Self Defense Escalation Levels: It still surprised me today how many martial artists do not understand what self defense actually is. For some reason many glorify it in to some kind of epic combat or great battle.
All the while saying they understand the difference between "sport" and "street." You see this most often in the form of bad questions and answers as to which art is superior for street defense.
They do not know or understand Self Defense Escalation Levels.
Self Defense does NOT occur when 2 or more people agree to fight.
Understanding Self Defense Escalation Levels is critical for success on today's streets. Every day the streets become more intense, and more dangerous as more and more people become upset with the current status of their existence. From dissension to mental illnesses there is a lot going on today.
Mass Hysteria
Update March 15th 2020. Today we face a problem. And the problem is NOT Covid-19 killing us all. The problem is the mass panic / hysteria created by today's media for self serving interests. This is one reason the deescalation teaching of Humane Pressure Point Tactics are so critical! At the very least enroll in Level One and Level Two and learn how to see the signs of trouble, and the things you can do to calm bad situations before they escalate to violence. On our current path people will die fighting over toilet paper. BE VIGILANT! ACT NOW!
Self Defense Escalation - Eye Contact
Eye contact is an important beginning to see what is happening in a conflict. You can see from the potential attackers eyes a lot about his mental condition. As an example you can tell quickly if the person is stoned, drunk, confused or angry. This information helps you assess how much potential trouble you are in.
Plus your eyes will reveal at lot about you. You must make eye contact but do not stare. The attacker can also interpret a lot of information from you also. Especially nervousness and fear levels. Training to remain calm is important!
And never stare, look and glance away like you are thinking about the situation and you should be. Assessing the situation is critical to survival if and when things go bad.
Self Defense Escalation - Low Level
Seeing the warning signs of coming violence is a life saver! These skills will not just protect you but also anyone else in the area!
The first level of Self Defense Escalation we look at is the low level. This is the interview or prelude to violence. And this will occur 95% of the time. Being blind sided does happen, however it is not as common as most people think it is.
Violence is a very psychological event, and the need for the attacker to dominate and scare is part of this picture. This model applies to from simple assault all the way to the horrific mass shootings.
Low Self Defense Escalation requires a certain skill set, which includes a physical element. You need to learn and possess certain verbal skills, as well as physical skills to preemptively hand bad situations.
Self Defense Escalation - Medium Level
Now the term medium level may confuse you a little bit, so let me explain. At the Self Defense Escalation Medium Level the situation has now escalated to violence with the first punch or gab having happened. Once at this point the negotiations have ended and the physical threat must be met with "reasonable force."
However no threat of the taking of life has been made, no weapon introduced or suspected.
This is the level that most martial artists wrongly feel comfortable in. However many many times the martial artist overestimate their own skills or underestimate the attacker. Medium Level can go to High Level in heart beat and therefore there is much to consider! And many martial artists get in trouble here for "excessive force" as well!
This level of Self Defense Escalation also requires verbal skills as well as physical skills.
Self Defense Escalation - High Level
This is the "oh shit" moment when you realize that:
a) Your attacker is not alone.
b) That your attacker has a weapon
Both of these High Level Self Defense Escalation points are seriously life changing and life threatening!
At this point the only thing that matters is getting out of the situation with your life still intact! There is no win or lose here, there is only survival! Plus there needs to be an understanding that a lot has gone wrong for you to be at this point!
Escape from this situation requires very special skills and a very special mindset! All of the "self defense vs weapon" dreams do not apply here! That is fantasy! This is reality! One such example is the countless misconceptions of what happens in a knife attack, or the believe that somehow you will disarm the attacker and save the day!
No you need the skills to get out and get out fast! You also need to understand why you are still alive and how to proceed from that point!
Self Defense Escalation Levels n Conclusion
Understanding all of this is key to success in personal self defense and protection and also teaching it.
These 3 courses are called Humane Pressure Point Tactics are linked. Thank you for reading Self Defense Escalation Levels.
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