Combative's

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Being combative is to be "ready or eager to fight; pugnacious." I am writing about this term because although its use in martial disciplines, generally, is a good way to convey certain idea's but in my mind using it when what you train and practice may or will be used for self-protection then its use may be used against you in criminal self-defense proceedings. 

It comes down to several issues, first is it gives the idea to first responders and those along his or her chain of legal processes that you came into the situation ready and/or eager to fight. The last thing you want to do it provide prosecution more ammunition to put the idea, suggest and the suggestibility of the jury, that you were looking for a fight, you were eager for the fight and therefore you must have participated in mutual violence - that is illegal and pop goes the weasel to convict. 

Take a look at the terms that are synonyms of combative, i.e., “aggressive, antagonistic, quarrelsome, argumentative, hostile, belligerent and militant.” There are more but these stand out as also one who has a mind-set and mind-state to be aggressive, hostile and combative with an attitude of being ready and eager to fight. 

I am not advocating that one does not use such terms in training and practice but want to make sure practitioners who seek and train for self-protection with the intent to make use of that if attacked with aggression and violence they differentiate between what is used in the dojo and what one articulates to first responders if it comes to that. Personally, I advocate using other terms simply because what you use the most when under duress and the chemical reactions during and after are going to rise to the top like cream in milk. Remember, even if you use the right stuff in the interview with first responders there is a likelihood that cell phone recordings are going to possibly say something else. 

These thoughts bring me back to adding in, assuming you don’t teach a comprehensive course on communications and articulation of events, etc., that learning how to articulate, communicate and suggest through influence and compliance techniques, called Master Persuasion, to convey your side and the complete and accurate picture of events leading you to apply your physical skills is a high priority in the lessons on self-protection. 

You want a mind-state that will rise to the top of the milk-bottle so it will be present in all sorts of situations, that is how folks who are master persuaders using compliance and influence principles to achieve all sorts of goals and objectives. You want to develop the skills in communications to persuade others to want to believe you, who have to believe you and who want to make sure that others want to believe you. It goes a long way to avoid cuffs, jail, putting up money for bail, putting up money for lawyers and putting the right mind-set and attitude to the legal systems folks who will be looking at you and the situation with a very large magnifying glass. 

Terms used make a difference. Semantics matter. 

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