Oh, that's awful. I'm so glad you're ok.

Christ, that will rattle you! So sorry, seanyboy!

No need for sympathy (Well, a little maybe). I'm alright and have conversational stuff for the meeting of people.

Ah, crap! Good for you for not letting the little bastards get the upper hand, though.

Man, what a bunch of assholes!

Are your glasses ok?

seanyboy, I'm glad you're okay. How scary.

I'm glad to hear you're all right, seanyboy.

I love that someone offered you a cup of tea.

Bloody kids these days. School's failing them. In my day we were taught not to hit people with glasses.

oh man! Fuck. But YAY! for head like an ox!

But seriously, though I know you want to be casual about it, it may kind of freak you out for a while. This is completely natural... If it freaks you out too much or for too long, don't be afraid to see someone, though. Really.

Christ, what an asshole. A passel of assholes.

Gangsta as the kid was, he hit like a little girl.

Haha, pwned! Glad you're okay.

What the heck!

Hope somebody told HIS momma.

Good grief seany, that's terrible. Sounds like you dealt with it with style though, so well played sir.

holy crap. I'm so glad you are ok, and I think it's pretty clear by his "run to momma" statement that you actually rattled them by keeeping head cold, not swinging back and asking why they did that 'what have I ever done to you'. If he has any shame your words will bother his sleep.

This sucks.

Was it 'chavs'? I keep hearing about chavs.

Fucking thugs. Glad you were not badly hurt.

Have you considered sending the thugs over to talk to essexjan's neighbor? (And everybody talks about crime in the USofA...)

This fucking country is going to the dogs. I very rarely go out on Saturday nights, but a few weeks ago, I went up to a gig in London and got the last train back home, that gets in at about 12.40am. To get to my place from the station, you have to walk through the town centre. There were police outside pubs, a police tracker dog being walked around, hopelessly drunk kids everywhere. I was walking past a bus stop where there were 3 teenage males mulling around. As I walked past them, out of the corner of my eye I saw one of them start to make a fairly rapid move towards me. I stopped, gave him a "you *really* don't want to even think about doing that" look and he stopped. He was probably a bit of a wuss; that, coupled with the fact I was wearing some army surplus trousers at the time might have stopped him.

This, apparently, is the 3rd best place in the country to live. Doesn't say much for anywhere else.

Fucking little bastards.

Why are they out there late at night? Isn't there such a thing as a police force in this city?

Glad to hear that you're OK.

Glad you're ok, seanyboy.

Eee seanyboy! How are the police in that area?

Holy shit! Good on you for standing up to them, seanyboy, and I'm glad you're OK.

Punks. People who do that are always such cowards.
Glad teh damage was minimal, seany.

*whew!* So glad you're okay, seanyboy.

I hate it that thug "culture" has gone world wide. I said something to that effect when I heard a group of kids in Amsterdam (not hoodie types) yelling "motherfucker"-- and other things in Dutch--over and over again and it silenced them.

Thanks for the nice words people. I think it's my lot to get pulled into something like this every ten years. Last time I got punched was when I lived in Armley (no - not the prison, the area) by some lads from Manchester looking for some Red on White action. Anyway - no real damage. The glasses look fine, but they don't feel fine. They're slightly out of alignment and I've no idea where. Glasses wearers will know of what I talk about.

brujita: Unfortunately, the police are quite scared of the area. As I said, there's a lot of racial tension. When things kick off for real it's gonna be bad.

chrismear: I hear you. When I was at school the bullies wouldn't go near me. Because I had glasses.

It's been a weird old day really. But to put it into context... Going into work this morning, there was a woman in front of us who the g/f knew because the woman's son had previously been bullying the g/f's daughter. Turns out that the woman's husband had owned a farm in Zimbabwe and been pushed off the land and out of Zimbabwe for being white. My little story sort of shrinks in front of that...

Damn, first essexjan and now you. I am going to have to start offering my personal bodyguarding services in the UK.

I guarantee that you will be amused by the witty saying I deliver as I take down whatever aggressor threatens you, or the fourth kick to his head is free.

Glad you're okay too SB. I got jumped when I was a teenaged punkrocker. I was stummbling home, drunk enough that my gait was comprised of a steady line of falling, interupted by yet another foot thrust forward to stop it...

A bunch of what we called "bangers", maybe 4-6 of them, jumped me after shouting, "Fuckin' prep!" and running across the street to me. At the time, I was 6'3" but about 190lbs, so not too intimidating. I hit the ground after the first couple shots, and just went fetal until they tired of kicking me.

I had a bit of a shiner, and was pretty annoyed. A buddy want to round them up and lay a beating on them...He asked me what they looked like, and I honestly told him: long hair, black leather jackets, high cuts, and tight jeans (And no, it wasn't the Ramones), which pretty much left him with nothing to go on.

