Lessons From Las Vegas:

Security Guard Attacked By A Gang

By Christopher Caile

April 19, 2006: A gang attack late last night proved that you can lose more than your money and innocence in Los Vegas – your physical safety, maybe even your life is at risk. (2)

Today the national news covered the story about a security guard sitting in a golf cart at the back of MGM Grand who suffered a ravage and senseless attack by a group of youths. He was lucky, very lucky to escape without serious injury – if you call bruises plus a broken jaw and collar bone not serious.

The melee was caught on a security camera and was played later on CNN and other major news agencies.

When I looked at the images, a couple of important self-defense lessons seemed to jump out. His first actions contributed to the attack, although his final actions just may have saved his life.

Here is how the action came down.

First the bad.

The security guard was sitting alone in an isolated area late at night near an entrance to a parking garage behind the MGM Grand – not smart. If he had been accompanied by a co-worker the probability of the attack would have diminished. Even better, he should not have been there at all.

One youth, it was reported, took something from the cart as he walked past it. In response the guard got out, took out a cell phone, turned his back away from the cart (exposing it), looked down and started dialing – stupid. At a moment calling for increased vigilance, the guard narrowed his focus to dial, thus eliminating any awareness of what was going on around him. The result was that one youth was able to circle around the front of the cart behind the guards back and then hit the guard in head with a looping outside punch that the guard never saw coming. The attacker then followed up with relentlessly flurry of left/right punches that pummeled the guard (who bent back over the cart trying to defend himself).

If the guard had seen the youth, the youth most likely would have not attacked and the whole ruckus might have been avoided. Potential attackers are empowered by the ability to surprise. They have confidence in a sudden overpowering ambush. Most, however, are much more reluctant to attack someone who is aware, who might defeat their attack and hit back.

In short – the guard virtually invited a sudden attack. This probably triggered the group attack that followed.

The Good.

The guard was not initially severely injured and was able to try to run away – good. If there had only been a few attackers, he might have succeeded in escaping. He might have reached safety. As an alternative he could have used an old Roman strategy against multiple attackers – to run, then after some distance, suddenly to turn and attack the person right behind – who is often the strongest. Then attack the next and next – each counter attack against a single opponent. The idea is to string attackers out so you fight just one at a time.

But here there was a swarm – there was no chance to fight back effectively. The guard reacted by falling to the ground and curling up in a fetal position with his hands in front of his head – not an ideal position but the best possible against an overwhelming group attack. In this position vital organs and the head are protected while the attacker’s weapons are limited – usually to kicking. In this case one youth was seen using his belt (maybe a chain) to whip down, but this had no severe consequences.

Falling to the ground does two things. First, it is less fun for the attackers. It also signals their triumph, and this often is reward enough. They go on. This action also signals some form of instinctual compliance – possibly calling up inherited biological reaction. This is often seen with animals in a fight, when one submits to the other’s dominance by going to the ground and exposing its vital area. With dominance achieved, the fight ends.

The lessons from this episode are many.

1 – Be aware at all times and be prepared to defend yourself.

2 – Don’t needlessly expose yourself to danger.

3 – When in an isolated urban area, friends and accomplices are a good thing.

4 – If in a potentially vulnerable situation, move to avoid any conflict – walk the other way, find safety in a store, inside a business or run. Don’t be macho and feel invulnerable. Don’t be so unaware as not to act. Don’t wait for an attack to catch you first.

5 – Even if you can’t physically get yourself out of danger, your very awareness and preparation for possible attack will signal to potential attackers that you are not vulnerable and possibly not an easy target. This alone will forestall many attacks.

6 – If the attack is overwhelming and you can’t escape, go to the ground. Assume a fetal position (balled up –ideally with your back protected against a wall or large object) with your arms protecting your neck and head. Yell for help.

Footnotes:

(1) This is not an actual photo of the attack featured in this article, but is instead a graphic representation of the first punch launched on the security guard who had been focused on dialing his cell phone.

(2) Neither the author or FightingArts.com means to suggest that Las Vegas is any more dangerous than any other urban areas in US. The title and commentary only suggest that in any urban area dangers exist including physical ones.

About the Author Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the martial arts for over 65 years.

He first started in judo while in college. Then he added karate as a student of Phil Koeppel in 1959 studying Kempo and Wado-Ryu karate. He later added Shotokan Karate where he was promoted to brown belt and taught beginner classes. In 1960 while living in Finland, Caile introduced karate to that country and placed fourth in that nation’s first national judo tournament.

Wanting to further his karate studies, Caile then hitch hiked from Finland to Japan traveling through Scandinavia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia — living on 25 cents a day and often sleeping outside.

Arriving in Japan (1962), Caile was introduced to Mas Oyama and his fledgling full contact Kyokushinkai Karate by Donn Draeger, the famous martial artist and historian. Donn also housed him with several other senior international judo practitioners. Donn became Caile’s martial arts mentor, coaching him in judo and introducing him to Shinto Muso-ryu under Takaji Shimizu.

