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BG training/tactics

2K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  oakchas 
#1 ·
Are there any studies about what kind of training a street mugger/thief has? Any info on the stress level in the mind of an armed rapist/home invader? When we talk about the skills and mindset that WE need, are we assuming that the BG is a seasoned veteran mugger who is totally at home in his role of evil? Does anyone know what is really going on in the gut of a street crook?
 
#2 ·
Well, for one, it's safe to assume they have more experience when it comes to committing senseless violence and attacking others. Also, "stick up kids" (aka guys that go around robbing drug dealers instead of selling drugs themselves, robbing those who flash money/jewelery, etc.) are more used to feeling of adrenaline and such pumping through their body, as they've done it many, many times before. Same with "shooters" (guys hired to do hits, not professional assassins or anything, just hired guns) who have plenty of bodies under their belt and have gotten away with it many times due to their urban sprawl (think Chicago, NYC, L.A., etc.). They will definitely be much more use to the changes that occur in the body, motor skills, etc. than an average civilian would be. There's also plenty of documented cases of gang members without any tattoos or records joining the military, coming back and training their fellow members. I know of plenty gang bangers/thugs that train and study the SAME EXACT THINGS we discuss on here every single day.

Now, I'm not saying the majority of thugs are this seasoned or trained, but you never know what BG may choose YOU, which is why never slacking on your training is important. You just never know..
 
#3 ·
I'm sure the majority of the "bad guys" get their training from playing too much Call of Duty, or watching one too many Hollyweird flicks. Though I'm sure a minority of them have legitimate training, Matix and Platt had met in the Army prior to the 1986 FBI shootout. McVeigh was also an Army vet, (and by no means is this meant to be derogatory to those who have served or are serving.) If memory serves me right many members of the Zeta's Cartel (or at least original members) were ex Mexican Special Forces. Then we have the opposite end of the spectrum James Holmes who had no formal military training, likewise for Klebold and Harris. For the most part, I think it would be relatively safe to say No, but it just goes to say you never know who your opponent may be what his/her background may be so on and so forth. It would be ignorant to think all of them had no training and it would be paranoid to say they're all fine tuned killing machines. As far as studies go, I'm not too sure... I'm sure the FBI has some stats somewhere.
We have to look at the person who's committing the crime, The vast majority of these individuals have sociopath tenancies and they act with no regard for others and have no humane sense of worth or feeling towards the victims in which they prey upon. This could be from a simple purse snatching or material theft, to an aggravated or serial rape or assault. As other posters have said many of the feed off the adrenaline rush of doing something against societal norms, or for other immediate reward whether money drugs etc.
P.S. your mindset should ALWAYS be to refuse to be a victim. Maintain appropriate situational awareness and unplug the damn Ipod (not that you wear one it's a general statement) and you can avoid the vast majority of conflict before it ever unfolds. :cowboy:
 
#5 ·
I seriously doubt there are any sort of "studies"
I did see some stats once on the type/condition of guns confiscated after a apprehension of the BG's. I can't remember the exact number, but a high percentage indicated the gun was either not working, not loaded or in very poor working order. Perhaps that is some indication of their training.

I think it safe to assume most violent crimes perpetrated against society obey the general rules of the "Law of the jungle"; where the isolated and weakest members of the herd are singled out for a attack.
Muggers..robbers etc operate with a animal mentality as a whole.

This does not mean they are unprepared or ineffectual.

"totally at home in his role of evil?" Probably as their mind is hardly working on a normal level of right and wrong.

"Does anyone know what is really going on in the gut of a street crook?"


Desperation and opportunity.

Law abiding citizens who train are obviously far better prepared to handle a threat compared to those who do not train.
The average street fighter for instance who mugs people would stand little chance against a trained martial artist in a hand to hand confrontation. While this does not often occur since the criminal element seeks the weak, it has happened with wonderful results.

Training is great! This does not mean I would ever feel safe with my weapon walking the streets of Detroit after dark; nor is it a theory I am prepared test.
 
#6 ·
An interesting question. There have been reports that some larger gangs (MS13, Hells Angels, etc) which are run like large enterprises, are putting members into the military to learn tactics and weapons and do recruiting.

The FBI Announces Gangs Have Infiltrated Every Branch Of The Military - Business Insider

I think some of that has to filter down to the street level. The sucker punch to the nose that was used in Zimmerman's case has been repeated in several other hi profile assaults by urban youts. Was his the chicken or the egg? Regardless, the news traveled fast. You can't be too careful out there.
 
