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My wife and I are putting together a use of force policy for our students. I've had much help, or should I say we've had much help and greatly appreciate it. I thought I'd run it by the pro's here at Defend.net and ask you to critique it for us. Any input would be a great help.
Thanks, Brian ~Shaolin-Warrior~
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and restrictions on the level of force the students and members of Ultimate Martial Arts, can respond with if attacked or the need for self-defense become unavoidable.
As stated by Sensei Bonnie, Martial Arts is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle.You dont learn how to use combative techniques as a hobby. Martial Arts are taught to teach self-defense, physical, mental and spiritual fitness, self confidence, discipline and skills in hand-to-hand combat. Martial Arts are taught because the unfortunate facts of life are that there are criminals and villains in the world, which steal, rob, assault, rape and murder. Martial Arts are taught to combat the evils, which exists within our society. The guidelines to the use of force policy are based on Connecticut self-defense laws, under the CT General Statutes 53a-18, 53a-19, 53a-20, and 53a-21. This policy is not based on any other state laws. Students are encouraged to check with other state laws if visiting or moving to a different state within the United States to ensure they act within the parameters of that states policy. The Ultimate Martial Arts Centers Use of Force Policy is as follows:
1. Use of reasonable physical force is justified upon another person(s) when it is necessary to defend yourself or a third person, from what you reasonably believe to be the use or imminent use of physical force. The student can only respond with the minimum amount of force necessary to stop the threat and allow the student to escape the violent situation.
2. The student member may not use deadly physical force unless the student reasonably believes that the threatening party is:
A. Using or about to use deadly physical force, or
B. Inflicting or about to inflict great bodily harm.
3. The student may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force when the student is provoked by annoying, alarming or threatening words. Example:A student may not use physical force against a person who disrespectsthem.
4. A student may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force if they can avoid the necessity of using such force with complete safety. This translates into that a student who does not know how to properly perform a technique(s) may not respond with the technique, because doing so may cause undesired injury or death against the other person.)
5. A student/member may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force if they have any opportunity to escape the situation. If probable, you are required to retreat from a physical violent situation, prior to the incident, or as soon as you possibly can, without jeopardizing your safety or the safety of a third party.
6. You may not use physical force or deadly physical force in response to property, civil or verbal disputes. 7. You may not use physical force, deadly physical force or threats of physical force to make a person comply with your demands. 8. A student/member may not use physical force, deadly force or the threat of such force even if by agreement of both parties, it would be used to settle a verbal or otherwise civil dispute.
Example:You may not agree with someone to step outside and fight, to settle a verbal dispute.
9. A student/member must always communicate verbally prior to and/or during any physical force encounter, with a loud, clear and direct voice, that they do not want to fight, to please stop fighting, and help police, or any similar expressions; which could allow the physical confrontation to stop before occurring or stop during such a confrontation.
10. A student/member may use physical force or if necessary, deadly physical force to protect ones premises when they believe it is necessary to prevent or terminate unlawful entry by force into their dwelling, or place of work.
11. A student/member may use physical force and/or deadly physical force to prevent from themselves and/or a third person from becoming a victim of a crime such as a robbery, larceny, rape, assault, murder or other violent crime thereof, however only as a last resort.
The schools official stance shall be that one should cooperate with criminals until such time the criminal threatens your physical safety or the safety of a third party.
If the criminal has a weapon and demands your wallet, comply and escape, unless complying places you at greater danger. A student / member shall be tested annually and/or with every belt level test on this use of force policy and be required to pass the test in order to advance and remain a member of the school. In addition to regular testing by written multiple choice tests, the student will have to pass both verbal uses of force scenarios as well as practical testing scenarios.
It is important to this school that all of its students are well trained and knowledgeable of when they can and cant use their Martial Arts skills, when they should and should not respond with their Martial Arts techniques and when and if they have to respond with such force, how much force should be used to stop the physical, aggressive actions against the student.
