Self-Defence and Self-Protection
Many people use the terms ‘self-defence’ and ‘self-protection’ interchangeably, but we draw a distinction. As far as we’re concerned, self-defence is the act of physically repelling an assault. Self-defence measures can range from giving someone a shove so you can run for it to quite extreme measures, possibly including arming yourself. For now, we’re loosely defining self-defence as any physical response.
Self-Protection, on the other hand, is the whole package of measures that you might use to protect your safety. That includes physical responses (i.e. self-defence) but also passive and psychological measures. Self-Protection techniques include conflict-management, de-escalation, ‘loopholing’, threat-avoidance and similar measures that can prevent an incident even happening or ‘shut down’ an assailant before he/she has the chance to do anything.
While the value of self-defence training cannot be under-estimated, physical measures are simply one of several options, and often they are not the best option. Good self-protection training includes physical measures but also deals with how they fit into a broader ‘game plan’ that can get you out of trouble without having to get physical with anyone.
The vast majority of incidents that become physical are avoidable if you know how. Self-defence training is for the ones that cannot be avoided; self-protection is all about making sure that the others don’t happen. After all, you can’t get hurt if you don’t get attacked!
Grades are available for those who want to take them, though not everybody does. The emphasis in a grading is the ability to deal with attackers, not to perform specific techniques. Thus while the grading officers will want to see a variety of different responses (i.e. not a one-dimensional all-striking or all-grappling approach, and certainly not endless repetitions of the same technique), the actual techniques used are up to the student.
There is a body of technique that every student is expected to know at any given grade, but in the freeform parts of a grading the student is free to use whatever seems most appropriate. The critical factor is… does it work? So long as the attack is dealt with effectively, the mechanics are less important.
The self-defence syllabus covers all the common and likely attack scenarios and realistic measures to deal with them. These tend to be fairly simple and direct – the sort of thing you’d see in an MMA match or street altercation rather than over-complex ‘martial artsy’ techniques.
It is worth mentioning that in a lot of the our training, a given technique is taught with both ‘street’ and ‘mat’ applications. The ‘mat’ version may be suitable for competition or for use in fairly competitive training in the class, but it keeps the level of hazard down to a manageable level. ‘Street’ versions are generally much the same, but include things that would get you disqualified from a competition or which are dangerous to use in routine training.
We do a lot more than teach physical responses to threats. Our aim is to give people the knowledge they need to promote their personal safety, and to permit them to use an appropriate level of force if necessary. An understanding of the self-protection principles we teach actually makes it less likely that force will have to be used, and a working knowledge of the law permits a response that is proportionate and reasonable.
Many people get hurt because they hesitate to use a level of force that is entirely legal and reasonable under the circumstances, so it is our belief that a basic knowledge of self-defence law is entirely necessary to proper self-defence training. To put that another way… anyone purporting to teach self-defence without dealing with the legal angles is doing their students a grave disservice.
Self-Defence and the Law
What follows is not legal advice, but it will serve as an introduction to self-defence law inthe United Kingdom. Many other areas have similar laws, but it is always advisable to check on local legal considerations. A competent self-defence instructor should be able to advise on the legal aspects of what is being taught.
First and foremost, if you are attacked or fear you are about to be attacked, you have the legal right to defend yourself providing what you do is not excessive. Striking someone, even striking first, will not necessarily get you into trouble providing you can show that you felt a situation existed where this was necessary to preserve your safety or that of another person.
Note that defending yourself is not the same thing as fighting. If you get into a fight over a spilled pint, you’re probably not defending yourself. If someone attacks you and you stop them, then this is self-defence. Many of the same things happen in fights as in self-defence. For example, you might have to strike someone repeatedly to make them stop attacking you. The difference is your intent, and also whether you tried to avoid violence or actually wanted to fight.
If you do defend yourself by physical means, you may be called upon to justify your actions to the police or in court. If you can show that you acted in good faith and conscience, out of concern for your safety or that of others, then the law is firmly on your side.
Exactly what constitutes reasonable force is open to some debate. There are no hard-and fast rules; it all depends on the circumstances. As a rule of thumb, the severity of the threat dictates how much force is reasonable. If you genuinely need to so a certain thing to end an attack then it will not be illegal.
