Topic: A Broader View / opinions on self defense in corrections

I think it is a great way to improve yourself. Do you want to run around the yard karate chopping inmates, probably not. I would say Disciplines that start from the defensive state of mind are a good starting place, Aikido, Hapkito, etc. then maybe jujitsu for the ground stuff, or something.

I would say its all in what you say and write. So, you take martial arts to learn discipline, stay in shape, gain quicker reflexes, and improve yourself, right? It certainly would NOT be to kick inmate butt. See what i’m saying? If you are attacked by an inmate, and you attempt to apply physical strengths & holds, and it fails to stop the threat, then you escalate. If you attempted to stop an inmate from attacking another inmate and you ‘grabbed his hand and applied forward pressure forcing the inmate, by the weight of his own body to tumble to the ground’ is that wrong? But if you said well they were fighting and I did a karate move on the guy and flipped him over. Both statements are the truth, neither is a lie. One statement is better writing, and more understandable to your supervisors and anyone else that might be liable for your actions. Do you practice martial arts at work, no you don’t. Does it help you better do your job, yes it does.

If you were to be attacked by an inmate, AND YOU FEARED FOR YOUR LIFE, and you reacted without thinking to defend yourself because you thought you would be killed, then you did the right thing. Are you lying, no. Are you telling the truth, yes. Then you did the right thing, and the martial arts that you learned had no ill effects on your job. Panic is not the word to use, its “I defended myself the best way I knew how, I thought he was going to kill me”. Martial Arts is to better understand your own limitations, and for you to be better able to defend your own life.