Mugging in Gallery Rd last night.

[Hood83]

Had no idea I lived near so many tough guys in ED. Wow. Depressing and emasculating feeling giving something to a mugger I imagine, but the wise move. Got a horrible kicking years and years ago by 'standing my ground' - utterly pointless. I'd rather encourage people to be the sort of person who gives up a phone than gets into a fight over one.

[KidKruger]

No you're reading into it what you want to.

I've said what I'm saying, you don't need to translate it into something else !

Many benefits from training - that's obvious. Just don't assume that automatically being able to fight is one of the benefits, it's a possibility you'd be better equipped but everything changes when your nose is bust and you can't see or you've just hit the ground with your teeth and you're wondering where those nice padded mats you practice on have dissappeared to.

There, I've repeated myself.

You seem very confident in your son's abilities, good luck, let's hope he never has to use them.

I think your response has sort of proved my point anyway.

[KidKruger]

The big mistake that people with some training often make is that they can fight, so they try and fight and get hurt.

It's never like in the gym, so to assume every Thursday down the gym for a year brings the skills, is reckless.

[tarafitness]

I'm not translating it into anything else, this is what you appear to be doing.

> Just don't assume that automatically being able to fight is one of the benefits

The sessions aren't teaching him how to fight, they're teaching him how to get out of a situation and run away, it's quite the opposite of what you are saying.

[KidKruger]

OK, sounds like you've got it covered. Good luck etc.

[tarafitness]

Thanks :-)

Like you said, I hope he never has to use what he's learnt, it's a horrible thought for any parent to have.

[carolb]

Hello, my daughter and a friend also mugged in Gallery Road early yesterday. The muggers were looking for phones - one of them ran up to my daughter holding a "sharp looking object" above his head shouting "phone, phone, phone". My daughter had forgotten the phone was in her pocket and started looking in her bag for it and he just grabbed the bag and ran off - so he didn't get the phone. Meanwhile her friend had thumped one of the other muggers and there was a tussle. The other two ran off. Police were called. Anyway, one of the reasons for posting (apart from feeling the need to share) is that the contents of the bag can't have been much use to them - oyster card, rail card, debit card, house keys and a beloved pair of shoes. We hope they have been dumped somewhere. So, just on the off chance, if anyone comes across a dumped plastic drawstring "Carlsberg" bag and/or dumped contents - especially a pair of dark purple DMs - please get in touch and we will go and retrieve them. Thanks for reading. Carol

[JohnL]

Yes been there

Although I usually have to be the assailant - grab somebody's wrist

- and they bend it back (ouch) then scarper before I recover.

tarafitness Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not translating it into anything else, this is

> what you appear to be doing.

>

> > Just don't assume that automatically being able

> to fight is one of the benefits

>

> The sessions aren't teaching him how to fight,

> they're teaching him how to get out of a situation

> and run away, it's quite the opposite of what you

> are saying.

[JohnL]

I also remember seeing some girls getting accosted - and one of them

looking across the road (at me!!) and saying 'excuse me, officer'

The muggers ran without looking.

[LadyDeliah]

How do you know the girls would need more protection than the boys?

Mashcov Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ok so those three came and ask for 6 girlfriends

> from those six boys.

>

> so now what the six boys will do? protect their

> girls or hand them over to those three, for the

> sake of protecting their teeth and bones, or

> fight.

>

> your phone or your girlfriend , fight them off ,

> dont give up, as if you give an inch they take a

> mile.

[Jeremy]

I dunno. In some imaginary world where kids come up to other kids in Dulwich Village and demand they hand their girlfriends over... anything is possible. Possibly one of the girls is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In which case they're probably safe.

[LadyDeliah]

Lol, I am sure I spotted Xena in Pizza Express last weekend.

[EastDulwichRose]

What a dreadful thing to happen, especially after they enjoyed a nice night out ice-skating - yes i think you gave your sons good advice by telling them its better to give up a phone then receive a broken nose.

Did you get the descriptions of the 3 menacing youths, so we can all be vigilant?

[KidKruger]

All those angst-ridden early teen years, trying to get a girlfriend, it never occurred to me to just threaten/demand another boy's girlfriend. If only I'd known !!