Principled Self-Defense

"Remember, best block, no be there."
--Miyagi (Karate Kid II)

Early in my martial arts journey, I learned the first principle of self-defense: avoid dangerous situations. By doing things like staying away from high crime areas and being aware of my surroundings, I can reduce my chances of being involved in a hostile situation.

At the same time, each of us has the right to life, liberty, and property. I can rightly pursue my interests as long as I do not forcefully interfere with the peaceful pursuits of others. This also means that if someone attacks me, then I have the right to defend myself.

Thus, I can justly travel through public places as long as I do so in a lawful manner. However, if I choose to walk the streets of neighborhoods that I know to be hostile, or in neighborhoods that I am not familiar with, then I am increasing the probability that I will be involved in a dangerous situation.

That may be poor judgment on my part and could be viewed by some as "looking for trouble." But pursuing my interests in a dangerous environment is my right as long as I do so in a lawful, non-aggressive manner.

A hostile situation arises when my person or interests are in imminent danger of being attacked. I may or may not be able to quickly perceive the hostile situation. For example, it may come together too fast, or be too subtle, for me to recognize.

If I do perceive it, then my preferred strategy is to escape. But I may not be able to do so. Perhaps I am surrounded by hostiles, or I judge that I can't outrun them, or I don't want to leave loved ones behind.

I might also try to defuse the situation by trying to 'talk the hostiles down,' by trying to signal that I am capable of administering a hurtful counterattack, by yelling for help, or by surrendering some possessions, such as my wallet.

The natural state of hostile situations, however, is that they move quickly. Adrenaline is rushing. Information is difficult to fully process. All available options may not be clear to me.

No matter how fast the situation is moving, the principle that I must keep in mind is this: Do not be the aggressor. The aggressor is the one who either initiates attack, or demonstrates intent and capacity for administering attack. In other words, if you are the hostile that I am facing, I may not have to wait for you to attack before you are rightfully established as the aggressor. If you are carrying a weapon, for example, and signal intent to use it on me or my loved ones, then you are the aggressor even if you haven't actually attacked.

Once the aggressor has been established, then I am either under attack or attack is reasonably construed as imminent. I am now in what some might label as classic self-defense mode. In this mode I might still look to escape or defuse the situation in a non-violent manner. But that may not be possible or come to mind at this point. Since I am being attacked, and have the right to be secure in my person and interests, I can rightfully choose to meet force with force.

If I choose to defend myself or loved ones from aggression with counterforce, then the principle is this: use the force that you deem necessary to neutralize the aggression--but no more. If I choose to defend myself, my goal is to stop the aggressor from attacking me. Perhaps this means that I seek to knock out my opponent or to pin him to the ground. However, if the aggressor is engaging in tactics that can be construed as lethal, then I can rightfully counter with lethal force of my own in order to neutralize the threat.

What I can't do is use more force than can be reasonably construed as necessary to stop the attack. For example, if an aggressor initially acts by pushing me but has signaled no intent or capacity for lethal force, and I respond by shooting that person dead, then I may have applied excessive force. I say "may" because the facts of the situation must be fully understood before ex post judgment can be reasonably rendered on the appropriateness of a particular counter-attack.

It is sometimes said that, because of the dynamics of self-defense situations and the inalienable right to defend against attack, our legal system generally gives benefit of the doubt to the defender's judgment. This may be true and righteous. But that does not absolve the defender from trying to select the appropriate measure of counterforce for the situation.

An important benefit of studying martial arts is that it prompts you to repeatedly play this progression over in your mind, and to practice responses for coping with aggressive attack.

That said, I thank God that I have never had to see this progression through to the extreme. All of the training in the world can never fully prepare an individual for coping with someone standing before you who is ready and willing to administer great bodily harm. I pray that I will never be put to this test.