Self-defence and the law.

One of the most important questions to ask when looking for a self-defence coach is do they teach self-defence and the law?

Krav Maga is a self-defence system, but 'self-defence' is actually a legal term covered under section 76 of the criminal Justice and immigration act of 2008.

The most relevant law, is Common Law.

It is after all common sense that you should be able to protect yourself, somebody else or your property; to do so, the defendant must use reasonable force, based what they genuinely believed the circumstances to be. The essentials are as follows:

When considering the use of force you must:

Have a genuine and honestly held belief of imminent danger and use reasonable force to avert that danger.

Note: the level of force must be proportionate to the situation. Proportionate but not necessarily the same. You are allowed to use more force (if you've used less and still solved the problem, well done!) but the amount of force needs to be justified. If someone grabs your arm and you beat the hell out of them, that's not proportional to the threat at all. I'm exaggerating here, but you get the point.

What does 'genuine honestly held belief' mean?

Based on the information you have available to you and any previous knowledge or experience, you believe, you are under the threat of attack.

For example, If a smaller person is grabbed by a larger person and they threaten to kill then if they don't comply, then it would be reasonable.

Secondly, It's not necessarily what the situation was, but what you genuinely believe the situation to be.

What does 'avoid the danger' mean?

You must do all you can to avoid the danger by the least intrusive means possible. That may include running away, going back inside or any other action that removes the need to use force. If the only action available to use is force, then it must be used appropriately.

A 'pre-emptive strike'

There is no rule in law to say that a person must wait to be struck first before they may defend themselves. But is it legal to strike first?

If you believe you are about to be attacked, you may use force pre-emptively to avert the danger. Of course as long the force you use is reasonable and proportionate to the threat you are facing.

REMEMBER: Also consider this a pre-emptive action not strike. Hands up, tone of voice - all the technical and tactical action we teach as part of a defensive timeline.

A good self-defence coach will tell it to you simply 'it is about doing enough to get away'. #theselfdefencecoach