Hengest

Sorry. I was bored and got a bit carried away...

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Kickboxing see American Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Savate

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I also would suggest not saying anything to the police, especially about being a MAist, until you have spoken to a soliciter!

Another good point. Many years ago I was working at a criminal law practice in Essex and I remember seeing one case up before the magistrates' where the victim of an attack took a roasting from the accused's counsel because he was a martial artist. Counsel wanted to argue that he'd provoked the attack in some way by dropping into a stance, or demonstrating a technique or just talking about his MA experience around his attacker! So perhaps it doesn't pay to mention your MA experience at all, whichever side of the fence you're on in a physical confrontation.

The only problem is with the legally. If you can prove that they initiated the attack you will have no proble. But how do you even start to prove that? A lot of fights are caused by alcohol causing people to be lairy. All the police will see are another two drunken people having a Saturday night brawl.

 

The best way to try and convince bystanders (and therefore potential witnesses) is by keeping passive body language; also serving as a tool in your fighting armoury as your opponent may underestimate you. The other suggestion is to put up a "fence" and to use verbal commands such as "Calm down I don't want to fight." Unfortunately in the real world his drunken mate has probably sucker punched you in the back of your head by now anyway!

Technically, in the UK at least, you're within your legal rights to strike first providing that you were placed in fear of an immediate physical attack and you use reasonable force. However, I do see what you mean in that practically speaking you may have problems convincing the police of your defensive action. It doesn't help that many police officers aren't aware of the actual legal situation. So I would add to the excellent points you made that its a good idea for people to actually learn the legal position (preferably word for word) and, should you be called upon to make a statement to the police, phrase it in those terms.

all i am saying is ,if we practice a defensive art like karate why not planning our fights defensively.

To me, a pre-emptive strike is a defensive action. Just because my reaction to a confrontation didn't include a block, doesn't mean I wasn't acting defensively, morally or legally.

i could see most of you will attack first, but still i feel confident to accept an attack

I don't think it's really about whether or not you have confidence in your defensive skills. It's more about adopting a strategy that is more likely to ensure you walk away from the confrontation.

What if I were to wait for the attack but instead of receiving the expected haymaker, I get a Glock pointed at my nose? At times like that you're going to wish you'd hit first and made a break for it.

Actual confrontation is a highly variable, unpredictable business and it doesn't pay to wait around and see what happens, cos you might just have waited a little too long...

What style are you looking at?

Personally, once I feel that an attack is imminent, I'll hit first. I've found from my own experiences that this is a much less dangerous way to deal with a situation and, contrary to popular belief, isn't against the law in most westernised countries.