I just got beat up randomly on the street by some guys. No words,

Honestly if you pull a knife out in those gang situations it's just going to needlessly escalate the situation. What you need to do is take some self defense classes. Pick some form of martial arts and take classes.

>>18461067
A good knife is a gun and to take classes to know how to use it. Tho your probably wind up shot or stabbed by your own weapon if you don't really commit to learning how to use it

>>18461067
Knives are bad for self defense. Great for murder, but as far as stopping an attack you're better off with 1.) a gun 2.) CS spray in that order. Anything else is statistically more dangerous than running away or complying with the aggressor.

>>18461067
>Would it actually be helpful,
No.
>or get me more fucked up?
That's the one.

Knives make very poor self-defense weapons, both practically and legally. They're not great for deterrence (much more likely to escalate an encounter and make it more dangerous, really) and not great for disabling an attacker - there's a good chance that even if you manage to stab somebody, they'll just keep coming. On that note, it's much more likely that your dumb untrained ass will get the knife taken from you and used against you than manage to use it effectively.

Legally speaking, using a knife against somebody is a great way to land yourself in prison for a very long time, even if from your perspective you used it purely in self-defense.

Seriously. Don't mess around with that shit. If you really need a self-defense weapon, either get a gun and LEARN HOW TO USE IT (and just as importantly WHEN to use it), or get something nonlethal like pepper spray (and learn how/when to use it). If at all possible, obviously, the best self-defense tool is to throw your testosterone out the window and run the fuck away.

>>18461067
Don't carry a knife.

If you are serious about self defense, get some pepper spray, one that is strong and can hose down a few people.

My old roomate got in a bad fight like you are describing and pulled his knife. He's in prison now. Juries only see weapons in a bad light and will lock you away in an isntant.

>>18461105
>>18461098
This wasn't a fight, I was full on jumped. I ran away, after getting punched several times. Idk, I figured a knife is a bad idea, just wanted to make sure and ask your opinions.

I'm really depressed now guys. My life has been going worse and worse, now this shit happens. I'm sick of everything. This might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I am hating more and more of everything that's going on in my life.

>>18461115
Then make a change. Move out of such a shity area that your being jumped, unless you knew these guys and they had a reason for doing it

>>18461115
You can always find a way to deal with what's in front of you. In the short term, maybe sink 10 bucks into a sabre pepper spray keychain, they shoot tear gas and pepper spray 25 times.

In the long run, maybe move to a better area. Walking around on the street in a lot of places is a bad idea.

Life can turn around very fast. I was a waiter 5 years ago. Now I m an admin officer for the state government making 10x more. Focus on yourself and learn a valuable skill even if you have to go to a community college to do it.

My best friend was a retail jockey at a makeup store getting made fun of and making shit pay. He took a risk and applied to fix wind turbines for a year or two and made about 70k a year. I say just focus on something that can get you a better life.

>>18461127
I don't know anyone from this area. It's a long story why I'm here, but I won't be much longer.

>>18461115
>I ran away, after getting punched several times.
You did exactly the right thing, then, and any self-defense instructor worth his salt would agree with me. If you have the option, always, always run (or comply if they just want your wallet or whatever); don't ever pull a weapon unless you HAVE to. Self-defense isn't about feeling like a badass, quite the opposite in fact, your life > your pride.

If you'd had a weapon, particularly a lethal one like a knife or a gun, I guarantee you'd be worse off right now. Maybe sitting in jail. Maybe dead or seriously injured.

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time, though. Without knowing what exactly the matter is I can't help much with that, but I hope things turn around for you (as the anon said above, they probably will) and I wish you best of luck. Don't do anything drastic. It does get better.

>>18461105
I've heard wasp spray is just as good as pepper spray, and it's probably cheaper too.

>>18461130
I'm here for a bit longer due to reasons. But about the turning life around thing; I should have 2 stem degrees from a really good school, but got a D in a C or higher class, 1.5 point off. I didn't get into a grad school, even had I gotten in I wouldn't be going due to my only D ever. My grandma died (taking it hard still,) been essentially ntr'd, dealt with the paris attacks over a year ago, etc... the list goes on.

I'm exhausted. I swear every time something good happens, something worse than before happens. I just met this great girl on tinder, finally someone who maybe I can actually connect with (not another one night stand). Of course bad shit would happen to me to compensate.

>>18461148
The legal fees will negate any savings.

