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Physical
For the legal theory of self-defense, see Right of self-defense. For other uses, see Self Defense (disambiguation).
Unarmed "Home defense" redirects here. For the film, see Home Defense.
Armed Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves
Verbal self-defense defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm.[1] The use of the right of self-defense as a legal
justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many jurisdictions.[2]
Women's self-defense

Self-defense education
Physical [ edit ]
Legal aspects
Physical self-defense is the use of physical force to counter an immediate threat of violence. Such force can
Application of the law
be either armed or unarmed. In either case, the chances of success depend on various parameters, related
See also to the severity of the threat on one hand, but also on the mental and physical preparedness of the
References defender.[3] This telescopic steel security baton is
sold to the public in Japan (2009).
External links
Unarmed [ edit ]

Many styles of martial arts are practiced for self-defense or include self-defense techniques. Some styles train
primarily for self-defense, while other combat sports can be effectively applied for self-defense. Some martial
arts train how to escape from a knife or gun situation or how to break away from a punch, while others train how
to attack. To provide more practical self-defense, many modern martial arts schools now use a combination of
martial arts styles and techniques, and will often customize self-defense training to suit individual participants.
[citation needed]

Armed [ edit ]

Further information: Non-lethal weapon, Melee weapon, and Defensive gun use

A wide variety of weapons can be deployed for use in a defensive capacity. The most suitable depends on the
threat presented, the victim or victims, and the experience of the defender. Legal restrictions also vary greatly,
and influence which self-defense options are available to choose from.[citation needed]

In some jurisdictions, firearms may be carried openly or concealed expressly for this purpose, while other
jurisdictions have tight restrictions on who can own firearms, and what types they can own. Knives, especially
those categorized as switchblades, may also be controlled, as may batons, pepper spray and personal
electroshock weapons—although some may be legal to carry with a license or for certain professions.
[citation needed]

Non-injurious water-based self-defense indelible dye-marker sprays, or ID-marker or DNA-marker sprays linking
a suspect to a crime scene, would in most places be legal to own and carry.[4]

Everyday objects, such as flashlights, baseball bats, newspapers, keyrings with keys, kitchen utensils and other
tools, and hair spray aerosol cans in combination with a lighter, can also be used as improvised weapons for
self-defense.[citation needed]

Verbal self-defense [ edit ]

Verbal self-defense is defined as using words "to prevent, de-escalate, or end an attempted assault."[5]

Women's self-defense [ edit ]

According to Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics on Rainn, about "80 percent of juvenile victims were female Demonstration of a jujutsu defense
and 90 percent of rape victims were adult women".[6] In addition, women from ages 18 to 34 are highly at risk to against a knife attack. Berlin, 1924.

experience sexual assault. According to historian Wendy Rouse in Her Own Hero: The Origins of Women's Self-
Defense Movement, women's self-defense training emerged in the early twentieth century in the United States
and the United Kingdom paralleling the women's rights and suffrage movement. These early feminists sought to
raise awareness about the sexual harassment and violence that women faced on the street, at work, and in the
home. They challenged the notion that men were their "natural protectors" noting that men were often the
perpetrators of violence against women. Women discovered a sense of physical and personal empowerment
through training in boxing and jiu-jitsu. Interest in women's self-defense paralleled subsequent waves of the
women's rights movement especially with the rise of Second-wave feminism in the 1960s and 1970s and Third-
wave feminism in the 1990s.[7] Today's Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) courses focus on teaching verbal and A Bangladesh Rifles Senior Warrant
psychological as well as physical self-defense strategies. ESD courses explore the multiple sources of gender- Officer (left in yellow/green outfit)
applies a mechanical advantage
based violence especially including its connections with sexism, racism, and classism. Empowerment Self-
control/hold to a United States Marine
Defense instructors focus on holding perpetrators responsible while empowering women with the idea that they during a demonstration.
have both the right and ability to protect themselves.[8][9][10][11]

Self-defense education [ edit ]

Self-defense techniques and recommended behavior under the threat of violence is systematically taught in self-defense classes. Commercial self-
defense education is part of the martial arts industry in the wider sense, and many martial arts instructors also give self-defense classes. While all martial
arts training can be argued to have some self-defense applications, self-defense courses are marketed explicitly as being oriented towards effectiveness
and optimized towards situations as they occur in the real world. Many systems are taught commercially, many tailored to the needs of specific target
audiences (e.g. defense against attempted rape for women, self-defense for children and teens). Notable systems taught commercially include:

Civilian versions of modern military combatives, such as Krav Maga, Defendo, Spear, Systema
Japanese Armed & Unarmed Combat Art Systems directly taught as Combatives with No Sport Aspect, also adapted to modern weapons such as
Bujinkan
Jujutsu and arts derived from it, such as Aikijujutsu, Aikido, Bartitsu, German ju-jutsu, Kodokan Goshin Jutsu, Yamabujin Goshin-Jutsu.
Model Mugging
Traditional unarmed fighting styles like Karate, Kung fu, Hapkido, Pencak Silat, Taekkyon, etc. These styles can also include competing.
Traditional armed fighting styles like Kali/Eskrima/Arnis. These include competing, as well as armed and unarmed combats.
Street Fighting oriented, unarmed systems, such as Jeet Kune Do, Kajukenbo, Won Sung Do ®,[12] and Keysi Fighting Method
Martial sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, savate, shoot boxing, Sanshou, Taekwondo, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Sambo, and wrestling.

Legal aspects [ edit ]

Main articles: Right of self-defense and Self-defence in international law

See also: Self-defence in English law

Application of the law [ edit ]

In any given case, it can be difficult to evaluate whether force was excessive. Allowances for great force may be hard to reconcile with human rights.
[citation needed]

The Intermediate People's Court of Foshan, People's Republic of China in a 2009 case ruled the killing of a robber during his escape attempt to be
justifiable self-defense because "the robbery was still in progress" at this time.[13]

In the United States between 2008 and 2012, approximately 1 out of every 38 gun-related deaths (which includes murders, suicides, and accidental
deaths) was a justifiable killing, according to the Violence Policy Center.[14]

In Canada, self-defence, in the context of criminal law, is a statutory defence that provides a full defence to the commission of a criminal act. It operates
as a justification, the successful application of which means that owing to the circumstances in which the act was produced, it is not morally blameworthy.
There are three elements an accused must demonstrate to successfully raise self-defence.[citation needed]

First, the accused must demonstrate that she or he believed on reasonable grounds that force was going to be used against her or him or another person
or that a threat of force is being made against her or him or another person. The reasonableness of the belief is assessed through both a subjective and
objective lens. Certain beliefs, including racist beliefs and beliefs induced by self-intoxication are prima facie unreasonable. Other beliefs related to the
subjective experience of the accused may, however, be reasonable. These include any relevant military training (R v Khill), heightened awareness of
patterns of cyclical violence in intimate relationships (R v Lavallée) and whether the accused has autism (R v Kagan).[citation needed]

Second, the act that constitutes the offence is committed for the purpose of defending or protecting themselves or the other person from that use or
threat of force.[citation needed]

Third, the act that constitutes the offence must have been reasonable in the circumstances. There are a number of indicia which factor into whether the
act was reasonable in the circumstances. For one, was the violence or threat of violence imminent? Usually, if there is a significant time interval between
the original unlawful assault and the accused's response, it undermines the contention that there were no other means available to respond to the
potential use of force and one tends to suspect that the accused was motivated by revenge rather than self-defence. However, R v Lavalleé accepted
expert evidence demonstrating that people experiencing battered women's syndrome have special knowledge about the cyclical nature of violence in a
way allows them to foresee when harm is coming. Second, it's relevant whether there was a reasonable avenue of escape available to the accused.
Under the old self-defence provision, there was a requirement for the accused to have believed on reasonable grounds that there was no alternative
course of action open to him at the time, so that he reasonably thought that he was obliged to kill in order to preserve himself from death or grievous
bodily harm. Now, even though 34(2)(b) is only one consideration in a non-exhaustive list, the mandatory role it used to play in the common law suggests
it carries considerable weight in determining the reasonableness of the act in the circumstances under 34(1)(c) As such, while there is no absolute duty
to retreat, it is a prerequisite to the defence that there were no other legal means of responding available. In other words, there may be an obligation to
do retreat where there is an option to do so (R v Cain). However, there is an exception to the obligation to retreat which is there is no requirement to flee
from your own home to escape an assault to raise self-defence (R v Forde). Moreover, evidence of the accused suffering from battered women's
syndrome may evince that the accused reasonably perceived there to have been no means of escape (R v Lavalleé). Third, the accused's role in the
incident may play into the reasonableness of her or his act. Consideration of the accused's role is not limited to whether he did any provocative or
unlawful acts at it was under the old self-defence provisions (R v Khill). Fourth, the nature and proportionality of the accused's response will factor into
whether it was reasonable. While a person is not expected to weigh to a nicety the measure of force used to respond to violence or a threat thereof,
grossly disproportionate force will tend to be unreasonable (R v Kong).[citation needed]

See also [ edit ]

Armed self-defense

Airgun Riot shotgun Personal alarms

Ballistic knife Self-defense in international law Physical security
Baton (law enforcement) / Tonfa (martial arts) Slapjack (weapon) Safe room
Boot knife Slingshot Secure telephone
Brass knuckles Stun grenade Video surveillance systems
Club (weapon) Switchblade Legal and moral aspects
Crossbow Taser
Battered woman defense
CS gas Throwing knife
Castle doctrine
Defense wound Tranquilizer gun
Concealed carry
Defensive gun use Weighted-knuckle glove
Constitutional carry
Electroshock weapon Kubaton
Duty to retreat
Gun safety
Gun-free zone
Handgun Unarmed self-defense
Gun laws in the United States (by state)
Hiatt speedcuffs
Anti-theft system Gun politics
Hollow-point bullet
Armored car Gun politics in the United States
Knife / Combat knife
Body armor Justifiable homicide
Laser pointer
Bodyguard Non-aggression principle
Laser sight
Cyber self-defense Open Carry
Mace (spray)
Digital self-defense Reasonable force
Millwall brick
Door security Self-defense in international law
Nunchuku
Gated community Self-preservation
Offensive weapon
GPS tracking unit Sell your cloak and buy a sword
Paintball gun
Guard dog Stand-your-ground law
PAVA spray
Hand to hand combat Use of force
Pepper spray
Intrusion alarm Turning the other cheek
Personal defense weapon
Peroneal strike

References [ edit ]

1. ^ Dictionary.com's Definition of "Self-Defense" . Dictionary.reference.com. 8. ^ Senn, Charlene Y.; Eliasziw, Misha; Barata, Paula C.; Thurston, Wilfreda
Retrieved on 2012-06-02. E.; Newby-Clark, Ian R.; Radtke, H. Lorraine; Hobden, Karen L. (11 June
2. ^ Kopel, David B.; Gallant, Paul; Eisen, Joanne D. (2008). "The Human 2015). "Efficacy of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University
Right of Self-Defense" . BYU Journal of Public Law. BYU Law School. 22: Women" . The New England Journal of Medicine. 372 (24): 2326–2335.
43–178. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa1411131 . ISSN 0028-4793 . PMID 26061837 .
3. ^ Joseph, Christopher (22 September 2023). "What is Self Defense? 9. ^ Hollander, Jocelyn A. (April 2013). "Does Self-Defense Training Prevent
Explaining The Concept of Self Defense" . USA Self Defense Centers. Sexual Violence Against Women?". Violence Against Women. 20 (3): 252–
Retrieved 7 December 2023. 269. doi:10.1177/1077801214526046 . ISSN 1077-8012 .
4. ^ Branded a criminal – Red Offender spray is rolled out at Canterbury's PMID 24626766 . S2CID 21607932 .
nightspots (KentOnLine.co.uk, 13 May 2010) . Retrieved on 2012-08-05. 10. ^ Thompson, Martha E. (2013–2014). "Empowering Self-Defense Training".
5. ^ Mattingly, Katy (July 2007). Self-defense: steps to surviva . Human Violence Against Women. 20 (3): 351–359.
Kinetics. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-7360-6689-1. Retrieved 28 July 2010. doi:10.1177/1077801214526051 . ISSN 1077-8012 . PMID 24686126 .
6. ^ "Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics | RAINN" . rainn.org. Retrieved S2CID 206668145 .
22 October 2019. 11. ^ McCaughey, Martha; Cermele, Jill (2013–2014). "Guest Editors'
7. ^ Rouse, Wendy Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women's Self-Defense Introduction" . Violence Against Women. 20 (3): 247–251.
Movement. New York: New York University Press, 2017. https://nyupress.or doi:10.1177/1077801214526047 . ISSN 1077-8012 . PMID 24742868 .
g/9781479828531/her-own-hero/ 12. ^ "Won Sung Do" . The Won Sung Do Institute.
13. ^ Are There Limits to Self-Defense? Beijing Review, 28 April 2009.
14. ^ Martelle, Scott (19 June 2015). "Gun and self-defense statistics that might
surprise you – and the NRA" . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 February
2018.

External links [ edit ]

www.cvpsd.org Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense

Media related to Self-defense at Wikimedia Commons Look up self-defense in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.

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related to Self-defense.

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Category: Self-defense

This page was last edited on 15 February 2024, at 04:14 (UTC).

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