(Approx 1 minute 45 second read)

Have you ever been attacked outside of the dojo? Have you ever had to deal with someone who was genuinely determined to cause you or your loved ones harm? Have you been knocked to the ground, injured, and then had to get up and run for your life?
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Surviving real violence depends on instinct and adaptability. There is no safety net, no protective equipment, and no controlled environment. Any hesitation, any moment spent thinking rather than acting, becomes an opportunity for the attacker to cause serious, possibly irreversible harm.
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In my area this week, a 62-year-old man was attacked on a bus by three underage youths. He was hospitalized. They escaped without being caught (at the time of writing).
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I’m in my mid-60s now. Even though I work out daily, the reality is that at our age, if we are attacked by someone younger, bigger, and faster, the outcome could be the same.
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We don’t have the fitness or durability we once had. We don’t run as fast. Our strength is reduced, regardless of how committed we are to training.
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Technique and experience can offset some of this, but size, aggression, and numbers remain serious factors. An untrained attacker may throw wild punches or carry a hidden weapon with no plan at all, and that unpredictability is precisely the danger.
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An untrained opponent won’t react like a compliant partner in the dojo. He will resist, struggle, and refuse to let you neatly finish the arm-lock you’ve drilled a thousand times. Some people are simply natural fighters, even without formal training.
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In real self-defense, the danger posed by the untrained isn’t just intent, it’s chaos. Erratic, instinctive reactions escalate situations quickly. Surprise and brute force are often all they rely on.
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I’ve asked this question before, and the common response is that experience and technique can always outwit youth. But can they?
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Most people don’t train to fight in confined spaces, on buses, trains, or in narrow corridors. Most karate dojo today don’t even teach close-range infighting. Yet these environments are exactly where real assaults happen.
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These attacks belong to the untrained thug who operates in alleyways and train cars. This is his environment. In that context, he is the expert.
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Avoid the ruckus at all costs. Don’t let ego or years of dojo training convince you otherwise. Walk away whenever possible. Be the grey man – or woman.
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At any age, that remains the best option.
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Never underestimate an untrained opponent in his own environment.
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Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo
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Photo Credit: Egor Litvinov – Unsplash