|
|
By Bradley J. Steiner, AmericanCombato.com
The attitude I encourage all students of self-defense to adopt is that, on no account, will they “agree to fight” with anyone, over anything.
They will most assuredly take immediate and decisive action in self- defense should someone initiate violence against them – and, of course, they should – but no way will they ever “square off,” “step outside to settle something,” or in any manner become compliant with some horse’s ass and engage in that which the law designates as mutual combat.
Bear in mind, please, that should you ever sink to the level of a pea-brained jerkoff who is attempting to goad you or provoke you into a fight, YOU CANNOT THEREAFTER CLAIM THAT YOU ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE. In the heat of the moment, this might not arise to bother you. But the consequences can be severe and very unpleasant. It makes no difference what mere words any gutter-crawling scumbag utters. Self-defense is justified, lawful, and permitted under the law when physical violence is imminent and/or immediately directed against you. Then and only then may you act in what the law recognizes to be self-defense.
Note: I offer this as personal advice, not legal advice. I am not a lawyer and I speak and write only based on my observations, experiences, and layman’s knowledge and understanding of that which occurs in situations where conflicts tend to occur between two or more persons. For actual legal advice, you should contact a lawyer who practices in your city.
The advantage you have tactically, physically, and legally by being the lawfully acting defender and retaining the mantle of innocence is enormous and well worth however much self-control it may take to flat out refuse to engage in a fight. First of all, your conscience will be clear. If you know damn well that you did nothing but react and defend yourself against an unavoidable attack, you have no reason whatever to concern yourself thereafter about however much injury the violent offender suffers.
Second, since any brainless “macho jackass” will assume that you are afraid and that beating you will be a cakewalk when you refuse to fight, you will have an enormous element of surprise advantage when he forces you to defend yourself.
Third, since you will be defending yourself with a fierce, spirited, relentless, and merciless counteroffensive (i.e. by attacking your attacker) and growling like a wild animal, and not by waiting defensively to take a purely “defensive action” that might avoid the initial onslaught, but does not stop the SOB. Your attacker will be caught unable to bring his own offensive under control soon enough, shift to defending himself, and do anything to react to your attack! So… you’ve got him.
But let’s back up. I said that avoidance is crucial, and indeed avoidance is, as I put it, “self-defense technique number one.” Okay. So, realistically now, how do you do everything possible not to be pressed into a violent engagement with some troublesome scum and avoid the need to defend yourself in the first place?
First of all, be polite. Be calm and courteous whenever you encounter anyone whose demeanor appears at once or after contact to be volatile.
Be quick to apologize even if you are not wrong. Prickly retards, the utterly mindless, and psychopaths often flare up instantly over very slight or even imagined inconveniences or “offenses.” Apologize profusely and convincingly. In some instances, this will work. Who cares if you’re “not in the wrong”? Your purpose is to disengage with this a––hole and avoid trouble. Just be certain that you shift into condition orange at the first sign of potential trouble. Be ready… but until or unless you have no choice but to protect yourself, be convincingly accommodating and apologetic.
Depart quickly from the scene if you manage to calm the sh-t down. You are not, after all, dealing with a fully human being. Rather you are dealing with a creature or beast who has arrested his development at the level of being guided by range-of-the-moment impulses – like an animal – and the sooner you leave the area, the more likely the damn situation will be over.
Whenever you train or think about self-defense, remember what is at stake. It’s not just the immediate moment that will be affected by your engagement in combat. The situation could escalate to the point where one or more parties involved, or even in the vicinity, might be injured, maimed, or killed. You could go to prison. You could be sued. You could be needlessly injured. Someone with you about whom you care deeply could be harmed. What the hell do you need this for?!
So… for the same reasons you will go after any physical assailant with 100% commitment and merciless, unrelenting viciousness, when given no alternative, so you will NOT engage in any physical fight under any circumstances when avoidance is possible. It must, for your sake, and your family’s sake, be unavoidable self-defense and nothing less that causes you to act against another individual.
One thing that should help is to stop caring about what others say, think, and feel. Unless someone is a proven friend or loved one, what the hell difference does it make to you, anyway? For all practical purposes, it is as though these bacteria didn’t even exist.
And here’s a tip that should help you immensely. Adopt the following attitude, which reflects a healthy level of self-respect:
If someone bothers, threatens, disrespects, annoys, challenges, or otherwise non-violently attempts to interfere with you, drop any semblance of respect or human regard for them. They rate no more concern than a roach or any other insect. On the other hand, when anyone appreciates and respects you, and understands what you are doing and have done, allow that person to RISE in your estimate. Thus, those who respect you will be thought highly of; those who do not will drop below insects in the level of esteem and concern in which you hold them. This inoculates you forever from being significantly affected or swayed by others who are not your friends, allies, and intimates.
It should go a long, long way to relieving you of any sense that “violence sure would be a nice solution to this a—hole!’, and encouraging you to merely shrug off human debris.
In today’s society, which is also a society of hyper-sensitivity and infantilism, coupled with pettiness and meanness, “self-defense” is critical from two perspectives:
- You must be prepared to physically defend yourself, your family, and your home when you are forced to do so.
- You would be very well-advised to learn how to remain unaffected by the imbecilic, infantile, outrageous, potentially bothersome situations that irritate and provoke so many others.
I’m trying to assist you in both regards. Good luck!