#7 ·
^^^ That^^^

Most are just punks; some are ex-military punks. You can't predict which you'll meet up with.
 
#9 ·
Saw a thread on types of guns and ammo taken from BG's during arrests,some were either missing Mags,no ammo,wrong ammo,conglomeration of different ammo,so I'm going to assume for the most part in States that make it hard to buy ammo that they get whatever they can beg,buy,or steal and probably either never shoot the gun,or fire a couple rounds to make sure it goes bang
 
#11 ·
Are there any studies about what kind of training a street mugger/thief has? Any info on the stress level in the mind of an armed rapist/home invader? When we talk about the skills and mindset that WE need, are we assuming that the BG is a seasoned veteran mugger who is totally at home in his role of evil? Does anyone know what is really going on in the gut of a street crook?
Last I heard there was no school for them....unless you count the University of Miami (also known as Thug U.).
 
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#12 ·
I found this commentary a while ago from another board and think it is right on point to this topic. It is a long read, but very insightful from an urban LEO point of view:



Lately in GD we have had two different board members find themselves looking down the barrel of a gun along with the GF of another ARFCOMMER in street robberies. Also Blitz308 got shot all to pieces last year.

While many say it is better to be lucky than good, no one is lucky every time. In this post I am going to attempt to provide some insight into street encounters. Other may have different viewpoints. I am not here to argue. I will say some of the comments I have seen posted in the threads about this sort of matter make me realize that while some ARFCOMMERS are clearly street veterans others are not. This is really for those who are not.

Background

First, my info. I worked in the street of one of America's most violent, dangerous cities for 15 years. I usually worked in the worst part of that city. I spent 15 years in patrol. I liked patrol. It was wild. Most of the time I worked in areas covered in ghetto. By that I mean large housing projects combined with run down slum housing. I have worked all shifts. Later I became an investigator including a robbery investigator. I have spent countless hours in interrogation rooms talking to hold up men. I know them. I am still an investigator but have quit playing the Robbery game because my family was starting to forget what I looked like.

The Enemy

Some may object to me calling hold up men "the enemy". You can call them whatever you like. I can assure you however they are as deadly an enemy as you will find anywhere but the battlefield. Even many soldiers probably lack the viciousness and utter disregard for life most hold up men possess.

No one wakes up in the morning one day and decides to become an armed robber. It is a gradual process that requires some experience and desensitizing. Before a man will pick up a gun and threaten to kill people who have done him no harm in order to get their usually meager possessions he has to get comfortable with some things.

He has to get used to seeing others as objects for him to exploit. He has to accept he may be killed while robbing. He has to accept the felony conviction for Robbery will haunt him all his life. He has to accept he may need to kill a completely innocent person to get away with his crime.

This is a process that starts with stealing candy at the corner store as a child. It progresses through bigger property crimes that may also involve violence. But one day G gets tired of selling his stolen property for nothing and decides it would be better to steal cash. Cut out all that tiresome sales stuff.


Keep in mind many petty thieves, auto burglars, residential and commercial burglars, paper thieves, and hustlers will get to that point and decide not to become armed robbers. Most will. It is a special group of outliers who decide threatening to kill people for a few dollars is the way to go.

Once a man starts armed robbing he has crossed a line most won't. Don't forget that when you are looking these ******** in the eye. Their decision to kill you is already made. Your life means nothing to him. Only his does. His sole motivation for not killing you is he doesn't want a murder case. He has already accepted he may pick one up though.

We hunt hold up men around the clock once they are identified. We send teams of fire breathing fence jumper/door kickers to find them. We will bring their mother to the office and convince her she is going to jail if we don't have Junior in our office in an hour. We have her call her son crying hysterically for him to turn himself in before she is arrested and held without bond as a material witness and her home seized for harboring him. Most of the time they won't. **** their own momma.

We will hit all Juniors friends and family's houses. We make it so no one will harbor him. He is so hot no one will let him in their house or even talk on the phone with him. We put money on him so he knows he is right to be betrayed and set up. We do this because of one thing.

That thing is they WILL kill someone if they keep robbing. That is why the city is willing to pay all the overtime. They don't want the murders. Think about that when you see Junior coming. The more robberies he does the closer he is to killing someone. Maybe you.