>>18461132
We'll then that just really sucks these guys picked you. Just move as soon as possible. Take self defense classes n learn to use a gun to help you feel more safe again.

>>18461151
Oh, and the saddest part is I fucking always get back up and keep on trying. I'm like Sisyphus, just pushing my boulder up and up, only to fall.

>>18461148
Great advice. If you want to get him into substantial legal trouble, that is.

If you google "wasp spray self defense" the first 5-10 results are all articles listing the several reasons you should not do this. Look, dude, I don't mean to be unpleasant, if you've just "heard" about something from a friend or read it in a chain email or whatever, please don't give advice about it, particularly if it's the kind of thing where ignorance can actually get people hurt.

As a rule, if there is a Snopes article about your 1 weird old tip, it's probably not a very good tip. If you're going to carry something for self-defense, get the product that's actually designed for the job.

>>18461151
Just focus on finishing that degree. Retake the class and make sure your workload isn't unreasonable.

Don't focus too much on dating until you're done. 99 percent of smoking hot chicks are dumb and lazy as fuck and will drag you down. I've dated quite a few 10/10 girls in my day. They suck up your time, energy, and don't u derstand hard work because they are used to people giving them shit and showing them in attention.

Worry about that shit when you have your bank roll figured out first and you have time to fuck around. This doesn't sound like that time for me. Not to be harsh bro, but it sounds like you are fucking up,because you aren't focusing on what you need to.

>>18461148
Wasp spray isn't as effective. You can watch you yube comparisons of how people react to it. A good pepper spray is like 10 bucks and is iron clad in court.

>>18461166
A girl is completely a thing on the side burner for me. My goal has always been to get a phd. But if it's just for the summer or something, I would really like to have a short term thing. I don't get much love, at least shown, my family is really hard on me. Example: I called my dad after the beating, all he said was "shouldn't have been walking there". I know that, I called him to just talk to someone. I know he is worried about me, but I really need someone who will be caring. I've been so emotionally depraved since my mom died when I was a kid.

>>18461181
Might have to rethink things a bit. Consider boxers, they take punches all day long and don't let it phase them. My friend from way back in was a boxer, you should have seen his face after he lost a fight.

The first few times you fall down is hard. Bouncing back from things gets easier though. Part of life is learning to take extreme hardship in stride and to shift your perspective.

If you want to feel better, you need to feel in control of the situation. Figure out what it will take for that to happen for you.

>>18461193
Man, I've been falling down for years. I do keep getting back up, at least I have been. But when's the last time gonna be? I am tired. Lil Mac over here is beaten up, barely standing having landed one or two punches on king hippo (boxing reference for ya, I only know punch out).

I'm scared I'm not gonna have the strength to get back up one day. I don't want to quit. I want to win this. But what I fall so hard some day?

>>18461200
It only gets easier at milestones. Your degree and first real job after are milestones. Each marker you reach makes life better and easier. However, it's not until you pass through the barriers that you are truly beyond them.

Most people profoundly underestimate what they can do. They shoot towards reaching minimum requirements or a professors expectations. All deadlines are artificial and other people's expectations for your performance should be 1/10 of what you expect from yourself.

Most people wake up thinking they are to tired to do anything. Yet many of those people are capable of running a marathon if they had to.

>>18461147
Went to bed, just re read this this morning.

Of course I will always run. I don't give a shit about being macho or anything like that. Running from several dudes is not a pussy thing to do; what makes you less of a man is ganging up on someone.

That being said, I can't help but think that if I knew some self defense, I at least would've been able to block some punches and then run, and not be feeling like shit this morning. The first throw was essentially from behind me, so being completely untrained, I couldn't defend at all.

So what is an actual self defense, not a sport martial art (wrestling for example, fun as hell, but not really gonna help there)?

I don't think this needs a separate thread, so here is my new question:

What is a real, effective self defense? Had I known how to block a punch, I wouldn't be so sore right now. I took one free class at this karate studio run by an ex marine I know, but he charged way too much. I'm really pretty poor (as you can guess, living in such an area where this shit happens) and classes seem way expensive.

>>18461879
Doesn't matter what self-defense martial arts you take, you can't defend a punch you don't see coming from behind. Situational awareness is what you need. You have to avoid getting into the problem in the first place.

Distance is your best defense. Something like a knife requires closing that distance and it becomes a liability.

Awareness of possible risk, determine the risk and avoid the risk.