Self Defence is a system of combat techniques used to protect yourself from physical confrontation. These techniques mostly originate from Martial Arts - Karate, Kickboxing, Judo and Kung Fu are to name a few. There is of course much more to Martial Arts such as the physical, spiritual and psychological values, but the
actual combat part is what we know as Self Defense.
The majority of people think they can use the term Self Defence in a manner that states "He hit me first so I hit him back". This would not stand to be an acceptable reason in a court of law. When pleading Self Defense, your statement should describe the incident as "I was absolutely terrified, all I knew is that I was going to be attacked and I had no means of escape, I didn't know what was going to happen to me and I was in fear of my life and I just reacted to that fear", or something along those lines.
If you are in a situation where a threat of violence is upon you, Self Defence Law does not permit you to attack first. If you have a clear route to escape then that should be your first self defense strategy. Martial Artists have a huge degree of respect towards others and won't attack first, their Self Defence techniques are only used as a last resort to protect themselves or others if they feel the need to call upon their skills.
Sometimes it is not possible to escape, for example if you are backed against a wall, or trapped in a corner. If those circumstances arise then you will naturally panic and be in fear for your own safety. Once you reach that feeling of fear and there is no other way to avoid the threat, then it is permissible to use the physical tactics of Self Defense so you can fight your way to safety.
This doesn't mean you can knock the hell out of someone just because you don't like them, it means that if you are in immediate danger and feel threatened for your safety or life, then you can use reasonable force to escape! You can not pulverise your attacker if it is not necessary. The Law Of Self Defence only allows you to use reasonable force, so do what you need to do to break away from your attacker and get away using the nearest available escape route.
Conclusion:
Self Defense is a method of self protection that we apply when we are in fear of our safety if somebody wants to cause us harm. The physical fighting techniques should only be used if there is no way to escape the threat. Your first call to action if possible would be to avoid the conflict and abandon the scene. It is your responsibility to assess the situation and act in accordance with The Law of Self Defence.
Shaun Warner holds a 2nd degree black belt in Kickboxing. He has trained with champions and taught self defence classes to Men, women and children of many different social status. To find out more about Shaun see what he is up to at: http://www.selfdefence-classes
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