A recent video out of Tucson, Ari., shows us the right way to respond to a man threatening you with a sword. But, if you’ve never thought too much about how you’d respond to such a thing, it’s worth taking a few seconds to mentally run through that scenario, because misconceptions about blades and guns are all over the map in society.

But first, let’s look at the video:

Obviously, this guy isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and his connection with reality wasn’t very solid. He decided to do some emotionally intense sword practice in a hotel parking lot, screaming and waving his sword around, probably not unlike the Star Wars Kid. When hotel management told him to stop, he ignored them. So, the sheriff’s department had to come out there to let him know that he couldn’t keep doing that.

When deputies arrived, he refused to put the sword away (which he had sheathed by then). Why? Because he was “trying to achieve greatness with the katana”. Then, of course, he had to ask the rhetorical question of whether katana practice is allowed in the United States. That’s an obvious “yes”, but it’s generally not tolerated in a parking lot. Instead of seeing that maybe he should have gone out to some forest or BLM land, he kept arguing the issue with deputies, telling them he’s “hella responsible”.

He then tried to explain that he’s related to a Greek god, and that if anyone wants to kill him, he’s going to be hard to kill. Then, he drew the sword and advanced on deputies with predictable results.

While the guy’s idiocy is pretty funny, you do have to feel bad for the guy because it ended up costing him his life. But, it doesn’t help you much if you find yourself explaining your empathy for the guy’s mental shortcomings if you’re doing that explaining at the pearly gates (or whatever you think you’d find after getting killed).

The fact is, a sword or even a knife can be more deadly than getting shot by a gun. Worse, it takes 1-2 seconds to draw a pistol from its holster and fire it (the above video is a fancy version of the Tueller Drill), allowing a person with a blade to inflict a fatal injury on you before you can draw. So, the police were right both to back away and increase the distance, draw and fire on him as soon as he advanced on them. There’s just no spare time to “shoot it out of his hand” or “shoot him in the leg” (things idiots think police should do in such situations).

So, if you ever see someone acting crazy with a knife or a sword, don’t get too close. In fact, leave if you’re not being paid to deal with the guy. Such a confrontation can cost you everything. But, if you have to deal with such a person, don’t assume that you’re invincible because you have a gun, because the distance you can shoot from can disappear quick when someone’s running toward you.