Saving Face:

This thread was spawned as a result of the earlier thread I wrote called “A Deadly Lesson”


“Saving Face” is one of the most important street commandments that most street predators and thugs consider sacrosanct. If at anytime you challenge a person’s “face” either verbally and or physically, you are likely going to be in for a fight. This is even truer if the person you are challenging has a peer group as an audience looking on. Allowing one to “save face” during the pre-contact phase can also offer a tactical advantage that you can take advantage of, here’s an example of what I mean:


Last year I was dispatched to attend a local high school for a report of a group of youths drinking. It was graduation and the student body was celebrating in the schools parking lot, something I did when I graduated as well many years ago. When I arrived I noted that the group was about 120 students. After calling for backup, we proceeded to walk into the group who were now dissipating. Within this group I observed a smaller group of ten males who considered themselves a gang. One of these gang members had a number of warrants for his arrest but I also knew that if I went into his crew to pull him out the fight would be on due to the fact that he would need to save face.

Proper Pre Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance, knowing that this gang member would need to save face I came up with my plan of attack. I called him over to my location that was out or ear shot of his crew, but yet his crew could still watch the both of us.

I explained to this gang member that there were several warrants for his arrest and like it or not he would have to come with me. I further advised him that if he did not come voluntarily, I would have to physically retrain him which could result in injury. After advising the gang member of this fact, he looked at me and stated, “ LARS if I don’t fight you when I get out of court tomorrow my crew will beat me.”

Understanding this fact (saving face) I used it to my advantage. I advised the gang member that he had two options:

1. To resist my arrest which would likely result in him getting hurt and loosing face in front of his crew, or;
2. If he allowed me to hook him up, after the second handcuff was applied he could call me every name in the book. He could yell, scream, tug, and pull but he could not physically strike me in any way.

Upon giving this guy the above two options he stated; “ if I call you a fucking pig you won’t smoke me.” It was at this point that I knew I had him and that he would be compliant with my arrest. After weighing his two options for approximately twenty seconds the gang member stated; “okay Lars I will turn around and let you handcuff me.

As the guy turned around to allow me to handcuff, his crew began to show all kind of pre-assaultive signs, but as soon as I got the second handcuff on the gang member went into show mode calling me every name in the book, pulling, tugging, and resisting me in my attempts to escort him to may car. Upon seeing this his crew started cheering his actions yelling and screaming the fact that this guy was going to kick my ass once I got his back to cells.

Once back at the car, I shoved the guy in at which time he continued to put on the show kicking both the inside door and back window of my cruiser while yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs. His crew was still cheering his actions. Once we got a block away out of view of his crew, this gang member immediately stopped all his actions and said; “Thanks Lars.”

Why did he say this?, because I allowed him to save face in a difficult situation in front of his crew, which allowed for a win/win situation. He got what he wanted, and I got what I wanted.


Remember:

DO NOT CHALLENGE SOMEONE’S FACE, AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE ALLOW OTHERS TO SAVE FACE



Strength and Honor

Darren Laur