Is self-defence fighting back or retaliation?by Robert Canning
How deeply does one have to look within to answer that question? Do we feel we have the right to fight back with our fists and feet if confronted by an attacker or a very aggressive person who has threatened us with violence on the street or in our homes?
What answers have we been given by our parents, the police department, our schoolteachers or even our friends? Who can give us the right answers? Sometimes we have to ask ourselves this question and what is the right answer?
When we are confronted by a possible attacker or someone who wants to show their anger towards us, do we go into a fighting stance and get ready for a battle against this person or do we question this occurrence? Yes, you do. One can usually notice the aggression in one's eyes or the body action of the aggressor, but that does not always mean that he or she will strike you right away. Much will depend on your reaction, whether you will react right away to his or her approach to you.
When confronted by someone on the street, your first thought will be to judge as closely as possible if this occurrence will either be a verbal confrontation or a fistfight. No one wants to do battle at any given time.
Whatever answer you are given by your thoughts may or may not be the right answer. Besides, even if you or the opponent do get into a fistfight, someone always gets seriously hurt, one way or another. This statement refers to both adults and children.
A normal person on the street will not usually be trained in some form of self-defence so this makes it easier for the attacker to attack the possible victim at any given time, day or night.
Self-defence is taught as an art form, not for battle. What we learn in classes at a martial art school or at a private school is how we should avoid becoming a victim.
Unless you are taught by an instructor of some martial arts training, one will not understand why we fight with our fists and feet as we do. One only knows that we retaliate as we have always done in all the centuries since Man was created.
Now times have changed and we have to question why we do things as we do.
The question still remains: If we fight back against our aggressor, does that mean we are retaliating or just defending ourselves as a normal person would do?
You answer that question for me.
http://www.mykawartha.com/ka/news/kawartha_lakes/story/3029687p-3512697c.html*FW Note:Gee, what a deep question.
It makes me wonder if, when I take a dump, whether I'm simply eliminating waste that might be harmful to me, or if I'm attempting some sort of passive aggressive revenge for society's injustice.
:roll:
