Self-defense

Instructor Certification Course
March 15, 2008
Define Self-defense

Wendy Mach


Self-defense can be broken down into its dictionary definitions for self and defense, and then put together.

Self: belonging to oneself, the entire person of an individual, the union of elements (as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations) that constitute the individuality and identity of a person.

Defense: the act or action of defending, capability of resisting attack, means or method of defending or protecting oneself or another, to take specific defensive action against . . .

Self-defense: defense of oneself when physically attacked.

The legal definition of self-defense is a little more specific.

Self-defense: the use of reasonable force to protect oneself from an aggressor, justifies an act done in the reasonable belief of immediate danger.

Use of force is justified when a person reasonably believes that it is necessary for the defense of oneself or another against the immediate use of unlawful force. However, a person must use no more force than appears reasonably necessary in the circumstances.

Force likely to cause death or great bodily harm is justified in self-defense only if a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.

Finally the definition can be put into martial arts terminology.

Self-defense: the art of dealing with predators.

All of these definitions provide only glimpses of what self-defense entails. Self-defense involves effectively dealing with an unprovoked attack as quickly as possible by stunning or otherwise preventing the aggressor from perusing you, then running away to safety. Only use an appropriate technique and the amount of force necessary to stop the attack. The goal is to get out of a dangerous situation as quickly as possible without being physically injured yourself.

Below are a few examples to illustrate self-defense situations:

At a party people bump into each other and someone spills his drink. He blames you and throws a sucker punch.

You are walking to your car late at night after karate training, and two guys jump out from behind a building and attack you.

You are walking down a sidewalk when someone grabs you, pulls you into an ally and pulls out a knife. When you don’t give him your wallet quickly enough, he lunges at you.

In each self-defense scenario the attack is unwarranted and unprovoked. There is an element of total surprise, confusion, and probably fear that could prevent you from performing at your best. There is no provocation on your part to justify such a violent response. The aggressor is prepared to attack and fight, and you are not. In each situation the objective is to survive with as little damage to yourself as possible. The objective is not to win. This is what self-defense is.

Self-defense does not include empowerment, winning, revenge, or teaching someone a lesson. It is not about ego, pride, or self-esteem. Self-defense is not fighting. In a physical confrontation where does self-defense begin and end? It is important to know the limits. You cannot be part of the creation or escalation of the situation that eventually leads to physical violence. You cannot continue to attack when the aggressor has turned and attempted to escape. You cannot continue hitting someone who has fallen to the ground and stopped attacking. You cannot pursue an aggressor who is moving away but continuing with verbal abuse. This is not self-defense.

Below are a couple of examples to illustrate the limits of self-defense:

Two individuals are up for a promotion at work. One gets it and the other shows his disagreement by walking up to the individual, verbally abusing him, and throwing a punch. He then turns and walks away. At the point where the punch is coming, you may defend yourself with enough force to prevent the punch from making contact. Though as soon as the aggressor turns away, there is no longer a threat, and no more justification in defending yourself. You may not pursue him and continue fighting.

Someone breaks into your house and when you confront him, he pulls a knife and lunges at you. During the course of taking the knife away from him, he is stabbed and falls to the floor. You were justified in defending yourself against the knife attack, but now that you have the knife and the aggressor is on the floor, the threat no longer exists. You may not continue to stab him in this situation.

Just as in The Wizard of Oz, effective self-defense requires the qualities of:

Brains
Courage
Heart

These qualities can be broken down farther. Brains encompasses the elements of Knowledge, Awareness, and Adaptability. Before any self-defense situation occurs, or any situation where the body could be put into sudden stress occurs, you should already Know how the human body naturally and automatically responds to a stressful situation: the heart rate increases, breathing becomes more shallow and rapid, vision sample rate increases making time move more slowly, and adrenalin is released into the body. This results in a response known as fear, and can effect your performance ability. At the instant in which a self-defense situation arises, you need to be Aware of everything that is occurring around you. You need to Gather information, Analyze it, and Recognize the degree of danger that you are in. You also need to recognize the most dangerous element of the situation. A knife is more dangerous than the person who is holding it. During a confrontation you need to be Adaptable to the situation and the environment. This includes Intelligence and Creativity. Intelligently continue to gather information and analyze it as the danger of the situation changes. Be creative in the use of objects in the environment to assist in your defense. You may be able to start throwing things at the attacker, or maneuver yourself so that a table is between you and the attacker.

Courage includes the elements of Protection and Commitment. Once you are in a self-defense situation, you need to have the courage to Protect yourself and possibly others. Protection is based on fight or flight. Get others away from the danger while you stay and defend yourself. You must also be Committed to hurt, maim, or even kill another human being in order to protect yourself from debilitating injury or death. Commitment also includes continuing the confrontation until the danger is gone.

Heart has the elements of Fitness, Decisiveness, and Response. Everyone should know their relative level of Fitness in relation to their age and gender. The dependant variables of fitness are Speed, Power, Balance, Flexibility, Coordination, Strength, and Endurance. People make decisions based on their fitness level all the time, not just in self-defense situations. Do I have time to cross the street safely before the light changes? In a self-defense situation, you must be Decisive. Your decisions about getting away or staying and defending yourself must be made Quickly, Accurately, and Appropriately relative to the degree of danger. You do not have time to debate whether one technique might be more effective than another. In a self-defense situation you must determine the appropriate technique and the amount of force to use instantly, and then Respond immediately and decisively. Your response to each attack should be based on your individual fitness level and should come from the heart. Responses from the brain are based on ego and pride, “I have to win.” Responses from the heart come from a place of compassion, “How can I get out of this without injury to myself or anyone else?”

There is a natural order in which these qualities are used in a self-defense situation. Knowledge and Fitness are used constantly in everyday life, so they will not be included in the list.

Awareness – You need to recognize a dangerous situation before you can do anything about it. If you can recognize the potential for a confrontation before it escalates into a physical one, you might be able to diffuse it or just leave the area.

Courage – Once you have recognized the situation, now you need to deal with it quickly and efficiently.

Decisiveness – You are in it now and need to make quick, accurate, and appropriate decisions, and then take immediate action.

Response – Act appropriately in relation to your individual fitness level and the degree of danger present.

Commitment – You started defending yourself and it may take a while to end the confrontation, so you have to stay in it for the duration until there is no longer any danger present.

Adaptability – Creatively use your surroundings to assist with your defense. Constantly be aware of any changes in the situation and adapt your defense accordingly.

References:

www.lectlaw.com

www.nononsenseselfdefense.com