Was confronted by a crack head in NYC (story)

I was visiting NYC for a day with the gf, her aunt, and mom. We had spent maybe 4 hours there and were coming out of Chinatown. We all stopped on a street corner to check our map and get our bearings when all the sudden an obviously insane individual comes down the sidewalk screaming profanities.I was situationally aware and saw him as soon as he was in view, yet couldn't react fast enough despite this. I watch this late 30s black dude zigzag all over the sidewalk go up to two people screaming in their face, cussing them out. He moved on quickly. Within a second or two he's right in front of us. I try to put myself between my gf and her family and take a defensive posture (squared to the individual, but hands are casually at waistline, ready to go). I didn't want to appear like I was challenging him. I wanted to ignore him like I ignored the street vendors that infest the sidewalks selling shitty fake watches and purses.This is NYC and we took the train, so I don't have so much as a stick for self defense. I do have 5 years of MMA training with an instructors grade black belt, but don't feel like fighting a crack head regardless.The man took issue with the fact that I was a white male and began screaming "FUCK WHITE PEOPLE" and "ALL WHITE MEN SHOULD BE SHOT" in my face while putting his hands up in a gun motion to my temple. There was no time to cross the street before any of this happened. I did not make eye contact and waited for him to move on but he didn't.While he continued screaming I realized that he would not let us get away, since he circled around us when I tried to disengage him. I checked quickly for other fellow crack heads that may be trying to sneak up, then I prepared to get physical with him. I noticed he was carrying an object in his right hand (blade or syringe, I have no idea). I didn't want to fight a guy with either but it all happened very quickly. I stepped forward and got ready to fight if he didn't back down while shouting for him to get the fuck back. This made him more irate, evidenced by his increased threats of "I'll fucking kill you right now white boy".My girlfriend's family at this point had found a way to start gtfo'ing since the guy was occupied with me now. Gf grabs my arm and pulls me away. I absolutely hate turning my back to this insane person with something in his hand, but we were now running. He follows after for a ways down the sidewalk shouting after me.Later I learned gf's aunt who was with us had knives pulled on her and her at the time bf. Gang members pushed them both around in a circle until they grew tired of it and then held a knife against her bf's throat because he is asian and she is white. I will never be back to the shithole known as NYC.What would you have done/what COULD have been done if carrying? I felt like the life of my girlfriend was in danger, as well as mine and almost certainly would have drawn down on said crackhead if carrying. via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2wyHsie