ronl said:
I actually didn't feel that threatened. I'm 6'2" tall and weigh about 220. the man holding the gun went maybe 150 and was older, and appeared somewhat frail. He was holding the gun in his right hand which would have been rather easy to deflect. OODA loop worked rather quickly in that instance. He was always slightly less than arms length away. Left hand grab gun hand slam it against the handrail, right elbow slammed against the throat which puts man in between me and woman. Right hand to man's wrist holding gun, severe twist another slam against handrail, toss gun to the ground and run like a scared rabbit. That's what my brain came up with. Of course things seldom go according to plan. I just talked smoothly and evenly, made no sudden moves and always kept my hands visible. The best conflict is one you don't have to go through. I do trust my training and my physical ability, but I really don't want to use force unless I am absolutely forced to.
Personally, I understand why the man had his weapon close, as, were I in his situation, I would do the same. I don't think he should have had it in view, but close.
In my experience, having had to rely on the kindness of strangers when I ran out of gas as a teenager, I found that distance helps alleviate tension. I think by staying within arms reach, you may have made yourself more of a threat than you intended, especially with the description you gave. When approaching a door, after knocking, stand back away from the door, leaving 6-10 feet in personal space for the homeowner. Yes, it makes it more difficult for you to engage if needed, but as you are an uninvited guest on their property, and should allow some concessions. Being in the South, as well, Sir and Ma'am also come into play.
Finally, the lady holding the weapon pointed at you is wrong, and most likely illegal. Did you ever ask her to lower the weapon? Sometimes making the request in a calm, even voice can do more to help descalate the situation. Even something as simple as, "Excuse me, ma'am, but if you could please point that gun away from me, I'd greatly appreciate it." Polite, concilatory language can do wonders.
Finally, I strongly reccomend getting a prepaid cell phone (I personally reccomend Tracfone, as their coverage area is pretty robust), and leave it off unless you need it. They aren't that expensive, and pretty reliable (my mother used the same one for 5 years).