The guys who hit you on the street are gang members. They are Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, Crips, Sureonos, many others. They do not see themselves as part of society. The street is all they know. They don't expect to live long or stay out of prison. They take a delight in your fear and suffering. They are warped individuals for the most part. They can be extremely dangerous.

One time we were locking up a hold up man and having a conversation about how they target their victims. I was saying they pick easy ones, another guy was saying they preferred easy ones but would take anybody.

I pointed out a uniform Officer there was an NFL size guy to that hold up man. Frankly the dude was a monster. I asked hold up man if he would rob him. He said "If I needed the money".





You

Chances are good you are a law abiding person except for maybe a little light weed smoking and maybe driving a little drunk every once in a while. Most of your life you have been taught to be nice and don't point guns at people. You are the exact opposite of your enemy who was taught just the opposite. Remember a lot of street life is like prison life. Who's the man is everything. Violence is the currency of the street.

You do not possess total disregard for the lives of others and do not want to kill anyone. You are concerned about the ramifications of shooting someone. Your family, your possessions and finances on the line. Your enemy has none of these concerns.

The laws that keep you from carrying your gun in bars or where ever mean nothing to your enemy. Your reluctance to shoot someone works to is advantage. His greater experience in street violence and the element of surprise is on his side.

Everyone should call their local FBI office and get a copy of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. When it first came out it was ground breaking because it demonstrated to academics and other elites what street police knew all along. What did it show in interviews with cop killers? Nice guys finish dead. That's right. Most of those offenders commented that the Officer they killed set himself up to be killed because of reluctance to use force early in the encounter.

You can probably find it on line now. A lot of the victim Officers were a lot like a lot of other people, normal people. They were the opposite of their enemy.

Am I advocating becoming the enemy? No. I am saying the person who is robbing you has certain traits, attitudes, and background. That is all.

Dynamics of Encounters

Hold up men target victims on the street in an impulsive, opportunistic manner. They see someone and make a quick judgment call on whether to rob them. The time between when you are targeted and they are on you isn't long. Therefore, situational awareness is everything.

If you see G coming you are in good shape. If you don't you will be the victim who says "He came out of nowhere". No he didn't. There are many tricks to watching out but simply watching your back is the main thing. Watch your back. If you do it enough it becomes second nature and you won't even realize you are doing it.

Watching out is great but unfortunately many self defense courses stop there. You have parked you car in a well lit area, are aware of your surroundings, and looky here, here comes three guys across the parking lot and they start to kind of fan out.

When you lock eyes with G the very first thing you need to do it indicate you have a weapon. It doesn't matter if you do or not. If you are a woman put your gun hand in your purse and keep it there. If you are a man fan your shirt or coat tail with your gun hand. Make it clear to dude you are mentally prepared to draw and making sure your gun is clear. This will many times result in an about face by dude. It is the single best robbery avoidance tactic IMHO.

Not long ago I was walking down the sidewalk in my town to go get my car. I was holding a folding chair in my gun hand. A car slow rolled past me with 4 heads in it. The guys in the back seat turned around as they went by looking at me. They went a little farther and U turned in the street.

Here they come back. As they started to slow down I looked at them with as contemptuous a look as I could muster and switched the chair to my left hand and flicked my shirt tail with my right hand. They just drove on mad dogging me.

In another case I was at a Christmas party and walked a girl to her car about 3 am. As we said our good-byes two guys were walking across the parking lot. One went behind a dumpster. I though he was peeing. He came out from behind the dumpster with a bottle.

As they got closer I stepped clear of that girl and unzipped my jacket at those two guys. When I did the guy threw down the bottle and they walked by cussing at me. If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed say "I don't have a gun". Then they will know you do.

Here is an opposite story. A girl my brother knows was walking her dog when a guy approached her. She was polite. Mistake. He talked to her about the dog and said she had pretty hair and reached out and touched her hair. She did not slap his hand down or aggressively object. Mistake. He asked her if her dog bit and she said "No". At that time he slapped the **** out of her, drug her into a wooded area, and raped her.

The answer in the street is always "No". Can I ask you something? No. Do you have a cigarette? No. Can you tell me what time it is? No. The answer is always "No". Don't be nice. Stop the encounter as soon as it starts.

When to draw

Despite warnings I often see on the Net I have yet to encounter an instance in which a hold up man called the police to report his intended victim threatened to shoot him. Thugs do not want to come into contact with the police. They may already be wanted or realize chances are good they have been identified in a recent robbery. Or what ever. They are not going to call the police if you draw on them.



