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Originally posted by Bronson
Could somebody out there with law experience confirm or deny this? I've read that many states in the U.S. require the victim of an attack to leave (run away) at the first available moment. If they don't leave and continue a counter attack then in the eyes of the law they are now the aggressor.
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Hi Bronson,
For the record, I am NOT a lawyer, so this is by no means legal advice of any kind.
Every state has different laws pertaining to the use of physical force for self defense. Here's a web site that will get you started researching your particular states statutes:
http://www.prairienet.org/~scruffy/f.htm
Some states, like Penn., require that you 'retreat to the wall' before you can justify using physical force on another person, while other states have no such requirement.
But in every state, if you accept a challenge and engage in 'combat by agreement' (AKA: a fight) you wave your right to using 'self defense' as justification for your use of physical force ...in other words, you're going to jail my friend!
Ask your sensei, he SHOULD know what the laws are in your area, and if he doesn't, do the research yourself! (...then provide him with a copy for his own education!)
Regards,