening.
By email:
“Check this out, two days ago…” (Video attached)
Thanks D.
Imagine going in for food and having to navigate this idiocy?
I found myself initially noticing that the lad in the balaclava with the girlfriend looks like they’ve already ordered food and are waiting for it meaning that they’ve been there for a while.
The two attackers don’t enter the video until 14 seconds in which means that in all likelihood Mr and Mrs Balaclava were observed entering the shop.
There was a decision made on the street by the two attackers to get him while he was cornered.
Was it a stinkeye contest that he walked away from?
Is he known to the attackers for some reason? Possibly.
I’d reckon it was them that saw him initially as there would be time for them to come from a second location if someone had phoned his sighting to them.
That means they were probably all carrying these types of weapons when the opportunity arose. I doubt there was time to retrieve them from a street stash, though they come from down the street.
This is the first “takeaway” (see what I did there?) from this - that this is commonly carried and that means that it will form the solution for whatever problem the individuals involved may come across.
Balaclava’s weapon formed the equalizing factor against two well-armed attackers and there is another point, that this was probably effective in saving his life at this point and I doubt he could have easily held them back otherwise. There was maybe some form of jamming the door, but that was already too late by the time he saw them.
This is a difficult area because at the weapon carry stage it is already well outside of the legalities of UK law - the flip side is that it might be that breaking the law may have saved Balaclava’s life.
This will be unpopular to consider and I do not advocate it but it is there isn’t it?
When we see dumb responses like calls for mandatory sentences for any form of weapon carry from those usually living well away from areas such as this, can we say that a young guy might do this in the face of no other option?
Or is he a local thug who runs out of time from his competition?
I don’t know.
It’s a mess and he’s part of it no doubt.
But the situations can be complicated.
Stress draw
From a technical standpoint, the reaction from sighting the attackers to quick-drawing the weapon - itself a bit of a feat from inside the waistband of the trousers considering the size of the blade - and then immediately grabbing a chair to shield with is near perfect.
And here we are in the “civilised” UK in 2024, fighting with swords and shields.
Strategic tactics against blades
There was a UK self-defence course called, imaginatively enough “S.T.A.B” - NOT the best name for a knife defence course but there you are…
One of the methods they employed was the idea of the “3 Es” :
Escape
Equalise
Eliminate
Escape as tactic number one is about as solid a piece of advice as you can give, but it’s often idealised thinking, if you look now at the video, you can see that there is no option of escape, so Balaclava went straight for “equalise” which he had preplanned as a long-edged weapon and the chair was a second thought. And this is totally against the law.
For the rest of us law-abiding, average people, the second E would have been the chair.
“Eliminate” is referencing the threat whatever that may be, but language is important. Militaristic words like this can carry meaning inappropriate for the average person to legally defend and shouldn’t be used.
Practiced
It’s well known among emergency room doctors and also from conversations I’ve had with experienced police officers that many lads are training specifically for confrontations like this using YouTube and other video resources.
Much of this material is free and widely available to boost further sales for the creators of it.
It is also highly effective, some of it is designed specifically for murder and the result is criminal teenagers with the equivalent of tactical training.
Just hang out at the trap house of your choice and practice your "Splash, dip, burst or stab" at your leisure.
The lift and draw while backing up of the defender here looks well-practiced and instinctive, unlike many others that I’ve seen from similar videos.
He is also effectively thrusting with the weapon rather than a lot of these kids do, just watch the two attackers in comparison.
Communication
The confrontation in the video then starts to slide into a fight rather than a defence. Listen to the defender’s words: “Come on!” and the springing on the feet as though competing in a sport fighting match. Not the best to shout on camera.
Banning machetes
Interestingly, D sent this video this week.
There is a big campaign fronted by a male action film star underway here at the moment seeking further bans on knives in the UK, including banning machetes and that favourite of the media, the “Zombie” knife.
There’s an irony of getting an actor who’s made his money playing “The lone male” archetype in movies with a plot device (always an “Ex” something) to justify his violent, consequence-free solutions. I get the need for coverage and a name helps but it’s a bit like a drug dealer selling you a stay at rehab.
It seems obvious that just like in prisons, an often glamourised setting, where there is a will there is a way. If someone WANTS to kill, they will.
All manner of objects are adapted to enable murder, toothbrushes, cutlery, the list is truly infinite.
The impulse to kill, however, is driven by many often undiscussed factors, the mere ownership of a knife is not one of them. Bans will do nothing.
Until those factors are really looked at this will continue to be an everyday reality.
Thanks to D for sending the video and for the thoughts it raised.
Jeth
Before you go!
Something that does make a difference in saving lives is Bleed control kits, they can save the lives of victims of knife crime as well as other traumatic accidents involving blood loss.
"Safer kids: Escaping knife crime"
I’ve partnered with Let The Youth Live, a London-based anti-knife crime campaign to host a very special 2-hour workshop for parents/carers and teens.
ALL proceeds go to help Let The Youth Live, and its founder DJ Sweet Li of the “Best in Britain Show” provide life-saving Daniel Baird Foundation bleed kits to the local community!
Could you spare some money to help us do this? The link is below for donations - every little bit helps make a difference!
Date and time:
Saturday 27th of January 2024 / 3-5 pm
Venue:
The Albrighton Community Centre
37 Albrighton Road, London, SE22 8AH
Directions: https://www.albrightoncommunityfridge.org
Families attending will:
Learn key concepts for understanding physical aggression
Learn how to identify edged weapon threats
Learn avoidance skills
Learn physical tactics to enable escape
and more...
Parent/carer plus teen ticket: £25 for two – train, learn together, and empower your child for the same price as a pizza deal for two at Pizzahut!
Book now/info:
Contact the host, DJ Sweet Li at LTYL:
Email: sweetli1000@outlook.com
Mobile: 07940 438937
Join over 18,000 others and follow Let The Youth Live on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lettheyouthlive
Can’t attend but want to donate to this fundraiser and help save lives?
Go here to donate on the LTYL fundraiser page and to learn more about why these kits are so vital for saving lives: https://gofund.me/da823268
Thanks for your support of this important cause!
--
Jeth