So when is it legal to hit someone? Below is an extract from the First Action Basic Self Defence Course Participants Manual. I hope it is useful.
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USE of FORCE
Please note: This is not a legal representation of the law, it is merely a guideline of how much force you should use in a situation.
You must be able to justify your actions in a court of law. Your actions must be 3 things
1.Reasonable
2.Necessary
3.Proportionate
You must take into account of you and your opponent, gender, height, weight, numbers (of people), weapons and training
As a guide to how much force you should use consider the following
1.Non physical - Using words and body language/hand gestures
2.Unarmed combat - Like the techniques taught in this course. Remember to use actions that are reasonable, necessary and proportionate to the situation at hand
3.Chemical Weapons - Such as pepper spray
4.Hard Weapons - Like the weaponry taught in First Action courses eg sticks etc
5.Lethal Weapons - Anything designed to be lethal eg gun
As a general rule, use one above what your opponent is using, except from non-physical to unarmed. If they are not being physical, don't be physical with them, unless you feel that a physical attack is innevitable, in wich case it's best to get in first and worry about the law later. In the end you don't want to be worrying about the law when your life is at stake.
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Just as a sidebar, if you do plan on hitting someone with a weapon, go for the knee as a primary target. Hitting someone here will drop anyone, even if they are on drugs and don't feel it they will drop, and can be easily justified in court since it is far away from vital points, especially the head. Just don't say that you knee capped the guy. You could even say that you were aiming for his thigh.
More articles on Self Defence can be found at
www.freeselfdefencetips.com
The manual this was taken from can be found at
www.firstaction.com.au/products/htm