Supposed two guys are approaching you in a parking lot and do the classic fan out maneuver. You indicate you have a weapon by clearing your gun hand and fanning your jacket at them. They are not discouraged. DRAW!

I am not saying you should pull your gun out, assume a Weaver stance, and scream "That's close enough motherfuckers!" What I am saying is draw your gun and hold it beside your leg as you start to move to cover. I am very fond of telephone poles. Anything will do though. They will see this. They will remember they have to be somewhere else. They will not call the police.

Then you can just put your gun back in the holster and go back to whatever you were doing like nothing happened. Why? Because nothing did happen. A happening is when shots are fired.

Do not hesitate to draw. If you are somewhere you are supposed to be and someone appears who is not supposed to be there like a closed business show him the end of your gun. Could it be Mother Teresa looking for her lost cat behind your closed business? No it is some ************ up to no good. He won't call the police to report he was prowling a location when a guy ran him off.

When to shoot

The time to shoot is immediately upon seeing his weapon. You are not a police man who has to try to arrest the guy. No need to scream at him. No exposure while you yell for him to drop the gun.

In deer hunting the experienced hunter takes the first good shot. May not be the perfect shot but it never is. Novices pass up a doable shot waiting for a better shot and then the deer is gone. Take the first good shot you are offered. Hopefully your alertness and hostile cues will prevent you ever having to fire. But once you see his weapon, shoot.

If a guy is coming at you with a gun in his hand shoot him. Shoot him right then. If you don't shoot first you may not shoot at all. I have known more than one person who was shot and received life changing injuries and also shot their attacker. Their only regret was not shooting sooner. Like Bill Jordan said "Nothing disturbs your enemy's aim like a slug delivered to the belt buckle area".

Guns and weapons

The handgun is the best weapon you can carry easily. I understand it is not always possible to have one due to laws, restrictions, whatever. I am not telling anyone to disregard laws about carrying weapons. Each person has to decide for themselves what they are comfortable with. I will say there is no substitute for a pistol when you need one.


Also if you can not be trusted with a pistol after a few drinks you can't be trusted with a pistol period. Booze is liquid bad judgment no doubt but it shouldn't make you into a damn moron. If you are a moron sober I don't know what to tell you.

Types of guns and ammo are always debated and probably always will be. I have seen people shot with all common calibers. My conclusion is if you hit someone between the collar bone and the tip of their ribs three times with anything, they are handled. Bigger is better but something is better than nothing. Get your front sight on his shirt and stay on him as long as he is standing with whatever gun you have.

Just have a gun with sure fire ammo. Draw early and fire immediately upon seeing his weapon. That course of action is about all you can do to up your odds of ending things favorably. Guns like the Ruger LC9, SIG 239, Glock 26/27 are examples of guns small enough to carry but with enough power and capacity to be useful. Do not be afraid to use a French Lebelle if that is the only gun you have. A gun is a gun. I like a Glock 19.

Training

We all want the best training. It can be expensive if you are having to pay for it and it can be hard to find the time to do it. There is a whole lot of BS out there. What can you do? First, pistol handling is not rocket surgery. If you will learn the basics and practice on your own you can be fine. Smooth draw, quick pairs, reload. If you know those things well you can be OK.

I know a young man who shot down two hold up men in 2010 at very close range while he and his GF were walking home from the store. He in Wyatt Earp like fashion ignored the fire coming from the gunman and killed him and wounded his accomplice. He nor his GF were injured. He like many was willing to give them the money until he picked up on nonverbal cues that because of his GF they were not quite satisfied with the money. He had a Glock 27.

He had only the most basic of training in gun handling but did do some draws and some dry fire a couple times a week and live fired maybe once a month. That basic skill combined with knowing what to do was enough. He shot at the first possible moment despite having let the guys get the drop on them. When the gunman turned his head because a car drove by that was the opening. A split second is a long time sometimes.

Work on some one hand shooting at close range. That is a skill not as popular as it once was and you want to use two hands when you can. Often you can find yourself doing something with your off hand though so be able to shoot with one hand out to 5 yards or so.




After

If it comes to pass you are forced to shoot someone do not feel bad. When the police come just tell them a guy threatened you with deadly force and you were forced to fire. I know there are bad police out there in some parts of the country who don't support self defense. I can't help you with that.

Do not talk to them until you have your attorney present. Now most young guys don't have an attorney on retainer and you may have no idea who to call. That is OK. You will figure it out but in the mean time don't talk about what happened other than to say you were forced to fire. You don't have to be an ******* just remember wait for your attorney.

