I got into a fight a work this morning...

[Throwdown0850]

there was a drunk in the emergency room this morning who didnt want medical attention but he needed it badly and we tried and tried to calm him down, and he just lashed out and attacked everybody, he tried to hit me and I side kicked him in the bladder/stomach.. the man went down and was hurt seriously bad.. I felt like I had no choice, I feel like I should have handled it better and I feel like I have failed as a martial artist for hurting him like that... I should have thrown him, all the Judo training for nothing, It would have been a lot less violent way to take him down... I have only been in Kenpo for a few days and that is the first thing that comes to mind??

[blackxpress]

Don't be too hard on yourself. You reacted in the heat of the moment. You know what they say about hindsight. Anyway, how do you know a Judo throw would have been any less destructive? Landing hard on the hard floor can do a lot of damage too, you know?

[Steve_K]

I see it as, he tried to hit you, and you hit him better.

If you think you made a mistake by not doing something you think you should have done, remember that he already made at least four mistakes before you.

1) he got drunk.

2)he apparently did something stupid to get himself hurt.

3)he denied medical attention.

and 4) he tried to attack you.

Also, if your natural instinct was to kick him, then you reacted perfectly.

Also, I respect the traditional martial arts (most of them) for their stressing users to use the least amount of force necessary, however, if you had consciously thrown him instead of naturally kicking him, you could have missed and gotten yourself hurt, or he could have had something sharp and dirty in his pocket or anywhere on him and you could have gotten pricked or cut and contracted something.

I say you reacted exactly as you should have.

Great job!

and don't feel bad at all.

[Throwdown0850]

Thanks. and I agree steve.. nice way of putting it.

[shift]

I see it as, he tried to hit you, and you hit him better.

If you think you made a mistake by not doing something you think you should have done, remember that he already made at least four mistakes before you.

1) he got drunk.

2)he apparently did something stupid to get himself hurt.

3)he denied medical attention.

and 4) he tried to attack you.

Also, if your natural instinct was to kick him, then you reacted perfectly.

Also, I respect the traditional martial arts (most of them) for their stressing users to use the least amount of force necessary, however, if you had consciously thrown him instead of naturally kicking him, you could have missed and gotten yourself hurt, or he could have had something sharp and dirty in his pocket or anywhere on him and you could have gotten pricked or cut and contracted something.

I say you reacted exactly as you should have.

Great job!

and don't feel bad at all.

I totally agree, it's not like you assumed he was going to hurt you. You already witnessed him attack others so you acted in self defence. Had you done nothing and let him get close to you, your judo could have failed and you coud have been injured or worse.

Don't beat your self up about it

[pittbullJudoka]

You reacted perfectlly in my book. You acted without thinking. And you caused no more damaged than nessicery. And you were the one attacked while trying to care for an injured person.

[bushido_man96]

I agree with the assessment of the others. You shouldn't be hard on yourself for reacting the way that you did. You handled the situation, and no one else got hurt. You succeeded.

Your judo training was not all for not. If the situation would have called for it, you would have done it. As it stood, a different solution was suitable, so it worked out well. When you get down to it, you should never be looking to force a technique, especially in self-defense. You take what is given to you. You did that, and you did well, I think.

[Throwdown0850]

thanks again.. but I was still wondering why I reacted that i did, I kicked the guy? Judo was all that I knew for years? I thought I had that programmed in me by now? I have only been in kenpo for a few days..

[pittbullJudoka]

As Bushido stated you reacted with what was given to you. If you kicked the aggressor you wired enough to know you were not in grappling range. I would bet if the guy was within arms reach and grabbed you, you would have reacted differntly. You reacted without hesitation and nuetrilized the situation. And that's what martial artist do.

[dmacdonal9]

I believe I agree with what's being said here.... I am interested to hear though what the hospital authorities and the police (assuming they became involved) have to say about it. As I understand these things, it's unfortunately all too often the "winner" that is treated suspiciously in these situations.

I wonder what kind of things would the law consider here? Would it be relevant if the guy was so drunk and/or injured that it was unreasonable to expect he could do any damage? Do you have to be able to prove that you were in significant danger of injury? Does "reasonable force" come into play in a self defense situation like this?