Self-defense
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Self-defense (or self-defence — see spelling differences) is the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm.[1] While the term may define any form of personal defense, it is strongly associated with civilian hand-to-hand[dubious ] defense techniques. Self-defense defines a civilian activity as opposed to Hand-to-hand combat in a military context. The use of self-defense as a legal justification for violence is available in many jurisdictions, but the interpretation varies widely.
In politics, the concept of national or mutual self-defense to counter a war of aggression refers to a defensive war organized by the state and is one possible criterion in the just war theory.
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[edit] Physical
[edit] Unarmed
Many styles of martial arts are practiced for self-defense or include self-defense techniques. Some styles train primarily for self-defense, while other martial/Combat sports can be effectively applied for self-defense.[citation needed] To provide more practical self-defense, many modern day martial arts schools now use a combination of martial arts styles and techniques, and will often customize self-defense training to suit the participants' lifestyles, occupations, age groups and gender. The practice of combining martial arts styles for competitive sport is most often referred to as Mixed Martial Arts or MMA. In order to assist people in learning self-defense techniques, dojos and self-learning videos have sprung up. Self-defense courses are intended to give the layperson some instruction in self-defense in a short period of time, but the effectiveness of these is debated.[citation needed]
[edit] Armed
- See also: Castle Doctrine
- See also: Less-lethal weapon
In some countries, it is legal to carry weapons (for example knives, firearms or pepper spray) for purposes of self-defense. In other countries this may be illegal or may require a license, or some items may be legal to carry without a license, while others, most commonly firearms, are not. Limitations on the use of weapons for personal defense are a source of controversy in some countries, pitting self-defense rights against efforts to combat violent crime via restricting access to common weapons.
Everyday objects, such as baseball bats or body spray, can also be used as improvised weapons for self-defense, however they are not likely to be as effective as purpose built weapons.[citation needed] Some non-lethal weapons as the Kubotan have also been built to resemble everyday objects, such as keychains. [2] The other aspects of weapons is that unless a person is well trained under adrenal stress in the use of the weapon, they are frequently at a disadvantage using them in an adrenalized situation where cognitive and fine-motor movement abilities are lowered. Furthermore, one of the legal concepts behind self-defense is that one is defending oneself; using a weapon means the police often view the one wielding the weapon as the aggressor.[citation needed]
Pepper spray and personal stun guns are other self defense alternatives that can be used in a more passive way, and don't have the same affect as knives or guns. These less-lethal weapons are used for emergency measures rather than attacks. Pepper sprays usually have a range of 5-20 feet, giving a person more space between themselves and an attacker. Handheld stun guns, however, must actually come in contact with the assailant with the exception of tasers which deliver electrical shock remotely by means of barbed contacts connected by wires.
[edit] Other forms
[edit] Avoidance
Being aware of potentially dangerous situations and avoiding them thinking ahead is and alternative to method of self defence as is leaving the situation where possible, this is often considered safer[citation needed] than tempting to defeat an attacker. Due to its non-physical nature, awareness and flight are emphasized heavily in women's self defense classes[citation needed] where it is assumed that the attacker will probably be larger and stronger than the victim.
[edit] De-escalation
De-escalation is the use of voice, tone, and body language to calm a potentially violent situation before violence actually ensues. Terms such as 'verbal judo'[3] are used in reference to de-escalation, because the verbal tactics are similar to the physical tactics in the martial art of judo.[citation needed]
[edit] Personal alarms
Personal alarms are a way to practice passive self-defense. A personal alarm is a small, hand-held device that emits strong, loud, high pitched sounds to deter attackers because the noise will draw the attention of passersby, they may also be used as sonic weapons to distract an attacker.[citation needed] Child alarms often function as locators or device alarms such as triggering an alert when a swimming pool is in use to help prevent dangerous situations in addition to being a deterrent against would-be aggressors.[4]
[edit] See also
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