However, there are other factors. If you do use force when you could reasonably have avoided conflict, then this may not be viewed favourably. In other words, if you were involved in an argument and had to hit someone because they escalated the confrontation and you feared they were about to attack you, this would be viewed differently if you had been trying to defuse the situation than if you were heard screaming ‘COME ON THEN IF YOU THINK YOU’RE HARD ENOUGH!’ just before violence erupted.
You may not be given the opportunity to withdraw or temporize, but it becomes harder to show that you acted in self-defence if you had the chance to end the situation without violence and did not take it.
It is all but impossible to clearly define what level of force is “reasonable” to fit all possible sets of circumstances. Among the factors that must be weighed up are:
· How badly overmatched you are (or vice versa)
· The level of force used, threatened or implied by the attacker
· The likely consequences of failure to defend yourself
If an attacker (or group of attackers) were clearly intent upon killing their victim (you or someone else), or were intent on doing something likely to result in death or permanent harm, then a considerable level of force is justifiable. Where someone poses a relatively minor level of threat, a less ‘robust’ response would be required.
One thing is certain. You are required stop as soon as it is obvious to you that the opponent is no longer a threat.
Normally, if you are decent, law-abiding person who has become the target of aggression then your right to self-defence using reasonable force means that you will not get into trouble for protecting yourself. However, the law is NOT on your side if you:
Having said all of this, the whole can of worms stays firmly unopened if you can avoid conflict in the first place. This is why we teach self-protection as a wider subject, within which self-defence is the physical component.
Most violent situations are avoidable if you know how to deal with them. Confrontation management, evasion, avoidance, defusing and so on are all valid ways to protect yourself and form an important part of what we teach.
However good at physical self-defence you are, things can go wrong, whereas if you managed to avoid violence altogether then you can’t possibly lose!
First and foremost, if you are attacked or fear you are about to be attacked, you have the legal right to defend yourself providing what you do is not excessive. Striking someone, even striking first, will not necessarily get you into trouble providing you can show that you felt a situation existed where this was necessary to preserve your safety or that of another person.
Note that defending yourself is not the same thing as fighting. If you get into a fight over a spilled pint, you’re probably not defending yourself. If someone attacks you and you stop them, then this is self-defence. Many of the same things happen in fights as in self-defence. For example, you might have to strike someone repeatedly to make them stop attacking you. The difference is your intent, and also whether you tried to avoid violence or actually wanted to fight.
If you do defend yourself by physical means, you may be called upon to justify your actions to the police or in court. If you can show that you acted in good faith and conscience, out of concern for your safety or that of others, then the law is firmly on your side.
Exactly what constitutes reasonable force is open to some debate. There are no hard-and fast rules; it all depends on the circumstances. As a rule of thumb, the severity of the threat dictates how much force is reasonable. If you genuinely need to so a certain thing to end an attack then it will not be illegal.
However, there are other factors. If you do use force when you could reasonably have avoided conflict, then this may not be viewed favourably. In other words, if you were involved in an argument and had to hit someone because they escalated the confrontation and you feared they were about to attack you, this would be viewed differently if you had been trying to defuse the situation than if you were heard screaming ‘COME ON THEN IF YOU THINK YOU’RE HARD ENOUGH!’ just before violence erupted.
You may not be given the opportunity to withdraw or temporize, but it becomes harder to show that you acted in self-defence if you had the chance to end the situation without violence and did not take it.
It is all but impossible to clearly define what level of force is “reasonable” to fit all possible sets of circumstances. Among the factors that must be weighed up are:
· How badly overmatched you are (or vice versa)
· The level of force used, threatened or implied by the attacker
· The likely consequences of failure to defend yourself
If an attacker (or group of attackers) were clearly intent upon killing their victim (you or someone else), or were intent on doing something likely to result in death or permanent harm, then a considerable level of force is justifiable. Where someone poses a relatively minor level of threat, a less ‘robust’ response would be required.
One thing is certain. You are required stop as soon as it is obvious to you that the opponent is no longer a threat.
Normally, if you are decent, law-abiding person who has become the target of aggression then your right to self-defence using reasonable force means that you will not get into trouble for protecting yourself. However, the law is NOT on your side if you:
- Enter into a violent situation unless you have no good alternative.
- Carry on fighting when you could escape instead.
- Carry on attacking once it is clear that you are no longer in danger.
- Kick or beat a helpless person on the ground.
