Self-Defense

Self defense is one of the primary reasons that people become involved in the martial art, and learning to defend yourself will be among the first things that your teacher should teach you. It requires the tutelage of a qualified instructor (check credentials to verify authentic knowledge of Taekwondo, and authorized organizational authority to teach). It cannot be learned adequately through reading, either online or in a book, and videos only show things without personal instruction. Sometimes an additional partner is needed to practice on while the instructor teaches and makes corrections.

It also requires a basic ability to move and use your body without losing balance and concentration. It is important to first warm up, and stretch to make the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints flexible. You first learn the basic components of each move, then practice them repeatedly with a partner until they flow smooth. At first, they should be done slowly for correct form, then gradually increase speed until it is fast enough to be effective in real life self defense. Initially the resistance of your training partner should be minimal until proficiency is gained, then intensified until it is as close to a realistic attack as safely possible without injuring your training partner. All of this must always be done under the close supervision of your instructor.

To enhance your self defense training after you have attained sufficient proficiency, you can train while wearing a variety of clothing as you would in your daily life, and practice indoors as well as out. Training carefully on a variety of terrain, with different obstacles to avoid, in various weather conditions, and against multiple attackers (unarmed and armed with safe training weapons) will prepare you for any encounter. Your choice of techniques and tactics should be altered according to the above conditions.

Proficiency at self defense skills requires a lot of practice of effective skills. Attending class more often will help to guide you better. However, it is important to understand that any real-life self defense situation can be potentially dangerous, or even deadly. No amount of self defense training will make you infallible, or bullet-proof. Part of self defense training is learning to avoid dangerous locations, people, and situations. It is safer and wiser to avoid a conflict by being alert to your surroundings, observe people and be able to read their attitudes and intentions, and to be a pleasant person who is not naturally aggressive, and does not provoke aggression from others. It is best to walk away (while remaining safe and alert), or talk your way out of a fight. Physical combat should ALWAYS be a last resort, and then it is applied only to the level necessary to protect the innocent, and neutralize a situation.

Ones mind is the primary self-defense tool. Use your ability to think, be aware, look, listen, and be familiar with common methods of attack. I would NOT recommend any weapon, lethal or nonlethal, used for self-defense, which you are not familiar with, have practiced with, are prepared to use fully, or understand the legal ramifications for their use. Remember, which ever weapon you choose for self defense it can be used against you, not dogs usually. A bat can be taken away from you and a gun or knife can be turned against you.

Small calibre ammunition is fine, but it may not stop an attacker immediately. Ballistic science enforces small calibre, .22 or .32, ammunition may bounce around in a person if it penetrates them at all. I would suggest ammunition commonly used by law enforcement, 9mm, 40 cal, 45 cal, or 38 cal, of a hollow point variety. But since we are talking about firearms for defense there is nothing better than a shotgun. Just racking a round into the chamber could stop an aggressor.

Element 1 - Actual belief regarding use of physical force by other person

The first element is that when the defendant used defensive force against , (he/she) actually -- that is, honestly and sincerely -- believed that the other person was using or about to use physical force against (him/her/). The word "using" has its ordinary meaning, that is, the other person has already begun to use force. The word "imminent" means that the person is about to use physical force at that time. It does not encompass the possibility that an act of physical force may take place at some unspecified future time.

If you have found that the force used by the defendant was deadly physical force, then you must find that the defendant actually believed that <insert name of other person> was not only using or about to use physical force upon (him/her/<insert name of third person>), but that the other person was either using or about to use deadly physical force against (him/her/<insert name of third person>), or inflicting or about to inflict great bodily harm upon (him/her/<insert name of third person>). "Great bodily harm" is not limited by the definition of serious physical injury and may encompass other acts such as sexual assault or the threat of sexual assault.4 The term "great" has its ordinary meaning and indicates a bodily harm that is substantially more than minor or inconsequential harm.

The act of <insert name of other person> leading to the defendant's use of defensive physical force need not be an actual threat or assault. The test is not what the other person actually intended, but what the other person's act caused the defendant to believe was the intention of the other. In other words, the danger to which the defendant was reacting need not have been actual or real. In judging the danger to (himself/herself/<insert name of third person>) the defendant is not required to act with infallible judgment. A person acting in (self-defense / the defense of others) is sometimes required to act instantly and without time to deliberate and investigate. Under such circumstances it is possible to perceive an actual threat when none in fact existed.

Element 2 - Reasonableness of that belief

The second element is that the defendant's actual belief about the force being used or about to be used against (him/her/) was a reasonable belief. This means that under the circumstances of the case, viewing those circumstances from the defendant's point of view, the defendant's actual belief that was using or about to use physical force or deadly physical force against (him/her/) was reasonable because a reasonable person in the defendant's situation at the time of (his/her) actions, viewing the circumstances from the defendant's point of view, would have shared that belief.

