Hitting a female in self-defense

[hazeleyes202]

Hitting a female in self-defense? Your thoughts? Have you ever had an experience where you were put in that position?

[oitsuki]

Mmm, I was slapped in my face time ago when I was younger (Does this count? ). I didn't see it coming but if I did, I would have blocked the "attack" with force, maybe slightly injuring her arm.

Anyway, I think I wouldn't use striking techniques with a woman, unless she is so agressive that this is the only choice (or she is armed, for example)

Regards

[xo-karate]

I would not make a difference with a woman or a men. It's against the law. (I would not hit either, if you can avoid it.)

[MasterPain]

I train to be able to stop a threat, doing as little damage as possible while still insuring my own safety and that of those who are in a position to depend on me. If a woman was armed and kicked in my door, she'd be shot. If a woman slapped me, I'd call the cops. Same as a man or non-gendered space alien. Threats should be judged on ability and willingness to do harm, not gender, race, social standing or any other such nonsense. Chivalry is a concept from an age when wives were basically property. There is no honor in being harmed when you could have defended yourself, and harming someone more than needed is not self defense.

[JusticeZero]

All of what MasterPain says is true.

However, I also counter that if the attack is in public, it is very possible that your response is a significant part of the damage she intends to do to you, and indeed might be a key part of the attack. This is because women are considered unable to act effectively by most people, which is insulting to everyone involved but nonetheless true.

If you let her hit you, she damages you.

If you respond defensively and non-aggressively to the attack to prevent being struck, you are publicly acknowledging your weakness against something which bystanders will not see as a meaningful threat, which damages your social face. You also are not doing anything to stop the attack.

If you respond defensively to the attack with a response which contains a countermeasure, then you are being seen to publicly attack a helpless female, and are worthy of contempt. Your social face is damaged, and any men witnessing the act may see the opportunity to greatly enhance their social position by attacking you on behalf of the woman who just took a swing at you.

This doesn't mean that the woman isn't in the wrong, it just means that the world is unfair in this regard. Culturally, women - because of the double-edged nature of asymmetrical power - have the privilege to be violent to men at will without consequences in a troublingly large (though thankfully slowly shrinking) number of situations.

In short, MP is right, but may under some circumstances turn out to be "dead right".

On the bright side, this issue is situational. If there are no men around to enforce the cultural norm, you can feel free to drop your attacker into a control position. Women will most likely be far more even handed about the issue, and LEOs are probably going to be reasonable and fair about the matter (presuming the policies they have to work with do not hamstring them with baked in assumptions).

[sensei8]

An attack is an attack, imho. Therefore, if a women attacks me, well, I'm going to defend myself no matter what and I'm not going to water it down.

Sorry!

[JusticeZero]

No apology requested! Society is a mess, and some people can use bits of it to mess with people. Just watch out for variants of the wounded gazelle gambit when a situation develops around other people.

[Kuma]

An attack is an attack, imho. Therefore, if a women attacks me, well, I'm going to defend myself no matter what and I'm not going to water it down.

Sorry!

Darn tooting.

Act like a lady and I'll treat you like one.

Step to me like a man and expect to get treated as such.

If you have any doubts about hitting a lady, I'm sure evergrey will gladly whack you until you lose them.

[JusticeZero]

I have no doubts on the subject. Just be careful that she isn't trying to weaponize someone else's chivalry against you.

[MasterPain]

I have no doubts on the subject. Just be careful that she isn't trying to weaponize someone else's chivalry against you.

That's where it really gets dangerous. Women are culturally taught to be passive aggressive, whereas men are conditioned to be aggressive outright. Add in mob mentality and it can get ugly really quick.