Don't tell them you know martial arts

[Chrisoro]

My two cents:
If in a situation where my gut feeling is that something is not right, my general strategy, if possible, is to exit the situation peacefully, attempting to withdraw from the situation at first sign of trouble, and making it very clear from the beginning that I'm not interested in wathever it is the person raising suspicions want. If the person let me exit the situation, even if the person(s) throws insults or obscenities after me, I consider the situation solved in a satisfactory way. If not, I try to deescalate the situation trough talking, and then exit.

If exit or deescalation is impossible, for whatever reason, I consider an preemptive attack fully within my legal and moral rights, regardless of my martial arts background, as I have then exhausted other reasonable options. And that is what I would say in court, if it ends up there. Also, it's probably much easier to land a suckerpunch (which I have never done in real life) if I have not announced anything related to my martial arts background beforehand.

Reasonable force in this situation is whatever is neccesary to let me exit or deescalate the situation with the least amount of injuries to myself or anyone I have a responsibility to defend. If we are talking several people, or someone armed, what I consider a reasonable level of force increases significantly, even to the point that I would attempt to kill if neccesary.

This is coming from someone who, outside of work, has not been in any situations that have escalated into serious violence or fights (and no, I don't consider sparring or any of the competitions I have participated in as "fights"), since elementary school. Take it for what its worth.

 

[Mad_Dog]

Perhaps you could give us some details. I've just spent a bit of time looking for an incident like you described and found nothing. Surprising because I would have thought something like that would have been all over the press.

You won't find the story in any media outlets. Big money was paid to keep the press quiet.

 

[Tez3]

You won't find the story in any media outlets. Big money was paid to keep the press quiet.

Well, of course.

 

[Chrisoro]

You won't find the story in any media outlets. Big money was paid to keep the press quiet.

By whom? And why? And what do you mean by "the press"?

 

[Mad_Dog]

Well, of course.

Yes they did and they imprisoned a good man. Murph taught me everything I know about bouncing.

 

[Tez3]

Yes they did and they imprisoned a good man. Murph taught me everything I know about bouncing.

Of course he did.

 

[K-man]

Where's that bloody rabbit with the pancake on his head when you need him?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Where's that bloody rabbit with the pancake on his head when you need him?

 

[K-man]

Ha! Beautiful.

 

[Touch Of Death]

When I started on the job there was an old, salty bouncer we all called Murph. Murph was a legend, revered with the same respect as a military or religious leader. When he spoke we all listened.

One day, after a few drinks, he spilled to us what had been eating away at his mind. Several years ago, while on the job, multiple armed men descended upon the bar he was protecting. Murph used his skills to protect the patrons within and killed several assailants. Because he was trained in the martial arts the DA decided to prosecute. Murph ended up doing five years in the pen. Take that for what you will.

Murph was an idiot.

 

[ballen0351]

Why does every tough guy story have a guy named murph in it? Funny how that works.

 

[Jenna]

When I started on the job there was an old, salty bouncer we all called Murph. Murph was a legend, revered with the same respect as a military or religious leader. When he spoke we all listened.

One day, after a few drinks, he spilled to us what had been eating away at his mind. Several years ago, while on the job, multiple armed men descended upon the bar he was protecting. Murph used his skills to protect the patrons within and killed several assailants. Because he was trained in the martial arts the DA decided to prosecute. Murph ended up doing five years in the pen. Take that for what you will.

That pesky DA!

You won't find the story in any media outlets. Big money was paid to keep the press quiet.

Those pesky bought-off press!

Yes they did and they imprisoned a good man. Murph taught me everything I know about bouncing.

Another legend taken from us.. we are surely forsaken

Batman damnit where the hell are you when we need you!

 

[Touch Of Death]

Murph just taught me I could go to prison if I get to crazy.

 

[mercmonster]

Why does every tough guy story have a guy named murph in it? Funny how that works.

^^^

 

[Mad_Dog]

Murph was an idiot.

Say what you will of me, but don't speak ill of Murph. He looked out for me, trained me, in many ways he was like a father to me. My real father was a nebbish intellectual and was very disappointed in me for not following in his footsteps. But book learning was not for me. I chose another way, the way of the warrior.

Murph saw something in me and took me under his wing. He showed me the best way to de escalate a situation was to knock out the guy causing it. Sadly, Murph passed away a few years ago. But, each time I knock out some drunk punk with one hit, I know he's looking down on me from Heaven, smiling.

 

[Drose427]

Say what you will of me, but don't speak ill of Murph. He looked out for me, trained me, in many ways he was like a father to me. My real father was a nebbish intellectual and was very disappointed in me for not following in his footsteps. But book learning was not for me. I chose another way, the way of the warrior.

Murph saw something in me and took me under his wing. He showed me the best way to de escalate a situation was to knock out the guy causing it. Sadly, Murph passed away a few years ago. But, each time I knock out some drunk punk with one hit, I know he's looking down on me from Heaven, smiling.

This sounds so much like a bad Roadhouse knockoff you may be in danger of a lawsuit

 

[mercmonster]

Isn't there a chance though that they'd discover you were a practitioner of martial arts? A good lawyer would probably try their best to dig up anything on you they can to work for them. Wouldn't it seem worse if it looked like you withheld that piece of information?

 

[K-man]

Isn't there a chance though that they'd discover you were a practitioner of martial arts? A good lawyer would probably try their best to dig up anything on you they can to work for them. Wouldn't it seem worse if it looked like you withheld that piece of information?

It doesn't matter. Obviously you can't conceal the information regarding your MA status, but you don't have to promote it either.Whether you are trained in MAs or not, you can only use reasonable force and you must stop once the threat has gone.

Where you will get into trouble is if you follow some of the advice being promoted here. If you start knocking guys out when you could just ask them to leave, CCTV evidence will soon see you needing a good lawyer. Knocking someone out is not de-escalating.

 

[Hyoho]

So what happened to the, "I don't want to fight with you, I should warn you I have a 'black belt".

 

[drop bear]

Isn't there a chance though that they'd discover you were a practitioner of martial arts? A good lawyer would probably try their best to dig up anything on you they can to work for them. Wouldn't it seem worse if it looked like you withheld that piece of information?

It is back to this blood sport idea. You don't give the opposition. Be it the defence or the prosecution anything you can avoid giving them.

It. Is not really looked at as being fair or unfair in that matter. You don't even really get to present your case in the manner you want. You will just get shut down if you try. So you may have a fact that is important and it can just be not allowed due to something something.

Court is a very surreal place. It is not like an argument or debate. It has its own rules that can quite often not make sense. Which is why the lawyers get the big bucks.

Ultimately I agree with OP. But will expand that to you don't give them anything but the basic facts.