- Deliberately use lethal force except as a last resort in the face of a very severe assault.
Having said all of this, the whole can of worms stays firmly unopened if you can avoid conflict in the first place. This is why we teach self-protection as a wider subject, within which self-defence is the physical component.
Most violent situations are avoidable if you know how to deal with them. Confrontation management, evasion, avoidance, defusing and so on are all valid ways to protect yourself and form an important part of what we teach.
However good at physical self-defence you are, things can go wrong, whereas if you managed to avoid violence altogether then you can’t possibly lose!
General Self-Protection Advice
Much of what follows falls into the ‘already knew that’ category, but for all that many people fail to take elementary precautions to preserve their own safety, so here is a list of basic tools you can use to avoid becoming a victim of violence.
In general, a potential attacker wants something from you. He is not looking for a fight, but he might be willing to fight for what he wants. He will weigh up how much trouble you’re likely to be against what he thinks he can get from you. His judgement may be skewed by alcohol, drugs or rage, but the reward-vs-risk calculation will still be carried out in some manner.
The trick, put simply, is to be more trouble than he thinks you’re worth.
You can make yourself less attractive to potential assailants, a harder target, or both, by these measures:
At Home
At home, there are a few basic security measures that you really should already be taking. Forget what people think of you. Forget about being called paranoid. Think about your safety:
Social Situations
The vast majority of assaults and violence involve alcohol. It can make you careless and even inappropriately aggressive, and it can lower an attacker’s inhibitions to the point where an argument becomes a fight.
When you’re out or having fun, you can’t always be 100% on your guard. You can avoid some basic mistakes however:
At Work
Some people’s jobs or courses put them at increased risk, either by sending them to places where they may be in danger, by creating confrontations, or otherwise giving people a reason to attack them.
If you have to place yourself in harm’s way as a part of your work:
People who work in shops, ticket offices and similar places where they have direct contact with the public are also at risk, especially if they work in an isolated location or at unusual hours.
A set of general rules for shop staff (and people employed in similar circumstances) looks like this:
Knowledge, not Paranoia
This may all seem very gloomy, but there really is no need to paranoid. Indeed, once you understand the risks and what you can do about them you’ll realise that you can control some of what happens, and that actually works to dispel fear.
Fact is, someone who understands the situation and is prepared to take responsibility for their own safety is MUCH safer than someone who just assumes it can’t happen.
And here’s a thing – say there were half a dozen assaults in your town last month. That means that vast numbers of people didn’t get attacked. You never read headlines that say ‘Bunch of mates go to pub, have a few drinks, go home safely.’ now do you? But it happens all the time.
Violence is rarely completely random. By understanding the risks and accepting that bad things can happen, you can take elementary precautions to make it much less likely that you will be a victim. If all else fails, self-defence training will help but it’s much better if the incident never takes place. Good self-protection skills will make that far more likely.
More Information, or a Shameless Plug
I have some copies of The Self Defence Manual, which I wrote with Dave Birdsall a while back. It’s out of print now, but it used to retail at £15/copy. I can supply copies from my stock at £5 plus postage, or less if you want multiple copies.
In general, a potential attacker wants something from you. He is not looking for a fight, but he might be willing to fight for what he wants. He will weigh up how much trouble you’re likely to be against what he thinks he can get from you. His judgement may be skewed by alcohol, drugs or rage, but the reward-vs-risk calculation will still be carried out in some manner.
The trick, put simply, is to be more trouble than he thinks you’re worth.
You can make yourself less attractive to potential assailants, a harder target, or both, by these measures:
- Be continuously and obviously alert.
- Get where you are going efficiently without travelling through secluded, dark or otherwise high-threat areas.
- Hide the gain. Don’t display your wealth, watch, clothing etc.
- Walk confidently and look like you know where you’re going.
- Stay with other people you trust.
- Book taxis rather than wandering around at night.
- Don’t make yourself vulnerable by becoming very drunk.
- Look around you, take notice of what your instincts tell you, and don’t be complacent.
- Minimise vulnerable periods. Have keys ready and make sure there is no one lurking near your car or home as you approach.
- Don’t linger by cash machines. Pocket your cash and depart briskly. Check that no one follows you.
- Change direction, train carriage, side of the street or bus if you sense you are moving into a dangerous situation or if you think one is developing.
