Proportionality

Caveat: Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.

This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.)

There are only two classes in the self-defense world, deadly and non-deadly. When you start to consider proportions regarding force think of Rory Miller’s book on “Force Decisions.” Such decisions are based on the requirement that the force level you use in self-defense is NOT greater than the force you are threatened with or is used against you. The rules of engagement as well as those levels of force are covered in the law, get a legal professionals advice and make sure you read, know, understand and can apply force decisions under the influences of being attacked suddenly, with surprise, by aggressive force applied explosively immediately on your person while you are disadvantaged such as being pummeled, crowded and with a loss of both structure and balance (and this is just one example).

Another thing, you will have to apply such force decisions, i.e., the proportion of force you apply as related to the highest level of force your attacker is applying on you, in a fluid and chaotic with constantly changing situations from moment to moment while suffering damage and the effects of the adrenal stress conditions flooding through out your body and especially your mind.  As some of my sources or references often state, “Welcome to the Suck!”

Another thought as to those two classes, deadly and non-deadly, is how fast you can move from either class and back again. Even a deadly confrontation can quickly deescalate down to a non-deadly level, you need to adjust at the moment it happens or as close as possible. 

What is deadly force? This is better described by my reference material but in a nutshell, to start while you seek out legal advice, etc., is what force used that causes death, permanent disfigurement, serious physical injury, long-term damage to the function of any part of the body, or rape. What is non-deadly force, anything other than the above. Just remember, each state with each city and other municipalities have their own rules and often locals can be a bit more stringent than state or even federal laws. Remember, when you are done here go seek legal advice in your area of operations.

In the end, when all is said and done, your level of force must not exceed that of your adversary or attacker. Weapons, numbers of attackers against victims, etc., tend to cause changes in the two classes. Example: a group of people attacking you is disparity of force therefore has an huge adverse effect on the proportionality requirements. How you apply force and what is used along with the manner in which something is used matters, check with legal authorities as to how that works and is perceived legally. 

For karate-ka: “Punching, realistically speaking only very rarely do people die or suffer serious physical/bodily harm from a punch.” Note: punching can become deadly weapon only when the person punching is much larger and/or more skilled at fighting. Also, when exposed to such things as the “Ground and Pound,” then fists or punching can move toward being deadly. It all depends but generally fighting with fists is not deadly force. If one dies in a fist fight it is most likely caused by a fall and one hitting their head against pavement, etc.

Note: Non-deadly forces, i.e., it can be a good recommendation to use the same “Continuum of Force,” used by Police. Verbal commands to lethal force. It is the protocol used to gradually increase a use of force in response to the levels of force used by an attacker to stop the attack, etc. Rory Miller discusses this type of thing, or something like it, in his book, “Force Decisions.” Granted, some situations will escalate force levels either higher or lower according to the moment so be prepared to implement at what ever level is appropriate at any given moment but having the strategy in place for training, practice and applications will go a long way toward remaining within the self-defense square. 

Note II: You must fear death or grave bodily harm before using deadly force and if you fear even a minimal of physical contact you are allowed to use non-deadly force. Caveat: it still has to be at that appropriate level to be used even if non-deadly. 

Note III: Add in to this equation thoughts on the “Duration of Force.” This simply means that when the danger has passed and the threat ceases you have to stop too. You can’t teach him a lesson he won’t forget because as explained once you head down that road it becomes a whole new incident and you become the aggressor, etc. When the danger passes, the force stops and so on …. 

Note IV: Remember, common objects may be perceived by the legal system as deadly depending on a variety of factors, even if not designed for the purpose of use. 

Note V: Fists and hands can become deadly weapons, i.e., as an example when hands are used to choke a person or when one continues to pummel a person after that person becomes defenseless or incapacitated or conveys to you they are done and quit, etc. 

Primary Bibliography of Self-Defense (Some titles have RBC drills included):
MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" YMAA Publishing. 2008.

Bibliography Articles on Self-Defense/Conflict/Violence

The main page leading to the articles I have chosen as a starting point to attain knowledge of conflict, violence and self-defense is: http://ymaa.com/articles/society-and-self-defense where you can navigate to the below or you can simply find a title below and click for direct access to the articles. Most of these are actually introductions to the references written by the authors themselves. It is advisable to start here then move on to the more in-depth stuff in their publications. This section will get you a beginning understanding necessary in phase one of learning self-defense. 

I.M.O.P. Principle—Intent, Means, Opportunity and Preclusion http://ymaa.com/articles/2014/10/imop-principle-intent-means-opportunity-and-preclusion
Introduction to Violence: Scale of Force Options http://ymaa.com/articles/introduction-to-violence-scale-of-force-options
Facing Violence: The Unconscious Stuff-Finding Your Glitches http://ymaa.com/articles/facing-violence-the-unconscious-stuff
Violence: What Everyone Needs to Know About Fighting http://ymaa.com/articles/violence-what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-fighting

Secondary Bibliography of Self-Defense (Some titles have RBC drills included):
Ayoob, Massad. “Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense”Gun Digest Books. Krouse Publications. Wisconsin. 2014.
Branca, Andrew F. “The Law of Self Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen.” Law of Self Defense LLC. 2013.
Goleman, Daniel. "Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition]." Bantam. January 11, 2012.
Miller, Rory. "ConCom: Conflict Communications A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication." Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 2014. 
Miller, Rory and Kane, Lawrence A. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under Threat of Violence." YMAA Publisher. New Hampshire. 2012
Miller, Rory. "Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide." YMAA Publications. NH. 2012.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publishing. 2011.
Miller, Rory. “The Practical Problem of Teaching Self-Defense.” YMAA. January 19, 2015. http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/1/the-practical-problem-of-teaching-self-defense
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "More on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." Prentice Hall. New Jersey. 1983.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1995
Morris, Desmond. “Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior.” Harry N. Abrams. April 1979.
MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #1: Getting Shot.” NNSD. Amazon Digital. 2014.
MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #2: Getting Stabbed.”  NNSD. Amazon Digital. 2015.
MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #3: Getting Hit and Hitting.” Amazon Digital Services, inc. NNSD. April 20. 2015. 
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1993.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense" MJF Books. 1997.
Maffetone, Philip Dr. “The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.” McGraw Hill, New York. 2000
Strong, Sanford. “Strong on Defense_ Survival Rules to Protect you and your Family from Crime.” Pocket Books. New York. 1996.
and more … see blog bibliography.
Jahn, C. R. “FTW Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2012
Jahn, C. R. “Hardcore Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2002.

Bibliography of RBC Drills (Some titles have RBC drills included):
MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.
MacYoung, Marc (Animal). “Taking It to the Street: Making Your Martial Art Street Effective.” Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1999.
MacYoung, Marc. "A Professional's Guide to Ending Violence Quickly: How Bouncers, Bodyguards, and Other Security Professionals Handle Ugly Situations." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1996.
Miller, Rory. “Drills: Training for the Sudden Violence.” Amazon Digital Services, inc. Smashwords. 2011.
Quinn, Peyton. “Real Fighting: Adrenaline Stress Conditioning Through Scenario-Based Training.” Paladin Press. Amazon Digital Services, inc. 1996

My Blog Bibliography
Cornered Cat (Scratching Post): http://www.corneredcat.com/scratching-post/
Kodokan Boston: http://kodokanboston.org
Mario McKenna (Kowakan): http://www.kowakan.com
Wim Demeere’s Blog: http://www.wimsblog.com
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