Old martial arts question.

[Kieran-Lilith]

How's this: Don't do something so stupid that you're in that position.

After all, if you're truly a master, then you'll never be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if you're not a master, then you should still be aiming to not get into something like that.

Also, if that attacker spent all that time lining up his shot so perfectly, then it's simple. MOVE, and then hit the deck.

[yingampyang]

You all make good points but i must remind you agian that this question is very old and when it was first said, ideas like yours wern't thought of. Also this whole situation happens in a second you first see the person and then bang!! it all happens quickly.

[Jay]

You dont move?

[bushido_man96]

good try but no thats not the answer. If you look into the history of the monks and ZEN you will find the answer.

Hmm.

Not really into the "Zen" and the whole spiritual enlightenment thing really, but am looking forward to the answer.

Yeah, I hear you, Zanshin.

First off, if you have the luxury of knowing that he is pointing a gun at you, then I would turn and walk the other way. Or maybe get down on my belly and army crawl away.

[bushido_man96]

You all make good points but i must remind you agian that this question is very old and when it was first said, ideas like yours wern't thought of. Also this whole situation happens in a second you first see the person and then bang!! it all happens quickly.

So, does that mean that our ideas are wrong now, just because they weren't thought of then?

[ps1]

Sniper bullets, even the old ones, are super sonic (they move faster than the sound they make). Meaning you're hit BEFORE you hear the BANG. Most "sniper" weapons have flash supressors and you won't see much in the way of a muzzle flash either.

If you know, somehow, that the person pulled the trigger, you have time to move. Really a hop to the left or right will do.

But, again, you're not going to know the trigger was pulled. So I guess you just hope he forgot to zero the weapon.

I was never a fan of zen riddles though. Since they have no real answer, they always seemed like a way for someone to seem wise without ever needing to know anything. I asked a guy a question once and he gave me a zen riddle in return. I would rather he have just said, "i don't know" and told me to look it up myself.

[ps1]

You dont move?

You're a sniper's dream!

[TraditionalDan]

You defend yourself by not giving him the reason to do so in the first place. Someone who is going to shoot you from that far is not after your wallet. That was only an attempt at an answer, not what I believe to be the right one.

On an obvious level, you could zig zag or dive for cover. Also, if it is a high powered sniper rifle, the bullet will be travelling faster than the speed of sound, so you would not hear it before you were shot.

As with many religions, and Zen, it is not the physical and obvious that bears the message. It may take some reading into tho get the right answer, after all, the answer is only what the message bearer wishes you to hear.

[DWx]

Everyone who has spoken about the variables my i remind you that this question is approx. 350 years old of course they didn't have guns back then but wat ever was around is wat was put into the question.

clue: think about it more as reaction time and not as the gun its self.

If the question is circa 350 years old then yes there were guns around. But I doubt any projectile fired from them would be able to go very far. My answer? Stand there and laugh at them while they are packing the chamber with powder and shot.

I'm guessing from your clue we could be talking the trick of catching a flying arrow... highly doubt anyone here is secretly Neo from the Matrix and can catch a speeding bullet.

[NightOwl]

You dont move?

You're a sniper's dream!

Snipers are like the T-rex from Jarassic Park...they can only sense movement. That's what I read on wikipedia anyways.