In the last part of our series we looked at Threat Level Five which is where restraining an attacker won’t work, so you have to respond with techniques that cause temporary incapacitation. If you haven’t read that article yet, please click here.
Let’s move now to Threat Level Six.
[Because of Covid 19 restrictions, we are not able to record an instructional video in this part of the series. Podcast version available at the end of this post.]
Threat Level Six is where one or more people intend to cause you or others Great Bodily Harm.
Response Level Six is where we can use the strongest non-deadly force necessary.
This threat level may include the highest category of physical harm, known as Great Bodily Harm (aka Serious Bodily Harm). This is where an attack is so vicious it can cause permanent pain and injury. Disfigurement, permanent scarring, loss of bodily function (e.g. limb, organ) can fall within “great bodily harm.”
While the techniques from Karate, Kung Fu, and Jujutsu may be similar to your response to Threat Level Five, the combination of techniques and physical targeting make Response Level Six dangerous to the attacker(s). What we want to be careful about is using “excessive force.” That’s a physical response that goes too far.
Legal Considerations
Our response should be in proportion to the action (justified response). Here’s an example from the State of Georgia –
“(a) A person is justified in threatening or using force against another when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to defend himself or herself or a third person against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force; however, except as provided in Code Section 16-3-23, a person is justified in using force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm only if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or herself or a third person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.” US Georgia Code 16-3-21
What can you do legally if someone tries to cause you or someone else “great bodily harm?” First, make sure you know the self-defense laws in your state or any state you plan to travel to or through. You can look up what your state requires you to do in the first part of our series. Second, do your best to quickly end the conflict with techniques that do not cause death. Attacking eyes, throat or groin can bring an attack to a quick close if you strike quickly and powerfully.
Personal Considerations
You have the right to defend yourself against attacks that could cause great bodily harm. Karate, Jujutsu and Kung Fu techniques work well in many cases. The techniques you would use could cause serious bodily harm to the attacker, so weigh that in your response decision.
If you do seriously injure someone while defending yourself or someone else, call police to report the attack and your defense attorney. You may or may not be charged by police, so it’s good to have legal defense from the beginning.
Next Time
The last part of our series will look at the most dangerous type of attack and highest threat level – Deadly Force.
Protecting the Vulnerable (Part Five) – Grace Martial Arts
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