So even a martial artist (a master) can be scared too during an armed robbery?

Question

Brief story:
Last year when my friend and her fiance were getting robbed at home by 2 armed men, this was her fiance's reactions:
He held her in a very tight hugging position, allowed the burglars to take all they want, gave them their wallets and froze in fear. Even though he's 6'2 and a professional martial artist, just the fact that they had guns scared him too much that he didn't want to try any moves nor put my friend in danger. If they had been unarmed, he could've easily taken them out.

Is this also a normal reaction for even a professional martial artist? He got so scared that he froze.

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

"Stuff" - money and goods - can be replaced. They might even be insured. If robbers just want your stuff, and you were caught off-guard and aren't in a position to defend yourself effectively, then giving them what they want is the smartest thing to do. If you die, or you get shot and maimed, there's no fixing that, no replacing it.

He probably feared more for HER than himself, and he knows she could have been used against him - a smart criminal would threaten HER to get HIM to give up, and then might punish him by killing her.

The situation might have been different had he been home alone. But the reality is: a bullet moves faster than any human can.

By allowing them into his house in the first place, it was already too late. He didn't take his home's physical security very seriously, and thus was put in a very unfortunate situation.

At my house, home invaders would have to be able to get by my cameras, motion detectors, dogs, security screen doors, security window film, and a number of other security measures that would have slowed them down and alerted me - and unlike this guy, I'm armed. Still, my nightmare would be something like this happening when I had a bunch of guests over, and had to be responsible for harm coming to them. If I'm home alone, then the bad guys are going to have a very rough time of it.

FýrdracaDócincel · Accepted Answer

A couple things I have to say about this.

1. Weapons change everything. Gun defense is bullshit. MOST knife defense is bullshit. Any weapon defense involving multiple attackers where you're meant to be unarmed is an entire landfill's worth of bullshit.

2. If he was that visibly scared, he probably doesn't train in anything that would have been helpful anyway. Quality training will always always ALWAYS include a large amount of sparring and live drilling. The purpose of this is to acclimate your body to stress and adrenaline so that when you actually do need to use what you've learned, your body will actually cooperate with you instead of making you freeze up and spaz out of control. The fact that your friend's fiance froze as much as you say tells me that he most likely believes that his techniques are "too dangerous to spar with," and as a result, was completely overwhelmed by the threat danger. Someone who trains in good shit will at least be able to keep a facade of calm even if they're pissing themselves internally.

DeeDeeDeVour · Accepted Answer

"Froze" in a more positive sense, not a cowardice sense. It may have seemed he was scared to death but I believe he dealt with the situation courageously. I believe he was more scared for the life of your friend than his own since he was bravely "enveloping" her with himself to shield her.

Daniela1982 · Accepted Answer

A bullet can beat any martial arts move but moreover he had someone to protect. But sometimes you are gambling by the fact that they may kill you to get rid of witnesses.

Kaneki05 · Answer

Well yeah. That's why guns are effective at stealing shit. If it was a knife a person is why more inclined to fight back.

But any weapon is dangerous really. Personally he did the right thing, at any moment if he tried to fight back his wife could of been shot in the crossfire. He goes for the gun, the robber just fires without thinking but just a reaction hit's his wife the end.

A wife is more to lose than belongings.
Plus that's just taking into account what one guy may do with the gun when he tries to take it from them. There was 2 guys with guns.

MCheetah · Answer

Although even martial artists aren't bulletproof (unless they're in the Marvel universe), that guy still acted a bit too much like a coward. One of the points behind martial arts is that you're supposed to be disciplined. There's nothing disciplined about pissing your pants and cowering behind your wife like a little bitch. And keep in mind, I've HAD guns pulled on me, before. If I can be completely calm and not at all afraid, then so can a trained martial artists whose body and mind are *supposed* to be in-sync. (Then again, I don't fear death, so I'm possibly different on a whole other level.)

So yeah. That guy was pretty cowardly, but he was right to not fight back or escalate the situation.

NamerOfStars · Answer

Of course. Instinct doesn't disappear just because you've learned to be really good at fighting. Bruce Lee was almost superhumanly fast- they had to SLOW DOWN his scenes in his movies, or people would've found them unbelievable- but bullets are far faster than even he was.

And facing down the wrong end of a gun is not something you can do and still feel safe. I speak from experience here.

Anonymous · Answer

he did the right thing because in krav maga you're taught to get away from an attack and not to engage if possible. krav maga teaches people how to disarm someone with a firearm and knife but even then it's extremely dangerous to do and if he made any sudden moves it would of put her and himself in danger. if he froze odds are he's never been in an encounter like that before and didn't know what to do and all his training didn't help or mean shit. it's best he didn't make any sudden moves because unlike the movies and unlike sparring in a dojo one false move in real life could end his or her life especially since they had guns on them

jshm2 · Answer

You've been watching too many movies, kiddo.

Being a "professional" doesn't mean much when put on the spot without training. Even a cop or soldier freezes up occasionally.

But in that spot he was likely more concerned about his friend surviving the incident.

genericname85 · Answer

of course. cause even if you're bruce lee, you may die in a hand to hand combat with someone that has a knife. and if they have a gun, then your chances of surviving are very slim.

you don't become god just by mastery of martial arts. it's easy to put a bullit in you and then you'll die, no matter what good a fighter you are.

ChrisMaster69 · Answer

If you ever face the business end of a firearm, you have a natural botty burp.

you could be the best martial artist in the world but if two guys have weapons aimed at you… you ain’t beating a bullet from 2 guys.

cookiecrusher · Answer

Firstly guns are better than guns💪.

Secondly nobody can know how we act in certain situations. And sometimes it's better to comply.

Thirdly he isn't a master victim, maybe his first time in a real conflict. I'm sure he learned from it.

It's not hollywood and he is expected to be a superhero, tons of pressure on both sides.

Everybody should have a gun, train with it and always carry it with them, men and women.

exitseven · Answer

A black belt will stop a bullet as good as anyone else.

Twalli · Answer

Fear can paralyze you and regardless of trainingbor skill, you don't know what you will do until you're in such a position

Razp_Sorbet · Answer

The strongest, bravest people in the world also have fears

Iron_Man · Answer

Of course what can you do against a gun unless you catch him Offguard

Tstrbrainer · Answer

Well, that depends on how he would have reacted if your friend was not in the picture

jimmy2 · Answer

Fear is run hide or stay

So even a martial artist (a master) can be scared too during an armed robbery?

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So even a martial artist (a master) can be scared too during an armed robbery?

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