I just read a semi-humorous but also quite scary story of a man fending off a mugging by hurling a cup of coffee while fumbling for a Beretta Jetfire .25 in his pocket. In the blog post - linked below - Caleb writes about staying alert but also using whatever means are available to seize the initiative back from the attacker.

I try to be prepared for the second goal by carrying a small tactical flashlight. When I'm out at night I carry the light in my left hand. Were someone to approach me in a suspicious fashion, the plan would be to shine the light in his face while I reach for my concealed handgun. From what I've read it seems like a generally workable plan, though it would have failed in Caleb's daylight mugging.

What other initiative-seizing tactics are worth thinking about?

[Don’t bring a knife to a coffee fight - Gun Nuts Media]