Caile studied at Oyama’s honbu dojo and also at Kenji Kurosaki’s second Tokyo Kyokushinkai dojo. In his first day in class Oyama asked Caile to teach English to his chief instructor, Tadashi Nakamura. They have been friends ever since. Caile also participated in Oyama’s masterwork book, “This Is Karate.”

Caile left Japan with his black belt and designation as Branch Chief, the first in the US to have had extensive training in Japan directly under Oyama Sensei. As such, Oyama Sensei asked him to be his representative on visits to his US dojos to report on their status.

A little over a year later, Nakamura, Kusosaki and Akio Fujihira won an epic David vs. Goliath challenge match against Thailand’s professional Muay Thai Boxers in Bangkok, Thailand, thrusting Kyolushinkai and Nakamura into national prominence.

Back in the US Caile taught Kyokushinkai karate in Peoria, Il while in college and later in Washington, DC. while in graduate school. Durimg this time Shihan Nakamura had moved to New York City to head Kyokushinkai’s North American Operation.

In 1976 when Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura formed the World Seido Karate organization, Caile followed. Living then in Buffalo, NY, Caile taught Seido karate and self-defense at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) for over 15 years where he also frequently lectured on martial arts and Zen in courses on Japanese culture.

Caile moved to New York City in 1999 to marry Jackie Veit. He is now an 8th degree black belt, Hanshi, training in Seido Karate’s Westchester, NY Johshin Honzan (Spiritual Center) dojo. In Seido Caile is known for his teaching of and seminars on kata applications. He also produced a 14 segment video series on Pinan kata Bunkai currently available to Seido members.

Caile is also a long-time student and Shihan in Aikido. He studied in Buffalo, under Mike Hawley Shihan, and then under Wadokai Aikido’s founder, the late Roy Suenaka (uchi deshi under Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and was Shihan under Tohei Sensei). In karate, Suenaka (8thdan) was also an in-house student of the Okinawan karate master Hohan Soken.

Having moved to New York City, Caile in 2000 founded this martial arts educational website, FightingArts.com. Twenty-five years later, in 2025, it underwent a major update and revision.

For FightingArts.com and other publications Caile wrote hundreds of articles on karate, martial arts, Japanese art, Chinese Medicine and edited a book on Zen. He also developed relationships with a cross section of leading martial arts teachers. Over the last four decades he has conducted extensive private research into karate and martial arts including private translations of the once secret Okinawan hand copied and passed on Kung Fu book, the Bubishi, as well as an early karate book by the karate master Kenwa Mabuni. He periodically returns to Japan and Okinawa to continue his studies and participate Seido karate events. In Tokyo he practiced (with Roy Suenaka Sensei) in a variety of aikido organizations with their founders – including private interviews and practices at the Aiki-kai Aikido Honbu dojo with the son and grandson of aikido’s founder, Doshu (headmaster) Kisshomaru (an old uchi-deshi friend) and his son, Moriteru Ueshiba and in Iwama with Morihiro Saito. On Okinawa he studied Goju Ryu karate under Eiichi Miyazato, 10th dan founder of Naha’s Jundokan, and also with Yoshitaka Taira (who later formed his own organization, who specialized in kata Bunkai. While there Caile also trained with Hohan Soken’s senior student, Master Fusei Kise, 10 dan as well as with the grandson of the legendary karate master Anko Itosu.

Caile’s other martial arts experience includes: Diato-ryu Aikijujitsu and Kenjitsu, kobudo, boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kali (empty hand, knife and bolo), study of old Okinawan Shoran-ryu & Tomari body mechanics, study of old Okinawan kata under Richard Kim, study of close quarter defense and combat, including knife and gun defenses, Kyusho Jitsu and several Chinese fighting arts including 8 Star Praying Mantis, Pak Mei (White Eyebrow), and a private family system of Kung Fu.

Caile is also a student of Zen as well as a long-term student of one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi Kung (Qigong). As one of two senior disciples of Chi Kung master Dr. Shen (M.D., Ph.D.) Caile was certified to teach and practice. This led to Caile’s founding of the The Chi Kung Healing Institute on Grand Island, NY. In Western NY, he also frequently held Chi Kung seminars, including at SUNY Buffalo and at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. His articles on Chi Kung also appeared in the Holistic Health Journal and in several books on alternative medicine.

Caile holds a BA in International Studies from Bradley University and MA in International Relations with a specialty in South and Southeast Asia from American University in Washington, D.C. While in Buffalo, NY he also studied digital and analog electronics.

In his professional life Caile also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Earlier he worked in the field of telecommunications including Managing a Buffalo, NY sales and service branch for ITT. He then founded his own private telephone company. This was followed by creation of an electrical engineering company that designed and patented his concept for a new type of low-cost small business telephone system (which was eventually sold to Bell South). The company also did contract work for Kodak and the US space program. Simultaneously Caile designed and manufactured a unique break-apart portable pontoon boat.

Most recently Caile co-founded an internet software company. Its products include software suites with AI capability for control and management of streaming media, such as video and music, an all-in-one book publishing software product for hardcover, eBook and audio book creation and security software for buildings and government use.

For more details about Christopher Caile’s martial arts, work experience and life profile, see the About section in the footer of this site.