Jared Traveler
2nd Black Belt
The concept of "priority of life" is largely understood in law enforcement, and is the bases for many tactical decisions, and many use of force decisions. Can this be applicable in the martial arts community? I think so.
Priority of life means you determine who's safety you are prioritizing at that moment. It starts with an idea that human life is worth saving and protecting. But also with the knowledge that evil exists and that sometimes you have to hurt or even kill someone to protect lives.
How you go about making these decisions is partially by figuring out who is creating the threat? And who is the priority at the moment regarding preserving life.
For instance example #1:
I am in my house, I hear a window smash, then an angry male voice, the. My kid scream for help. I run down stairs and see an intruder coming towards my son.
Who is creating the threat? The intruder. Who gets priority regarding safety, my son. If I have to get hurt or killed okay. If the attacker is hurt or killed that's a good outcome.
Example #2
I live alone, I hear a window break. I go downstairs to investigate. I see an intruder with a knife. Who is creating the threat. He is. Who's safety gets priority? Mine! If someone gets hurt it should be him not me.
Example #3
Someone attacks me in the middle of the street. I take him down and choke him unconscious. I look around, he has no friends there. In fact people are happy I choked this guy, he was harassing everyone.
Who is at risk now? The attacker who is unconscious in the middle of a street. Am I in danger? No. At what point do you begin to prioritize his safety?
You see human life is valuable, but that does not mean that you put yourself at risk to prevent damage or death to an attacker. It does mean that you should consider at least your own personal moral code regarding using force. Part of that is factoring in when and how you prioritize the safety of the criminal or aggressor.
I have given some room for discussion on this in both my "head hitting concrete" and "would you hit a woman" discussions.
To be clear I'm not saying you shouldn't hit a woman, or you should try and control an attackers decent to the pavement. People have different opinions and that's fine.
But what I am attempting is to get people to discuss the moral aspects of using force. Simply understanding what is legal is not going to adequately prepare someone to make acute sudden use of force decisions under stress.
Understanding the concept of "priority of life" I think can be helpful.
Priority of life means you determine who's safety you are prioritizing at that moment. It starts with an idea that human life is worth saving and protecting. But also with the knowledge that evil exists and that sometimes you have to hurt or even kill someone to protect lives.
How you go about making these decisions is partially by figuring out who is creating the threat? And who is the priority at the moment regarding preserving life.
For instance example #1:
I am in my house, I hear a window smash, then an angry male voice, the. My kid scream for help. I run down stairs and see an intruder coming towards my son.
Who is creating the threat? The intruder. Who gets priority regarding safety, my son. If I have to get hurt or killed okay. If the attacker is hurt or killed that's a good outcome.
Example #2
I live alone, I hear a window break. I go downstairs to investigate. I see an intruder with a knife. Who is creating the threat. He is. Who's safety gets priority? Mine! If someone gets hurt it should be him not me.
Example #3
Someone attacks me in the middle of the street. I take him down and choke him unconscious. I look around, he has no friends there. In fact people are happy I choked this guy, he was harassing everyone.
Who is at risk now? The attacker who is unconscious in the middle of a street. Am I in danger? No. At what point do you begin to prioritize his safety?
You see human life is valuable, but that does not mean that you put yourself at risk to prevent damage or death to an attacker. It does mean that you should consider at least your own personal moral code regarding using force. Part of that is factoring in when and how you prioritize the safety of the criminal or aggressor.
I have given some room for discussion on this in both my "head hitting concrete" and "would you hit a woman" discussions.
To be clear I'm not saying you shouldn't hit a woman, or you should try and control an attackers decent to the pavement. People have different opinions and that's fine.
But what I am attempting is to get people to discuss the moral aspects of using force. Simply understanding what is legal is not going to adequately prepare someone to make acute sudden use of force decisions under stress.
Understanding the concept of "priority of life" I think can be helpful.
