attackers

[Sabumnim]

I'd do what I must...

[SyracuseJundokan]

Mercy = Risk...

It is better to be judged by 12 of your peers than carried by 6 of your friends...

[Sabumnim]

It is better to be judged by twelve of your peers than carried by 6 of your friends

I agree with that my friend

[JimmyNewton]

i think there would be different levels of mercy.

example if someone shoves you compared to someone trying to attack you witha knife.

also, you need to ask, what can you morally live with when its all said and done. could you bear the guilt of causing one to be permantly blind or crippled? i think theres a grey area because its up to your moral code what punishment fits the crime.

[Traditional-Fist]

.... but I'd just probably punch him bad and call the cops..

Try NOT calling the cops and just leave your assailant in a bad state, making sure that he has learnt his lesson. You will find that a lot of these punks will not call the cops, as they are criminal types themselves.

If you do call the cops, then just to defend themselves they will probably make counter accusations of violence against you and thus complicate the situation, legally speaking, that is.

[scottnshelly]

It depends on your definition of mercy. If you mean just letting someone repeatedly punch you because you don’t want to hurt them, then my answer would be no, I wouldn’t show mercy.

If I was in that type of situation, I would control the fight, and then stop the fight. My order goes like this: avoid a confrontation, prevent a confrontation, dissuade a confrontation, control a confrontation, stop a confrontation. If something happened to where I couldn’t avoid, prevent or dissuade an attacker, then my fourth step is to control him. If that means breaking both of his arms so he can’t hit me, then that’s what I’ll do. If that means I can just scream really loud and scare him, then I that’s what I’ll do.

As far as not calling the cops, I think that’s a very bad idea. If you call the Police after a confrontation, you will get the first chance to tell your side of the story. If you flee the scene and then someone else calls the Police, you are going to have a much harder time convincing them that you were the victim.

[Traditional-Fist]

As far as not calling the cops, I think that’s a very bad idea. If you call the Police after a confrontation, you will get the first chance to tell your side of the story. If you flee the scene and then someone else calls the Police, you are going to have a much harder time convincing them that you were the victim.

I see your point however, and I have seen this myself, many criminally inclined people do not want to be anywhere near the police if they can help it and if someone else calls the police, these subjects will want to get the encounter over with as soon as possible, i.e. not press charges etc.

[drunken.master]

I follow a philosophy of balance. I would defend myself if attacked, but only to the point of controlling the "attacker"...

If that means getting them into a lock with Chin Na, breaking their arm if attacking with a weapon, or what have you. But I would always stay in the bounds of what I feel would be justifiable defense. I would not inflict extra pain just because I can.

BUT, if someone was going after one of my kids, I feel there would be more stopping power in place. Nobody messes with my children.

[Sam]

I think sometimes its difficult in those sort of situations to say what you would do. most people who havent experienced being attacked, probably dont necessarily know exactly that they'd do....

[SyracuseJundokan]

Hehe - well said Sam... easy to talk about eh?