Hopefully you will not give a statement for a couple days. Remember if you are put in jail that doesn't mean you are charged. Most places can hold you 48 or 72 hours on a felony before charging you or letting you go. Breath deep and get an attorney.

Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe not. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting gun if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model 10 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren't fancy.

Worlds

We all live in different worlds. My world is filled with felons and gang members. Violence is common place. No one would be surprised if one of their friends called and said they shot a hold up man at a place of business or parking lot. In the past when I made calls the fact that the guy who is beating his GF is also on parole for 2nd degree murder flavored my world.

You may live in a smaller, less violent place where shootings seldom occur and it would be a rare to shoot a hold up man. I envy you and will be moving to a place like your town as soon as I can.

But be advised no matter where you are a hold man is going to be about the same. Whether he is a home boy or a guy who just exited the interstate into your town and needs some quick money. He is going to have a vicious streak and no regard for your life. Treat him like he treats you.

Giving them the money, doing what they say, all that may work but there is no guarantee. If you have never read Jeff Cooper's book The Principles of Personal Defense I suggest you order a copy immediately. It is a short book but summarizes a lot of important things.

Last year we had a trial here regarding an armed robbery that occurred. Three or four guys took a young couple from a parking garage near a college out by some railroad tracks where they raped, shot, and beat them. Their lives will never be the same.

The lesser thugs all turned on the trigger man at trial. The trigger man's statement in the paper was after all that had happened he felt like he was a victim. Think about that. That is the mindset you are up against.
 
#15 ·
to correlate both the original question, "Do thugs get training?" and the link to the FBI study showing gangs in all branches of the military...

I present the first of three you tube videos of Gangland: Basic Training



Look up the other two on your own...

Average street thug? Little or no training, initially. As someone else has said, county jails and prisons are the "higher education" centers for criminals.

County Jail= Junior College (Community College). Not a great education, but a foundation in the basics.
Unlike the real higher education system.... Where the usual result is: after you learn, you become more successful, and can choose to go on to even higher education...

Failure in the criminal world, leads you to:
State Penitentiary= University. You can choose here: What do you want to learn about? Who do you want to learn it from?

If you choose correctly, you will go back into the world and be successful for a long time... If you don't do so well IRL, you go back for remedial training.... perhaps you can change your "major" to something you are more suited to... And, if you are really no good at crime... maybe you can be Bubba's girlfriend... Might keep you alive at least, until your release date.

The Graduate School (PHD in criminality)= Federal Pen... Bernie Madoff, Bernie Ebbers, and their ilk will be found here.... the real, successful criminals.... those who stole millions and got away with it for a long time... But true to form, they got there after failing in their criminal activity. If you should ever get sent to a Federal Prison.... Take heart, you are amongst the best of the best, in the criminal world. "You have ARRIVED"
 
#16 ·
I don't think it really matters what kind of training the average mugger has. I'm not sure you'll get to pick who will choose you as a victim. As for insight on what kind of people make up the criminal side, I'd suggest you pick up a copy of 'Meditations on Violence' by Rory Miller. Schedule a seminar with him if you get the chance. The man has had a ton of exposure to bad people.
Put in your time for training and do your best to avoid shady locations where bad things are likely to happen.

Kudos to niks for his Street Robberies post. Very interesting.
---
J
 
#17 ·
So it would seem that the mugger does not study grip, stance, sight picture, moving while shooting. He cares not for caliber, recoil, reliability or manufacturer. His only advantage is surprise, intimidation and the chutzpah to attempt. He banks on the probability that his prey is a peaceful citizen and will follow the advice of liberals to submit.

Now, I have "discussed" training with many over the eight years I have had my CHL. The disagreement is always what kind of training and from whom to take it. This a topic for another time, but I have taken comfort from niks's post that I am OK with what I do: draw fast and shoot center mass. Thanks to all for your thoughts.
 
#18 ·
My 'assumption' is that they dont give a damn.

They're already breaking the law and they dont care about backstops or innocent bystanders.

They can just spray and pray and take their chances. They dont have to take the time to consider the 'consequences' of their actions...again....they can just start attacking or shooting.

Time is everything in such encounters and I am also not someone who believes that most BGs are dumb enough to fall for the 'thrown wallet' trick. No way would I risk my life on that particular 'tactic.'
 
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