I reacted to a spitting attack today

[bushido_man96]

tallgeese makes very good points. Whenever I see a thread like this, I look at it from cop point of view first. Where I live, getting spit on is considered battery, and therefore, you would have a right to defend yourself. The fact that you did not follow up would also weight heavily in your favor. Had you continued to pound the individual, because of being furious at being spit on, then that would affect what actions I would have to take, as well.

[vaporman]

''Where I live, getting spit on is considered battery''

How can getting hit with water/saliva be battery? Just curious.

Either way use your judgment/common sense/gut feeling w/e, Sometimes looking deep into there eyes with a serious look is more than enough to make em realize what kinda tree they are barking up(or how stupid they are acting), they would either look down and turn around if not you may expect further conflict. Our past can and probably has a lot to do with the way we react and everyone can experience the same thing differently.

Having been in similar situations and wanting to tear the other persons head off. Why? because 10 years of eye pain then this guy throws a lit cigarette butt onto my eyeball cherry first...but being in a big crowd and squinting for a few seconds the person was never recognized and that's ok.All it took was a few seconds of distraction(my gf at the time holding me and talking me out of it) to realize that my animal instincts were in full effect. From the moment i get the urge to act on it there's about 2-3 seconds that are critical ime and if you pass these w/o ending a life or getting physical then everything should be ok as far as those primary instincts are involved.This goes both ways the idea is to snap out of it,get snapped out of it or snap the other person(s)out of it as fast as possible.Fight or flight.

vap

[sensei8]

''Where I live, getting spit on is considered battery''

How can getting hit with water/saliva be battery? Just curious

It's an unlawful physical contact; not wanted nor asked for!!

Diseases can be in saliva, for example, HPV, HIV and Herpes! What if the spitter's gums are bleeding, etc!

Prisons do quite a lot to protect their staff from being spit on by inmates!!

[vaporman]

Thank you that makes sense

[bushido_man96]

''Where I live, getting spit on is considered battery''

How can getting hit with water/saliva be battery? Just curious.

In the state of Kansas, battery is statutorily defined as:

(1) Intentionally or recklessly causing bodily harm to another person; or

(2) intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting or angry manner.

So, according to the encounter that Harkon had, his antagonist could be charged with battery under subsection 2 here. Spitting is physical contact.

[vaporman]

Thank you bushido_man96 for the further clarification.

Aside from the written law depending on the situation its easy to see why it could be extremely insulting.

[thunderman]

From my background in criminal law, I would like to add that whilst there as an assault, in order to use self-defence you have to prove that you were in immediate danger too.

I obviously do not know the facts in the fullest, but depending on what OP believed at the time can determine whether it would be self-defence situation under UK Law. If OP honestly believed he was in immediate danger then he is, by law, allowed to use force. I can see both sides of this:

1) That the spitting was a prelude for further immediate violence; (and therefore self-defence is available) or

2) That the spitting was the beginning and end of the assault and once the spit had occurred there was no danger to the OP (and therefore self-defence would not be available).

This is a very interesting scenario for my legal brain

[Spartacus Maximus]

Spitting on somebody is a universal insult and one of the most serious acts of aggression short of actually striking. It is such a primitive expression that the behaviour is also very common among animals.

It is one of those rare gestures that is considered an insult and provokation to fight by every existing human culture group.

The reasoning behind considering it battery or assault is that spitting, especially in another person's face, is usually followed by a physical attack. Therefore it is reasonable to expect being attacked if one is spit at and respond accordingly. Spitting in someone's face and hitting while the victim is wiping it off is one of the oldest tricks ever used to attack or provoke a fight. If someone is close enough to spit in my face, he is close enough to hit me and has aleady invaded my personal space. This is never a good sign and letting any stranger get that close is a very dangerous mistake.

[sensei8]

GM Young Ik Suh taught a very simple choke defense...while being choked, spit in the attackers face, then do this or that, but do something. I suppose it has merits both as an insult and as a defense!!

[Alan Armstrong]

Hi Harcon. I have also been in your situation being spit upone. It is often usef to provoke a fight. The person doing the spitting was with a group of six others. So jumping into a fight wasn't my best tactic at that moment. I was surrounded so to run wasn't an option either. As I stood my ground and continued to be spitted at the only thing on my mind was to to be ready for the fists to start flying at me. While I was focusing on what was to come next, the spitters friends started to walk away as if they did not what to be connected with this disgusting person. So the spitter gave up and walked away also. What I did not notice at the moment was that I had bit my bottom lip and it was bleeding nicely. So I would agree no matter how much MA experience you have sometimes the best option is to do nothing.