Level 1
At level 1 a subject uses VISUAL INDICATORS. In other words, you will feel that there is possible danger based on things that you see: a suspicious subject approaching you, somebody who is looking around nervously, a car slowing next to you. At that moment no laws are being broken by the subject, none that you may be aware of, but you know something is wrong, so you prepare yourself mentally for all possibilities. First you take on a CONFIDENT DEMEANOR (see YOUR REACTION under the right gray triangle). This means that you look confident and not afraid. Your facial expressions indicate that you are aware of your environment and know how to use it to your advantage. CONFIDENT DEMEANOR also means that you look like you are prepared for an encounter or open or you are aware of the danger and you are making a “tactical retreat.”
Level 2
At level 2 things start to heat up. The subject is actively engaging you or others around you, through VERBAL INDICATORS. This can be anything that warns you that an attack is about to happen, but short of direct threats. The conflict cues can be anything from the subject’s tone of voice to implied threats, or even things you overhear – such as suspicious passengers in an airplane whispering about how “this is going to be a short flight.” Those are not alarming words in and of themselves, but with some visual indicators one might suspect a possible terrorist attack. If a subject is trying to start a fight with you the best thing to do is to try to calm that person down or ignore them altogether. This is known as VERBAL DEFLECTION. By reacting in this matter you will not incite the situation any further. However, in some situations you may have to use a firm, confident voice to talk some subjects down. You may have no choice but to try to intimidate them, and try to resolve the conflict in this manner. Words will not hurt you physically, but words will be a good indicator that it may escalate to a physical confrontation.
Level 3
At Level 3 we enter into actual physical contact with the subject or multiple subjects. It may be a precursor push, or a punch to the nose, or it could even be a sexual touch (sexual battery). It’s at this level where most martial arts systems teach the cookie cutter approach. If someone simply pushes you to intimidate you or to get you to swing first you cannot launch a side kick and blow their knee out, then come crashing down on them with a drop knee to their spine. If you do, even though you have a right to defend yourself, you would most likely going to jail. This would be “unreasonable force” for the situation.
At Level 3 you can get injured: a broken nose, cuts, bruises, scrapes, soreness, etc., but they are neither serious or life threatening. If the subject throws a few swings at you because you’re throwing him out of your party, you can’t rip his head off – the law won’t allow you to do that, even if you did sustain minor injuries from his blows. Because there are not hard and fast rules on what you can and cannot do in a self-defense situation, the law will judge you by a simple rule: What would a reasonable person do in the same situation? The cop who questions you knows what is reasonable or not, and the jury who listens to you will determine what is reasonable or not. By the way, cops are not judged by what a “reasonable person” would do in the same situation, but rather, what a “reasonable peace officer” would do, because they are bound by a lot of restrictions that civilians are not.
Level 4
At level 4 death or serious bodily injury is likely to result, whether the suspect’s, or yours, or someone you are trying to protect. If a suspect does attack you where death or serious bodily injury is likely to result (FELONY ASSAULT), then you have the right as a citizen to use DEADLY FORCE. This not only applies to felony assaults against you, but those you choose to protect. If someone is trying to harm a family member or co-worker in your presence, you may (but are not required to) use deadly force. However, if the case goes to court, you will still be judged based on reasonableness of the force.
Examples of felony assault include attempted murder, mayhem (putting out an eye, severing a limb, ripping off an ear, etc.), rape, caustic chemical attack, robbery, etc. In other words, and remember these words carefully, you must have fear for your life, or the life of another.
Notice that the gray triangles start off with broad bases, then taper off to mere points. The right triangle represents the options you have in a conflict situation. When we start off with Level 1, there are multiple options: you can walk away, call the police, yell for help, etc. However, by the time you are engaged in a life-and-death conflict there are limited options. If someone is trying to stab you, you have basically one option – control the weapon. If you don’t block the knife or grab the hand that controls it, you could be dead.