Anyway...I was a little freaked out for a few days, but given that I was about 16 at the time, I was still quite convinced of my imortality, so it didn't last.

Gang mentality can really go the wrong way sometimes.

UGH, sorry to hear about that, seanyboy. Something like that would rattle me, for sure. Glad you're okay, man.

I'm glad you're okay, seanyboy. I would have been much wimpier.

Oh, man, seanyboy. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you're okay and hope you continue to be so.

I was mugged not too long ago and I'm still kind of jumpy from it. Take care of yourself. I'm thinking of you.

Sorry to hear about this, seanyboy. But it's good to know that the number of 5 year olds needed to take you down > 2. Over here in the New World, by the time kids get to the age of your assailants, they're frequently strapped. I'm very glad to hear you came away not much worse for the wear, physically, and I hope you can soon forget about it, even if you have to get new glasses to do so.

Sorry mate; I'm glad you're OK. I've been back in the UK precisely 1 week now and I'm freaked out a bit by some of the crime going on around here (I'm back in Manc for the time being).

Try not to let it get to you too much. When I was robbed recently, the worst bit was a couple of days later after the shock had worn off. Keep your chin up and watch out for the blues over the coming week.

You were remarkably cool. I doubt I would have been. And at the point the kid was following me, I probably would've shattered his knee cap or a testicle.

Wow, seanyboy. I can't believe you're so matter-of-fact about the whole thing. I'm really glad you're OK and that there were good people there who offered you tea and consolation.

Oh geez, seanyboy! I'm glad you're alright.

Ay-yi-yi. Glad you're OK, seanyboy. Makes the crap in our neighborhood (I called 911 last night, first time this spring ... the hooligans are out) look like Leave it to Beaver.

Nice work Sean, remaining calm was a good choice in this situation by the sounds of it.

I have a friend who teaches karate in Huddersfield. It is shotokan, but he is also a student of more practical techniques and could give you some guidance if you wanted it. He is about 50, so he is becoming more interested in techniques that work irrespective of one's speed or strength.

Having said that, you dealt very effectively with the attack. Other than blocking the initial attack (which could easily be missed by even a seasoned martial artist) your handling of the situation was exemplory.

Another option is to sing the blues, as the aforementioned karateka is also a mean blues guitarist.

seanyboy,
good to hear you're shaken but not stirred. I think it could have gone much worse and am surprised to hear it didn't. What if weapons were involved. Plus, there was a group of them so you get a 'mob' mentality.

In the future though, you do not ask why the person is assaulting you. Fuck reasoning with wankers. A swift kick in the groin or stomping on the kneecap, then skedadle. No need for discussion, it's not a discussion group. :)

Also, if the area you're walking through is 'notorious', do not be distracted, yo, text messaging, on the celly etc, you need to be vigilant and alert to any possible danger. Call it gut feeling. Yep, "The Gift of Fear", Gavin DeBecker's book. It's all about self preservation.
Being vigilant doesn't guarantee any safety either though when it comes to perps. A man in Toronto was murdered in a very busy area, Yorkville, by gansta's walking by him and knifing him, just like that. He died. He was just minding his business. Sucks to be in the wrong place and right time.

Even with knowledge of self defense, one strikes with extreme prejudice hard and fast, then gets the hell outta there. 1 person isn't much of a match for 1++. Surprise is a double edged sword though. If after the extreme prejudiced blows that assailant is dropped and the rest scatter, then you stay, hold the one down and call police. Arrest follows. Or you can leave him lying there and scram.

I've been in some extremely bizarre situations, but addressing my gut instinct and addressing what I'm feeling by getting right in their faces, any nonsense was avoided. I chose to direct it at the biggest or meanest, the 'leader'. Maybe I was just stupid, lucky or both. It worked. I was going to put my life on the line though and was furious enough that my calm, measured voice telling them to piss off maybe got them thinking that I may be more trouble than was worth 'the fun'.
In short, 2 guys, strangers dropping by at 1am, turned into a repeat visit of 4 guys at an isolated cottage while there with an ex gf. Fucking predators I have a huge issue with, so, my fuse is short in these matters. It projected.

Oh, on another occasion there were 4 of them. It looked innocent enough, but I didn't think so and stopped them from entering an outside patio at a restaurant on a busy street. They were leering an ex gf. This wasn't going any further. Period. My thinking is that I was here first, we're not finished and I won't be subjected to that kind of behaviour from the get go. They left.
I'm not looking for trouble, have never been in a fight as an adult ]hockey is different, right¿[ and haven't had to, yet, but won't put up with bullying and predatory behaviour. Had enough of that shit as a kid, thanks. Back then I was way less aware, see.

I liked your ending, you survived to have a cuppa, that's too cool in any case. There are all sorts, to be sure.