- Stay away from people who seem dangerous. Trust your instincts.
- Don’t be drawn into a confrontation. Preserve your safety, not your ego.
- Carry a mobile phone. You may rightly feel that the damn things are a curse on modern society, but they can be useful if you need to summon help.
At Home
At home, there are a few basic security measures that you really should already be taking. Forget what people think of you. Forget about being called paranoid. Think about your safety:
- Lock doors and windows. Use deadbolts if you have them and get them if you don’t.
- Don’t have the TV or music on so loud that you can’t hear what’s going on.
- Use the door chain or peephole. And even with the chain, make sure you are balanced as you open the door so you can slam it and/or lean on it if someone tries to force entry.
- Try to get a look at callers out of a window, especially at night.
- Don’t open the door at all to groups of youths.
- Don’t let strangers in to use the phone. By all means offer to make the call for them, but don’t be talked into removing your best defence against attack – a solid obstruction.
- If you let someone in, close the door and be sure it latches so no one else can wander inside.
- Check the ID of anyone who calls claiming to be from an organisation.
- Keep an eye on even apparently legitimate callers. Don’t leave them alone, and don’t let them keep the door open.
Social Situations
The vast majority of assaults and violence involve alcohol. It can make you careless and even inappropriately aggressive, and it can lower an attacker’s inhibitions to the point where an argument becomes a fight.
When you’re out or having fun, you can’t always be 100% on your guard. You can avoid some basic mistakes however:
- Don’t be dragged into doing something stupid by friends. If they want to be unwise and take chances, that’s their business. They have no right to put you at risk or expect you to join in something you know is dangerous. Be prepared to draw a line and refuse to cross it.
- Don’t blindly trust people you’ve just met.
- If you do leave a gathering with someone ‘new’, make sure someone knows where you are going, and with whom.
- Watch for things being slipped into your drink.
- Resist attempts to get you to drink too much or take drugs.
- Be alert for changes in behaviour, especially bullying or aggressive conduct.
- Stick to public places until you’re sure of the person you’re dating.
At Work
Some people’s jobs or courses put them at increased risk, either by sending them to places where they may be in danger, by creating confrontations, or otherwise giving people a reason to attack them.
If you have to place yourself in harm’s way as a part of your work:
- Do not become so focused on the job at hand that you forget about your personal safety.
- Be aware that some people will deliberately set a trap. Assess the risk before you rush in.
- Be ready to summon help or to escape if a confrontation develops.
- Be willing to abandon tools or other paraphernalia if that’s what it takes to stay safe.
People who work in shops, ticket offices and similar places where they have direct contact with the public are also at risk, especially if they work in an isolated location or at unusual hours.
A set of general rules for shop staff (and people employed in similar circumstances) looks like this:
- Do not confront anyone who seems dangerous, and never confront anyone alone.
- If you have to ask someone to leave the store and they won’t, call security or the police. Don’t argue or try to use force.
- Keep a counter between you and any customer who seems angry or otherwise dangerous. Stay back from it to prevent them reaching you.
- Don’t chase thieves. Get a good description for the police.
- Don’t defend the till. The money’s not even yours!
- Keep the till closed and locked when not in use.
- Don’t become so fixated on your job that you forget to be aware of your surroundings and potential hazards.
Knowledge, not Paranoia
This may all seem very gloomy, but there really is no need to paranoid. Indeed, once you understand the risks and what you can do about them you’ll realise that you can control some of what happens, and that actually works to dispel fear.
Fact is, someone who understands the situation and is prepared to take responsibility for their own safety is MUCH safer than someone who just assumes it can’t happen.
And here’s a thing – say there were half a dozen assaults in your town last month. That means that vast numbers of people didn’t get attacked. You never read headlines that say ‘Bunch of mates go to pub, have a few drinks, go home safely.’ now do you? But it happens all the time.
Violence is rarely completely random. By understanding the risks and accepting that bad things can happen, you can take elementary precautions to make it much less likely that you will be a victim. If all else fails, self-defence training will help but it’s much better if the incident never takes place. Good self-protection skills will make that far more likely.
More Information, or a Shameless Plug
I have some copies of The Self Defence Manual, which I wrote with Dave Birdsall a while back. It’s out of print now, but it used to retail at £15/copy. I can supply copies from my stock at £5 plus postage, or less if you want multiple copies.