Rules of Engagement

I recently shot a clip for Kenpo TV on Rules of Engagement and tied it to force progression. The main idea is the same as the people who wrote Meditations on Violence and The Little Black Book of Violence state. That idea is that you must have previously decided just what would make you use your knowledge. How far are you willing to go?
      In Massad Ayoob's book entitled The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, he makes statements on page 51 that I thought were appropriate. The paragraph is titled Rules of Engagement and he says that situations vary widely and you need a formula to decide what to do. Knowing what would force you to apply what you know is part of the formula. He outlines what criteria must be present, legally, which are ability, opportunity and jeopardy.
     In the category of ability he mentions that if the attacker has "high skill at unarmed combat that is known to the attacker" there is a disparity of force that satisfies the ability criteria.
     That's pretty interesting in that if you are an instructor of the arts who is known to the person you get into a altercation with, they may be able to justify in shooting you. Just another reason to walk away from a fight.
     I'm not real concerned about getting shot in such a way but I'm glad I happened across the book and that paragraph. It brings another perspective into how we may be perceived by non-martial artists. Take a look next time you're in the local bookstore.