Training for Sudden Violence by Rory Miller

Author:Rory Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781594393815
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center, Inc.

Articulation

IW9

Making good decisions is often easier than explaining those decisions. This is especially true in a self-defense situation, where the decision and the action may be made in an instant, and you may need to explain, clearly and logically to police, prosecutors, and a jury, why you had no choice.

That takes practice, but there is more to it.

You make fast decisions all the time. Without reverting to conscious thought you subconsciously take in information, weigh options, and turn right rather than left, or slap your hand over the sudden leak in a hose.

Making rapid decisions is something you already do. Making good rapid decisions is also something you can do, but it takes practice and knowledge. You must have a background of information and experience to base your decisions on.

In a self-defense situation, you must understand self-defense law generally and your local jurisdiction’s laws in particular. You must read them yourself, and you must understand them. You need those facts in your head before your subconscious can make an informed decision.

Generally, if your ego doesn’t get involved, you will make good and justified self-defense decisions. Most of the people who claim they have been jailed for self-defense fully participated in bringing on the fight.

That may not matter, though, if you can’t explain the decision. “Self-defense” is an affirmative defense. It does not make the underlying crime disappear (e.g., if you have killed someone in self-defense, you have committed the crime of homicide, probably manslaughter). It justifies the crime. It explains it.

You must explain it.

You are unlikely ever to get in enough violent encounters that you can remember them clearly, much less describe them … and much less describe them in legalspeak:

After yelling “I’m going to kill you, motherfucker!” the threat then attempted to strike me with his right fist. Because of his size, youth, and strength, he was capable of doing considerable damage and showed intent (threat, attacking), means (size, strength, closed fist), and opportunity (he was well within reach) to be an immediate threat at an assaultive and possibly lethal level. That would have automatically justified focused blows and, given the strength disparity, an impact weapon. I judged that I could evade the blow and push the threat into the wall, which I did, handling the incident a full two levels of force below that which would have been authorized by policy and law.

You won’t have an opportunity to dissect many fights if you live a somewhat normal life, but you will have many opportunities to dissect subconscious, faster-than-thought decisions.

Do this: from this point forward, whenever you get a feeling or a hunch, if it is safe to stop and think, stop and think. “Where did that thought come from?”

Your brain processes huge amounts of information all the time. The stuff that makes it to your conscious awareness is a tiny piece and not necessarily the important stuff. Your intuition doesn’t trigger from some psychic power. You noticed something, it fit a pattern, and you drew a conclusion.

Figure it out.

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