CAN ONE STRIKE WITH YOUR FIST KILL SOMEONE?
When learning martial arts or boxing it’s always fun to learn to strike, kick and do different techniques in the school, dojo or whatever you call your training facility. The reason for most people to learn these things is for personal self- defense or to protect those who are with them, for example, family members.
When teaching self-defense or martial arts, discipline also needs to be taught. Not only discipline in the school, but discipline on the outside. Learning situational awareness and understanding that there are certain places we should stay away from, how to speak to people in an attempt to de-escalate the situation with proper use of words and body language.
All of the above needs to be taught to students in order for them to have a good understanding of the “full package”. Now let’s not forget that there should be some basic aspect of the self-defense law added into the “full package”.
People need to know what to do and what not to do in self- defense. For instance, there are some schools of self-defense who teach returning the stab to someone they had just disarmed in a knife disarm class. Now, If this were a military knife defense/disarm class I would understand that a little better but not for teaching civilians. The reason why is, Law Enforcement, Attorneys and the Court System will want to know from you that if you were so well trained to disarm a person with a knife why didn’t you just make space and escape? This will be something only you can answer. Remember you need to justify everything you do!
In classes that teach striking techniques such as boxing or any other striking techniques that are taught in Martial Arts classes students as well as instructors need to understand what one good solid punch can do to someone. Yes! ONE PUNCH! One punch square to the face/head of someone could knock them right out, unconscious. Knocking someone out happens every day in physical altercations everywhere either in the boxing ring, dojo mat or on the street.
The problem occurs when out on the street, a street fight, a barroom fight, road rage or neighbors getting heated up to the point where fists are thrown and someone is struck and falls striking their head on the ground. Make note, someone who is knocked out on their feet has no ability to support their fall when going down. They fall like a 1 ton sandbag hitting the deck. Usually it’s their head hitting and causing sever damage. This damage can put them in a coma or kill them. When this happens you need to answer to this occurrence.
Questions will be asked. What happened? Are there witnesses? Did security cameras capture the incident? Could you have walked away from the incident and if so, why didn’t you? If you claim self- defense it needs to be proven!
