Gimme Five Feet!!!!

[JMS]

Related to "language of the street:"

What logic string includes the ridiculous idea that the urchins talk the same way today that they did in '93....? That's 20 YEARS AGO!

[Ed L]

I remember reading a book or two from Marc MacYoung decades ago.

In one he asserted that a sword was a better home defense weapon for a woman than a firearm.

In another he claimed to have been in several bullwhip fights.

A dozen years ago he appeared at a seminat with several other self defense instructors (Rich Dimitri & Sammy Franco). Marc was demonstrating part of his knife defense which consisted of bringing your hand and arm to the side of his head as though bringing a phone to his ear.

In demonstrating it at half speed, he wound up having a rubber knife slice his throat.

He turned to the audience without missing a beat and asked, "What just happened?" as though it were planned.

Audience members responeded, "Uh, you got your throat cut."

To which MacYoung responded, "Yes, but how deep?" --as though getting your throat sliced requires a deep cut to be life threatening.

[TGS]

To which MacYoung responded, "Yes, but how deep?" --as though gutting your throat sliced required a deep cut to be life threatening.

Did people get up and leave at that point?

[will_1400]

Why five feet? That's still well within kicking range for me which is too freaking close for me to have an aggressive and presubably violent opponent who hasn't been lit up yet. Makes no sense whatsoever. And yelling at a probably ex-con like you're a corrections officer is more likely to get you the response you don't want. EPIC FAIL.

[Cecil Burch]

I remember reading a book or two from Marc MacYoung decades ago.

In one he asserted that a sword was a better home defense weapon for a woan than a firearm.

In another he claimed to have been in several bullwhip fights.

A dozen years ago he appeared at a seminat with several other self defense instructors (Rich Dimitri & Sammy Franco). Marc was demonstrating part of his knife defense which consisted of bringing your hand and arm to the side of his head as though bringing a phone to his ear.

In demonstrating it at half speed, he wound up having a rubber knife slice his throat.

He turned to the audience without missing a beat and asked, "What just happened?" as though it were planned.

Audience members responeded, "Uh, you got your throat cut."

To which MacYoung responded, "Yes, but how deep?" --as though getting your throat sliced requires a deep cut to be life threatening.

He also in one book talked about walking down he street, and out of the corner of his eye seeing a "really dangerous appearing guy", and reacting defensively. Then he realized he was looking at his own reflection in a window.........

Uh huh.

[SeriousStudent]

Does he have a set of DVD's I can buy?

I foresee a new drinking game at my next BBQ. "Spot the Tacticool Fail". The first person to see the error yells "FAIL!". You stop the DVD, and everyone else has to drink a shot. Winner is the last one still conscious, and gets to eat all the BBQ.

Yes, no, maybe?

[NETim]

I had no idea this thread would become so entertaining.

I don't think this video was ALL bad. But the "Gimme 5 Feet" thing just didn't ring true to me.

[Ed L]

He also in one book talked about walking down he street, and out of the corner of his eye seeing a "really dangerous appearing guy", and reacting defensively. Then he realized he was looking at his own reflection in a window.........

Uh huh.

When someone makes a statement like Cecil quoted above, that person has lost most if not all credibility.

[Ed L]

I don't think this video was ALL bad. But the "Gimme 5 Feet" thing just didn't ring true to me.

I had the video tape a long time ago and sold it on Ebay at least 10 years ago.

I remember it having some decent basic info about how criminals might approach you and such. At the time it came out there might not have been as much of that info available to the average person whose lives were mostly removed from such things. But now there are better videos/DVD, much better instructors, and better sources of online information.

When someone teaches things that I recognize as highly questionable or stupid, it brings their credibility into question. I also don't recommend against them because not everyone can recognize and filter the stupid and dangerous things that these people advocate.

[Hatchetman]

I think Marc is marketing himself and filling what market niches he can. Appears these days he's moved into a deescalation/legal use of lethal force sphere and indeed has been banging a gong for a lot of years that some martial practices may land you in jail. Alas he won't say in a paragraph what he can't rattle on about for a page, tends to be didactic about the lessons of his bar brawling days, and, as mentioned, has had several instances where he's shown he talks it better than he walks it. With that said his excitable boy prose style amuses me so I do read him every now and then.