What would you have done--creepy follower (long)

[Trek420]

I didn't quite throw her. My office used to be in Berkeley next to BART the bank and really good food. I was at the ATM getting a $20 to meet our mutual niece for lunch. When I felt something hard, round like a pipe or gun pointed in the small of my back and a woman said. "Give me your money this is a stick up"

For a nano second the following went through my head.
She's got to be kidding, this is downtown Berkeley
What if she's not?
This is a busy intersection, nobody would do this here!
What if she's nuts?
That's a woman, women don't do this kinda thing
Well, right now one is.
WTF is that cold hard thing at my back?

Then I think I gotta do something. I mean if it's a gun I can't die just standing here if I do I'll never get to meet Knott

With a weapon your response must be get the he]] off the line in other words MOVE What I do next depends on what's behind. Options include (inside joke to Duck "amoung our weaponry are such diverse options as fear, surprise and a fanatical devotion to the Pope. Nooooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" ) a strike to the face as I do kotogaishi (in which she gets flung azz over teakettle backwards as arm, wrist, elbow break) if it's her left hand maybe iriminage (face planted into the ATM, devastating throw).

Aikido is such a peaceful non violent dance-like martial art

With a yell I whirled instantly, my right hand was in her face as the left had her in a pin, off balance and starting kotogaishi as I realised .... this is my coworker

I held her up but she was off balance knew she could go down hard.

But she never hit the ground.

Her mother there too and was behind her, her laughter at the prank turned to shock as she repeated over and over and over again:
OMG, you just moved
OMG, you just spun around
OMG, you just moved ....
we're sorry, we're sorry ....

Yep, you don't know how sorry you almost were

The next day I brought in pictures of my dan test, me throwing one of our udansha (higher rank black belt) and explaining "see this 6'5 guy I'm throwing? That would have been next for you, not on a fluffy matt, on cement. Don't do things like this to people, you don't know if they are armed, trained, if someone nearby who is will come to their aid or if they will simply collapse in a fetal position on the street and have a breakdown. It's not funny "

So .... the take home lesson and you don't need to be a nidan for this is:

trust your gut, if it feels odd it sometimes is. Better the embarassment of throwing a coworker or reversing a ride than consequences of not trusting your gut.

What do you do? Move! MAKE NOISE!!! Do something. Always options to do and no matter what there is always stuff you can move.

BTW I was very shaken by this, the adrenaline was such that I went to lunch still shaking with fear and rage. In the moment and doing the moves no, calm, centered, swift, certain.

But afterward shaken to the core.

Duck and my niece is a lawyer and I asked her about this. She said had I thrown the gal there would be no consequences to me, no judge or jury could have faulted me for thinking I was facing mortal danger.

But I made the right decision in pulling the throw.

I love what I do as an art and as always I hope never to need this training again.