Is Fighting Back a Good Idea?

Does having the ability to fight back always mean you should? I bet this topic will stir up some debate, and it should.

Someone over the weekend was talking about how they have been in petty fights before, and if someone punched them, they would absolutely fight back.

They asked me what I would do if someone hit me, and they didn’t expect my answer, which was, “It depends.”

That quickly turned into disbelief because, in their mind, there was no other option except to fight back. At this point in my life, it is more important to me to go home in one piece than to prove anything to anyone.

Some people fight back because of their ego, some because they think it makes them look weak if they don’t. For others, it might be out of fear.

This image sums up my feelings about fighting. “The best way to win a fight is not to get into a fight!”

Trust me when I say I am not advocating living your life in fear. Quite the opposite, everyone should get out and enjoy themselves because there may not be a tomorrow. I have said the following before, and I say it in every class I teach because being mentally prepared is as important as any physical skill.

“If you have no option and must defend yourself, whoever threatens your life is not your friend! They are not looking to have a conversation, they are not looking for a therapist, and they will not play fair. Be mentally prepared and remember that it may come down to saving your loved one’s life as well as saving your own. If attacked, you are there to stop the aggression and live to see your family.”

The time to think about what you would do if someone attacked you is before it happens because if it ever does happen, the last thing you want to do is freeze or hesitate. When your life is on the line, you must be all in, with the will to survive.

On the other hand, though, just because you don’t fight back doesn’t mean you are weak. Unless someone forces you into a position where you must defend yourself, why bother? When carrying a gun, you have a higher level of responsibility, and part of that is knowing when to walk away.

If you see me out anywhere, the odds are I am armed. I’ve carried a gun for so long, and in so many situations, I barely notice it’s there. I know, though, that I am ready to protect myself or someone else if I need to.

For me, carrying a firearm is a way of life, and it’s like the old American Express saying, “Don’t leave home without it.” Carrying a gun is about surviving a potentially deadly encounter and protecting your loved ones. It’s not there for you to prove you’re Billy Bad A**

Knowing when not to fight back is sometimes the ultimate win.

“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
― Sun Tzu