Dirty Fighting?

[unknownstyle]

since we've started up on the laws and such, what, if any, circumstances do you believe it is okay to use techniques that you know would have the outcome of death or extreme injury to the attacker? is it just in your eyes to take a life to save your own? and how do you think you would react emotionally knowing you have taken a life?

[joesteph]

since we've started up on the laws and such, what, if any, circumstances do you believe it is okay to use techniques that you know would have the outcome of death or extreme injury to the attacker?

I believe that the use of lethal or crippling force is more likely to be used by a defender if there is someone else there to be protected, such as a parent whose children are present, than to protect oneself.

is it just in your eyes to take a life to save your own?

I wonder if, presented with winning the battle, likely after having suffered harm during the altercation, it is actually an impulsive act, heightened by emotion, that causes the final blows to be lethal. As the philosopher David Hume observed, "Reason is the slave of the emotions."

The responses I gave to the two quotes, above, reflect, to me, the power of the situation that overrides all.

and how do you think you would react emotionally knowing you have taken a life?

I do not believe that I would truly be able to answer this unless I were in that situation; however, the reactions of others to my act will likely have a heavy impact on me.

[bushido_man96]

since we've started up on the laws and such, what, if any, circumstances do you believe it is okay to use techniques that you know would have the outcome of death or extreme injury to the attacker? is it just in your eyes to take a life to save your own? and how do you think you would react emotionally knowing you have taken a life?

If they have a weapon, and have demonstrated intent, or better yet, stated that they intend to kill you, or slice you to pieces, etc., and you can then articulate that from what they said and their actions that they intended to seriously injure or kill you, and that you were in fear of your life or great bodily harm, then your chances of justifying it get better.

[tallgeese]

If you perceive a life-thretening attack, then it's not just in your eyes, it's a point of fact. As long as your perception is reasonably accurate. That's the end of the debate for me.

As for one's emotional reaction, it's hard to tell. You probibly can't until it actually occurs. However, studies have shown that the more you prepare mentally for that, or accept that it could and does happen, the less effected by it you will be and the less likey you will be to have to deal whit PTSD.

Hopeing that it dosn't happen is no defense. It only ensure a higher likelyhood of complications during the encounter and afterwards as well.

[Ozpunker]

I have absolutely no problems with fighting dirty. If someone attacks me in the street, I see all aspects of being civilized flushed down the toilet. I find that the only time people complain about a fair/unfair fight or fighting dirty is where they have lost or they are trying to justify their actions in being in a fight to begin with.

Although this may seem to go against what I just said, there can be an unfair fight if a big guys starts a fight with a small guy, but I don't believe it to be unfair if the small guy is the one to provoke the fight. I guess when it comes to this, it depends on the original intent.