The Ultimate Martial Arts and Fitness Center trains its students to be peaceful, respectful and to do their best to avoid physical confrontation; but be ready for physical violence if all other means to stop the violence have been exhausted. Physical force shall be used as a last resort always.This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually or whenever it is deemed necessary to ensure the most up to date laws and restrictions are made known.Please address any and all questions regarding this policy to:
Thanks, Brian ~Shaolin-Warrior~
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and restrictions on the level of force the students and members of Ultimate Martial Arts, can respond with if attacked or the need for self-defense become unavoidable.
As stated by Sensei Bonnie, Martial Arts is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle.You dont learn how to use combative techniques as a hobby. Martial Arts are taught to teach self-defense, physical, mental and spiritual fitness, self confidence, discipline and skills in hand-to-hand combat. Martial Arts are taught because the unfortunate facts of life are that there are criminals and villains in the world, which steal, rob, assault, rape and murder. Martial Arts are taught to combat the evils, which exists within our society. The guidelines to the use of force policy are based on Connecticut self-defense laws, under the CT General Statutes 53a-18, 53a-19, 53a-20, and 53a-21. This policy is not based on any other state laws. Students are encouraged to check with other state laws if visiting or moving to a different state within the United States to ensure they act within the parameters of that states policy. The Ultimate Martial Arts Centers Use of Force Policy is as follows:
1. Use of reasonable physical force is justified upon another person(s) when it is necessary to defend yourself or a third person, from what you reasonably believe to be the use or imminent use of physical force. The student can only respond with the minimum amount of force necessary to stop the threat and allow the student to escape the violent situation.
2. The student member may not use deadly physical force unless the student reasonably believes that the threatening party is:
A. Using or about to use deadly physical force, or
B. Inflicting or about to inflict great bodily harm.
3. The student may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force when the student is provoked by annoying, alarming or threatening words. Example:A student may not use physical force against a person who disrespectsthem.
4. A student may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force if they can avoid the necessity of using such force with complete safety. This translates into that a student who does not know how to properly perform a technique(s) may not respond with the technique, because doing so may cause undesired injury or death against the other person.)
5. A student/member may not respond with physical force or deadly physical force if they have any opportunity to escape the situation. If probable, you are required to retreat from a physical violent situation, prior to the incident, or as soon as you possibly can, without jeopardizing your safety or the safety of a third party.
6. You may not use physical force or deadly physical force in response to property, civil or verbal disputes. 7. You may not use physical force, deadly physical force or threats of physical force to make a person comply with your demands. 8. A student/member may not use physical force, deadly force or the threat of such force even if by agreement of both parties, it would be used to settle a verbal or otherwise civil dispute.
Example:You may not agree with someone to step outside and fight, to settle a verbal dispute.
9. A student/member must always communicate verbally prior to and/or during any physical force encounter, with a loud, clear and direct voice, that they do not want to fight, to please stop fighting, and help police, or any similar expressions; which could allow the physical confrontation to stop before occurring or stop during such a confrontation.
10. A student/member may use physical force or if necessary, deadly physical force to protect ones premises when they believe it is necessary to prevent or terminate unlawful entry by force into their dwelling, or place of work.
11. A student/member may use physical force and/or deadly physical force to prevent from themselves and/or a third person from becoming a victim of a crime such as a robbery, larceny, rape, assault, murder or other violent crime thereof, however only as a last resort.
The schools official stance shall be that one should cooperate with criminals until such time the criminal threatens your physical safety or the safety of a third party.
If the criminal has a weapon and demands your wallet, comply and escape, unless complying places you at greater danger. A student / member shall be tested annually and/or with every belt level test on this use of force policy and be required to pass the test in order to advance and remain a member of the school. In addition to regular testing by written multiple choice tests, the student will have to pass both verbal uses of force scenarios as well as practical testing scenarios.
It is important to this school that all of its students are well trained and knowledgeable of when they can and cant use their Martial Arts skills, when they should and should not respond with their Martial Arts techniques and when and if they have to respond with such force, how much force should be used to stop the physical, aggressive actions against the student.
The Ultimate Martial Arts and Fitness Center trains its students to be peaceful, respectful and to do their best to avoid physical confrontation; but be ready for physical violence if all other means to stop the violence have been exhausted. Physical force shall be used as a last resort always.This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually or whenever it is deemed necessary to ensure the most up to date laws and restrictions are made known.Please address any and all questions regarding this policy to: