The London Story – Tim Larkin Interview

The following story is transcribed verbatim from our 10 Question Interview posted on March 17th, 2011.  The entire interview is available on our Youtube Channel (here).

Tim Larkin is the man behind Target Focus Training in Las Vegas, NV. (website)

The London Story

I was training in London in , I think it was 2004 or 2005, and this young lawyer –  one of those Horatio Alger stories – 1st one to make it past high school in his family – lives in a nicer part of London, gets off the subway and decides to walk through the park, which, yes, it’s at night but it’s a pretty safe park – no big deal.  He gets followed by two guys.

As they approach him they put knives to his throat, demands his watch and wallet.  This guy engages them, gives them his watch and wallet, the jewerly, gives them the briefcase, gives them everything… and they take off.  They leave.

And everyone loves that part of the story, because it worked.  He did everything that they tell you to do in all self defense classes, and in law enforcement.  (They say) “Don’t resist; give them everything.  Engage them socially.”  And it worked.

The second time, when they came back, their heads were down, their knives were drawn.  He said, “Hey, hey! What are you doing?”  And they stabbed him 47 times.  He was heard screaming, “I gave you everything, I gave you everything!”

My goal in Target Focus Training is that you know the difference between the two.  In the first engagement there was a chance you could use your social skills and there is a chance you can talk your way out of it and comply.  The second time they weren’t engaging you socially.  When the heads were down and the knives were drawn there is only one thing that’s going to work in a situation like that… the tool of violence.  That’s the only way the kid had a chance at surviving at that point.

What probably happened as the guys were walking away is – one guy says to the other, “umm… you know what? He saw our faces.  It’s probably not a good idea, we better go back and kill him.”  They literally put no more thought in it than that.  I can’t control what the other guy is about, I can only control what I’m about!  If I’m worried about what he’s doing to me, I’m going to be behind the power curve.  I have to sit there and make sure I have the best opportunity to affect an injury on that individual.  And I need to be focused on those opportunities.  The way I can do this is by understanding the difference.

♣

RELATED ARTICLES –              INTERVIEW WITH TIM LARKIN

IMPROVE SELF DEFENSE, ADD VIOLENCE

ALL IN, OR ALL OUT

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION 009- GUNMEN