I had this submitted to http://www.ckfonline.org last year. Just curious about the response here.
Your back is against a bar. You have people on your left and your right. In your face is a very infuriated person who's calling you names and threatening you. He's says, "I'm going to bash your face in". You execute a quick and powerful hand blade to his throat. Your antagonist falls to his knees and is gasping for air. Before you get yourself in any more trouble, you quickly exit the bar, get in your car, and drive away.
In the above scenario, many people would not call this self defense. In my opinion, I call it "self preservation". Most of our techniques deal with a physical attack. In this case you are attacked with the threat of physical harm. Was the person's actions justified? Or, should they have waited for a physical attack? In my opinion, it was justified, and here is why.
Your back is against a bar. You have people on your left and your right. In your face is a very infuriated person who's calling you names and threatening you. He's says, "I'm going to bash your face in". You execute a quick and powerful hand blade to his throat. Your antagonist falls to his knees and is gasping for air. Before you get yourself in any more trouble, you quickly exit the bar, get in your car, and drive away.
In the above scenario, many people would not call this self defense. In my opinion, I call it "self preservation". Most of our techniques deal with a physical attack. In this case you are attacked with the threat of physical harm. Was the person's actions justified? Or, should they have waited for a physical attack? In my opinion, it was justified, and here is why.
- There was no route of escape or space to create distance; You need distance to be able to react to an attack. If the antagonist has any training what so ever, they will not telegraph their strike. Face to face is not a good place to be in that situation.
- There was a threat of bodily harm; Let's face it, if someone says that they are going to hit you, that is as good as someone throwing a punch. At least in my book. What if someone had said, "I've got a gun in my coat and I'm going to shoot you". How many of us would wait until they reach in their coat and see what he pulls out. I've been in that situation, I sure as heck didn't wait then.
- You get home in one peace; Isn't that what our training is about. It is to me.