Legal Denfense and Verbal Judo

I've just been reading an article about Queensland Ambulance Officers being taught self defense and "verbal judo", or the art of verbal de-escalation (what we used to call 'talking your way out of it'). After spending the other weekend learning the principles and praxis of verbal de-escalation from Richard Dimitri, it is re-assuring to see the Emergency Services also see this as a desirable skill (the article mentions that the Qld Police also receive this training).

According to the article:

There were 56 assaults on Queensland paramedics in the financial year ending June 2008, including 11 in the southeastern region alone.

But the figures do not include incidents like the one on the Gold Coast, where ambulance officers were threatened, but not physically assaulted.

LHMU state organiser Jason Dutton estimated the trend was continuing with about 20 attacks in Queensland within the last six months, including one paramedic who suffered a fractured jaw after being struck by a drug-affected patient on the Sunshine Coast.

"At one stage it was just the culture, you expected to be targeted, but paramedics just want to do their job, be safe and go home at the end of the day and that shouldn't be an unreal expectation,'' he said.

"People have left their jobs because they were assaulted, which is a terrible thing."

Recently at a 'Street Edge' class at Defensive Measures International, our teacher Paul Johnstone, read out advice on the legalities of self defense from the QPS (Qld Police Service) website on your rights of self defense if violently attacked or threatened. I've tracked down the page to share here as it is specific to Queensland where I live. I highly recommend that you check the legalities of self defense in your jurisdiction rather than taking the advice of some self defense or martial art authority who lives in a different area, which may have different laws.

The QPS website says:

Physical Self Defence

In Queensland you have the right to physically defend yourself with reasonable force, provided that this force is authorised, justified or excused by law. It is not necessary to attend self defence classes or undertake martial arts training to be able to effectively defend oneself. Each person has a survival instinct that acts to preserve their safety if threatened. The determining factor as to whether a person can successfully defend themselves is their commitment to their own personal safety.

It also gives the go ahead for the use of improvised weapons in a situation, but firmly rules out premeditated carrying of weapons for the purpose of self defense:

Weapons

Depending on the situation, weapons may be used in self-defence. Items such as a pen, keys, hairbrush, (in fact, nearly any nearby object) can be used as an effective weapon. Remember to emphasise however, that the force used must be authorised, justified or excused by law.

As a rule, the law generally does not allow the carrying of anything that can be described as a weapon. This includes mace, spray dyes, most personal alarms, or any other items which have been specifically adapted, such as sharpened combs, knives carried for the purpose of self defence etc.

I recommend reading the whole article if you are Queenslander wanting to know your rights in relation to self defense.

For further information relating to assault and the legal defenses of 'self defense' and 'provocation' I would refer the (Qld-based) reader to the Criminal Code which can be found here.

Knowing the law and your rights is one less impediment to action should you be confronted. You do have the right to defend yourself physically if neccessary, but must do so in accordance with the rule of law.

Hopefully you never need this information...But ignorance is no Bliss!