Knife Defense Followup

After watching Jim Grover's knife defense video clip, Stephen poses an excellent question.

Question: If your life or the lives of your loved ones was at stake, would you risk spending time in jail for anticipating the attack and defending against it? I know I would.

I am not a lawyer, nor should anyone take the following as legal advice. If you need legal counsel on this matter, speak to an attorney.

What will happen in front of a judge is anyone's guess. Does he like the way you look, do you come across as arrogant, etc.? Also, are there witnesses? (Could work for you or against you.)

Nevertheless, the training I've received in more than one state has claimed that the legal system works on the reasonable individual principle. In other words, how would a reasonable individual react in the same circumstance?

"Your honor, he wouldn't show me his hands, and he kept advancing toward me, even though I told him to stop -- twice! I didn't want to hit him, but any reasonable individual in my shoes would conclude he and his (wife, daughter mother, sister, etc.) were in danger."

Under cross-examination, you might expect to be asked if you train in martial arts of any kind. At this point, I think it may help if you can truthfully say that a large part of your training focuses on methods to avoid and/or evade violence.

So, you should train with your partner in pre-fight tactics. Practice your posture and your words for when you believe an attack is imminent. If necessary, re-read Defeat Your Assailant's Will.

I have read that a woman using good pre-violence tactics in the face of imminent attack can reduce her chances of assault by 50%. Go thou and do likewise.