Self Defense

Stratton Lobdell
Kenshusei April 2008: Self Defense

Self defense refers to actions taken by a person to prevent another person from causing harm to one's self, one's property or one's home. Defending ones self is basic to the survival of all animals including humans. Most creatures have developed different ways to defend themselves from attack. Human beings have lost almost all of our natural defenses and we must rely on our minds and what little we can train our soft bodies to accomplish. While most creatures have natural defenses against predators, these defenses are designed to keep the creature alive at any cost. We are more limited in that we must abide not only with our own physical inadequacies but also with the law.
Different states and counties have slightly different interpretations of what constitutes self defense and what is considered an appropriate response. This is a topic which we explored last year in our third assignment.

A person who is assaulted may use such reasonable force as may be necessary, or which at the time reasonably appears to be necessary, to protect him or herself from bodily harm. An act of self-defense must ordinarily be proportionate to the threat. One is also expected to withdraw from the threat, if possible, before engaging in forcible resistance. However, inside your own home you will typically not be required to further withdraw from the threat. Many jurisdictions allow the use of some amount of threat or force by a person who is seeking to protect his own property from theft or damage. In most jurisdictions, there is no privilege to use force that may cause death or serious injury against trespassers unless the trespass itself threatens death or serious injury. There are some jurisdictions with extraordinarily broad laws, permitting the use of significant and even deadly force to prevent the theft of property. One such I encountered in the course of this research was Kentucky.
Defense of others is similar to self-defense, and usually occurs in the context of one family member protecting another. Some jurisdictions permit a defendant to assert defense of others, even where the defendant is mistaken as to the existence of a threat, as long as the mistake is reasonable. Other jurisdictions do not permit this defense unless there was an actual threat or battery against the other person. (J.S.Lobdell Oct. 07)
When looking at self defense we must decide what qualities are necessary for effective self defense in modern times. The modern application of some techniques is very different from the original as well. In our continued training of martial arts and specifically Shotokan Karate we develop a particular set of skills which can be applied in different situations. As outlined below there are many variables that can influence our self defense.
Dependent and independent variables refer to values that change in relationship to each other. The dependent variables are those that are observed to change in response to the independent variables. The independent variables are those that are deliberately manipulated to invoke a change in the dependent variables. In short, "if x is given, then y occurs", where x represents the independent variables and y represents the dependent variables. (Wikipedia)

Independent Variables of self defense situation:
1. Environment, surroundings
a. Secluded vs. populated/busy
b. lighted vs. dark
c. urban vs. rural
d. legal defense vs. unlimited response

2. Assailant/s
a. single attacker vs. mob
b. weapons vs. simple assault
c. physically dominant vs. emotionally combative
d. calculated vs. unstable/intoxicated

3. Defender’s physical and emotional state
a. fit/capable vs. impaired/limited
b. calm/cool vs. disturbed/angry

4. Others who must be protected or sheltered
a. alone vs. with others
b. family: wife vs. kids
c. friends vs. acquaintances

5. Desired outcome of confrontation
a. agreeable/amiable vs. combative
b. escape vs. defend
c. deflate confrontation vs. eradicate confrontation