Element 3 - Actual belief regarding degree of force necessary

The third element is that when the defendant used physical force upon for the purpose of defending (himself/herself/), (he/she) actually -- that is, honestly and sincerely -- believed that the degree of force (he/she) used was necessary for that purpose. This applies whether you have found that the defendant used deadly physical force or not. The question is whether the defendant believed that it was necessary to use the degree of force that (he/she) used to defend (himself/herself/) from the attack.

Element 4 - Reasonableness of that belief

The fourth element is that the defendant's actual belief about the degree of force necessary to defend (himself/herself)/ was a reasonable belief. This means that under the circumstances of the case, viewing those circumstances from the defendant's point of view, the defendant's actual belief that the degree of force used was necessary to defend (himself/ herself/ ) was reasonable because a reasonable person in the defendant's circumstances at the time of (his/her) actions, viewing those circumstances from the defendant's point of view, would have shared that belief.

Self defense is vague. Usually you or your family has to be in imminent danger. If this is the case, no, you will usually not go to jail. But, they still can sue you for damages in some states... Check your local laws.

Whether or not one goes to jail for seriously hurting someone in self defense depends on what one is defending against. A civilian may only use equal force to defend against an assailant. In other words, you can't shoot someone to defend against a punch in the nose. On the other hand, if someone is about to cause serious harm then you may use force that could seriously harm your attacker in order to defend yourself.

Read the links below there is a lot of difference between the UK and US legal systems on what is allowed and assuming the spelling above which is American you might want to understand it before you launch into buying things. Items bizarrely enough which are often not illegal to sell in the UK but may be to use! You can find almost anything on the internet but items such as marker sprays (genrally considered legal) can be mixed in with Tazor guns and black jacks.

Related subject - also be aware of overly complicated martial arts moves, the speed fear and adrenalin factor involved in an attack makes a lot of these moves impractical.

Also you can make your own protection, get a squirty bottle of window cleaner, empty it, buy several scotch bonnet (or stronger) chillis, chop them up and mix with water in the bottle, no one will keep attacking you if you spray them in the eyes with that. Trust me. Also it will keep its strength if you add some sort of preservative, maybe salt.

When someone is in the process of breaking into your house or has already entered the house:

• grab a portable phone or cell phone and dial 911 (or your local emergency dispatch number)
• hide in the best place you can think of to hide
• stay on the phone with Emergency Dispatch even if you cannot talk because the intruder is nearby
• if the intruder finds you, leave the phone and talk loudly as if you are a deaf person; pretend you are deaf so the intruder has to talk loudly too and so, be heard by the dispatch operator
• don't fight an intruder; within reason, do what the person asks
• Tell falsehoods if you have to in order to protect yourself or family (e.g. My father is due home anytime.)
• DO NOT go to a second location with the intruder. If he/she tries to move you outside or into a car, drop to the ground as if you've fainted or are ill.

As always, the best protection is prevention:

• Lock doors and windows
• Don't put your address on the Internet
• Don't tell people you'll be home alone
• Think about a plan before a crisis occurs.
• Tell a trusted adult to watch your house when you're away.

Answer

A head lock can be potentially highly lethal if one individual holding another individual in a head lock suddenly and unexpectedly turns into the head lock. That is, if the head lock is maintained by the right arm, a turn of the body to the right is turning into the head lock, or vice versa for a head lock maintained with the left arm, and it would likely break the neck and kill the opponent. This maneuver does not always result in a broken neck or death if not done just right, and it is not recommended that anyone try to kill an opponent. By law a defender should always use only enough force to temporarily incapacitate an aggressor and flee, unless it was absolutely and provably necessary to use lethal force. If you cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you had to use lethal force you could be charged and tried for at least involuntary manslaughter and given a stiff prison sentence depending on the state one lives in and the circumstances of the killing. And you will carry a felony for the rest of your life.

n 1. resistance against danger, attack, or harm; protection 2. a person or thing that provides such resistance

3. a plea, essay, speech, etc, in support of something; vindication; justification

4. (Military) a. a country's military measures or resources

b. (as modifier): defence spending.

5. (Law) law a defendant's denial of the truth of the allegations or charge against him

6. (Law) law the defendant and his legal advisers collectively. Compare prosecution

7. (General Sporting Terms) sport a. the action of protecting oneself, one's goal, or one's allotted part of the playing area against an opponent's attacks

b. the method of doing this

c. the defence the players in a team whose function is to do this

8. (American Football) American football(usually preceded by the) a. the team that does not have possession of the ball

b. the members of a team that play in such circumstances

9. (Psychoanalysis) psychoanal See defence mechanism

10. (Fortifications) (plural) fortifications