Facing Violence

Some go much farther and there is something feral and dangerous about the person who has experienced enough contact that getting tagged in the face means the training is going to be fun today.

Using deadly force against family brings up all kinds of cognitive dissonance. If you are willing to die to protect someone, where is the line between that and letting someone kill you so that you don’t kill them? Objectively, mathematically, they are the same,but someone trying to kill you is not the family member you imagine. A low-level version of this may explain why date rape so rarely inspires violent physical resistance.

I know quite a bit about mine but I doubt if I truly know the limits. I know what I have done to violent criminals when I was at risk. I’m okay with that. But change an element...

It is perfectly logical to say, “I am willing to use deadly force to defend myself or my loved ones from imminent death or serious bodily injury.” It’s a nice statement. Very logical. Legally defensible. Clearly right on many levels.
Saying it does not mean you will do it.

Exercise is simply to practice explaining your decisions, hunches, and conclusions. People rarely deal with or even think in facts. We spend a lot of time with conclusions.

Fewer options often require greater force.

If this threat display devolves into a fight, you were engaged in the Monkey Dance. You were not defending yourself. • • •

Once the Intent, Means, or Opportunity is gone, you are no longer defending yourself. Anything you do after that moment in time will be excessive force and possibly assault.

Law aside; if you stay when you could have left after a verbal challenge or an argument, it wasn’t self-defense. It was monkey dancing.