Dependent Variables
1. Level of violence
a. verbal
b. physical
c. emotional

2. Legal ramifications
a. “self defense”
b. simple assault
c. assault with a weapon
When considering all the variables in a self defense situation one may become so mired in the details that no action would be taken at all. I submit that if one has trained properly and diligently then the body will react in the best possible way without thought. We work to perfect techniques so that when the time comes to make use of them.
To illustrate how modern self defense technique must be adapted to make it more applicable take Heian Yondan. The third from the last movement involves reaching out and grabbing the opponent by the head and pulling it down while striking upward with the knee. In modern application we would grab the back of the head and strike upward with the intention of knocking the opponent unconscious and possible breaking his nose. This would end the confrontation and allow us to escape. In its original bunkai, it is likely that much more was intended. As we reach out we do not simply grab the head but puncture the eyes with the thumbs while continuing on to grab the ears and then tearing them loose form the head rendering the opponent not only incapacitated but likely permanently blinded and in excruciating pain. This technique delivered to an opponent in modern day would likely result in a lengthy jail sentence and other social and financial repercussions. The expectation for an acceptable level of harm has shifted greatly.
This difference is in part due to the greater value that is placed on each individual life in modern society. Because individual liberties are the espoused basis for our countries’ (USA) existence there is more weight placed on the life of the common man. In feudal Okinawa, China and Japan where much of our martial art’s philosophy is based, there was little value in the life of a soldier or peasant. People died every day of disease and violence and the rules of engagement were closer to survival of the fittest than the philosophy of social equality espoused today.
In our kinder gently society of today, violence is perpetrated in different ways and physical confrontations have become less frequent as well as less intense. With the advent of small and concealable firearms every man is now a lethal weapon and the emphasis on physical superiority has eroded. The physical aspects of self defense are now more a mental exercise and prepare us emotionally for the shock of having a real conflict. This is not to denigrate the value of karate and other martial arts. In fact it lifts the practitioner of any martial art above the majority of people. As we train our bodies and minds for potential conflict we move to a higher level of awareness of our surroundings.
Here is one example based on my past experience before extensive karate training. This was the actual event as it happened: My brother and I were walking home from school around 9 pm having gone to see a friend’s wrestling match. We were about 150 yards from a major intersection and away from the street lights. A group of young men was walking parallel to us on the other side of the street. One of them began to cross and called out to us asking if we had any change. I replied that I did not and as I was walking past him my brother replied that he had no change, only bills. At this point the assailant struck me with his fist in the temple from behind me taking me by surprise and knocking me unconscious. When I came to my brother was backed against a wall and surrounded by the entire group. They took his 7 dollars and ran away whooping and laughing. One of them kicked me as he ran.
There were several opportunities I had to change or avoid the situation which, through further experience and training are extremely obvious now. First, don’t walk down an unlit street at night in a bad neighborhood. Second, when we were approached by the men we should have turned around and gone back toward the lights and the busy intersection. Third, I should never have let the man get within my personal “bubble.” Fourth, knowing that my brother was likely to say something inopportune I should have warned him.
Through the heightened awareness that we cultivate during daily training, the situation would have been completely different and would likely never have gotten to the point of physical confrontation. In the event that it had, it would have been very simple to block the slow high punch that caught me unaware. A simple direct counter and a dash to safety would have also been a better outcome than the bruised face and pride I got.
In training karate we strive to improve strength, speed, balance, endurance and flexibility. Theses physical qualities are what I would rely on to defend myself. As a stocky male my main advantages would be primarily strength and speed. In most ways these two aspects complement each other. As more control is achieved and we learn to coordinate the contraction and expansion of our muscles, isometric tension is reduced and the result is greater speed as well as less dampening of the primary muscular output. In short, relaxation creates speed and real strength.
Good balance is an asset that is developed through transitions from low stances to high and back. Katas such as Hangetsu, Empi, and Gankaku in particular teach us to balance and pivot on one foot at a time. Balance requires innate ability but can be trained as well. I have always had better than average balance and have improved it through training.
I lack in endurance. Endurance training is best described by kihon. Repetitive movements of the same muscle group and also static stance training build muscle in a way very different from the explosive movements of kumite and kata. Endurance training, and kihon training, is often overlooked in their importance for the overall fitness of karateka. For self defense, kihon teaches us the proper path of a punch and kick. Through the repetition of kihon we can guarantee that when we must throw a punch in a self defense situation we will not damage ourselves as much as our attacker.
Flexibility is another weakness of mine. Flexibility decreases quickly if we do not keep up with it. During strength training particularly flexibility must be preserved through constant practice. It is important to point out that as karateka we hold ourselves to a higher standard than most people in terms of our level of conditioning and fitness. While I consider myself to be fairly stiff and inflexible it is because I am, in relation to other karateka. Many people would be glad to simply be able to touch their toes while I strive to put the palms of my hands flat on the floor.
In any physical confrontation my goal would be to attack hard and fast to demoralize and incapacitate my opponent. I have strong legs and fast hands so I am a good closed hand striker. Having damaged my opponent’s resolve and maybe his body I would retreat to a safe distance to talk and diffuse the situation if possible. This is in keeping with my strengths. My worst situation would be a protracted stand up brawl. I have no illusions about my ability to absorb punches to the face and would want to finish everything quickly.
Effective self defense in terms of karate draws upon these abilities. For each person it is important to be aware of our situation and how our particular shills fit in. The modern karateka trains his body to perform at a high level but we all have weaknesses. In a self defense situation there are no rules and the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and our families is to utilize our strengths.
Just as the modern soldier must be prepared to take a human life each time he pulls the trigger of his weapon, the Iaido practitioner visualizes the taking of a life every time he draws his sword. As we develop in our karate spirit beyond the simple physical acts of training we also must come to terms with our ability to end a life with our bare hands. Self defense has evolved from simply a defense of ones life to more of a defense of ones way of life. When we stop an attacker from harming us we must do it in a way that controls the situation in our favor. Gone are the days of the wild-west shoot out. Now we must carefully craft our defense to fall within the strictures of acceptable levels of response and avoid excessive force. As we train and become more able to defend ourselves with violence we are forced to do more to avoid it. The paradox of karate is that as we grow in our art we also grown in our peaceful spirit. As we learn to channel frightening energies into our physical attacks we become less likely to use them. Self defense for the modern karate-ka is a constant exercise in control.