


WHAT IS DTS?
DTS (Defense Tactics System) is one of the most
effective methods of personal defense utilizing the most practical movements of
different styles of martial arts.
DTS was created as a discipline that was designed for
women and men of our law and military personnel, and later modified for
civilians. The techniques of DTS were tested in different
countries that are surrounded by war and extreme violence.
Living in America, we have the luxury of a law that
actually helps to provide peace in our communities. However, there are times
when one needs to be pre-pared to defend themselves or their families.
DTS teaches tactical information to learn not to be a
victim on the street. We teach real self defense in the shortest time possible
based on simple principles and natural reactions.
STRUCTURE OF DEFENSE TACTICS SYSTEM
The civilization of the warriors has exemplified the
higher ideals of the martial arts. Their strength of character and mental
discipline was to defend our families. For many years the people have remained
true to the warrior principles, defending the freedom and the citizens of our
great nation. Even today, as we move
into the twenty-first century, we continue building our warrior skills.
Physical discipline encompasses the study of the
martial arts and military discipline, DTS was created by combining the military
physical & education skills with the best martial arts techniques for the
street, using tactical movements, risk management and force protection. The mental discipline creates a smarter person,
capable of understanding and handling any situation. A person who is tactically
and technically competent, will be capable to make decisions under any
condition to fight for the their life or their freedom.
DTS training, which begins with a basic level, serves
as the foundation of the “tactical knowledge” and the future leadership of our
families.
DTS system was develop to create new leaders or instructors
to teach people how to fight against the evil and our weaknesses.
DTS was designed by Ruben Irigoyen, born in Mar del
Plate, Bs. As., Argentina, in 1962.
WHAT IS DTS?
DTS (Defense Tactics System) is one of the most effective methods of personal defense utilizing the most practical movements of different styles of martial arts.
DTS was created as a discipline that was designed for women and men of our law and military personnel, and later modified for civilians. The techniques of DTS were tested in different countries that are surrounded by war and extreme violence.
Living in America, we have the luxury of a law that actually helps to provide peace in our communities. However, there are times when one needs to be pre-pared to defend themselves or their families.
DTS teaches tactical information to learn not to be a victim on the street. We teach real self defense in the shortest time possible based on simple principles and natural reactions.
STRUCTURE OF DEFENSE TACTICS SYSTEM
The civilization of the warriors has exemplified the higher ideals of the martial arts. Their strength of character and mental discipline was to defend our families. For many years the people have remained true to the warrior principles, defending the freedom and the citizens of our great nation. Even today, as we move into the twenty-first century, we continue building our warrior skills.
Physical discipline encompasses the study of the martial arts and military discipline, DTS was created by combining the military physical & education skills with the best martial arts techniques for the street, using tactical movements, risk management and force protection. The mental discipline creates a smarter person, capable of understanding and handling any situation. A person who is tactically and technically competent, will be capable to make decisions under any condition to fight for the their life or their freedom.
DTS training, which begins with a basic level, serves as the foundation of the “tactical knowledge” and the future leadership of our families.
DTS system was develop to create new leaders or instructors to teach people how to fight against the evil and our weaknesses.
DTS was designed by Ruben Irigoyen, born in Mar del Plate, Bs. As., Argentina, in 1962.
KRAV MAGA DTS

Master Ruben Irigoyen President & Founder of DTS Krav Maga System
Adolfo Bacone - Director Nacional Argentina.
Cesar Paolo Barrera - Sub Director Nacional Argentina
John Rollins - Certified Instructor - Harrisburg USA
Devin Treadaway - Certified Instructor - Harrisburg USA
History
In 1972 he started training in martial arts under Roberto Villalba,
actually Tang Su Do Hak Wond master located in Italy.
Ruben Irigoyen is ex-member of WTF Argentine National Taekwondo team
1986- Bronze Medal in ODESUR Game, Chile.
1991- Grand Champion 1st International Open Tournament Brazil Fez do Iguazu.
(145) Taekwondo Tournament
(40) Open Martial Arts style Tournaments.
(2) Sport Ju-jitsu Tournaments.
Title
Experience
1980- Transporter of the bridge of the MP4 of the RCTAM 2 Argentine Army.
Active duty in Faulkner Island conflict between England and Argentina

The
Use-of-Force: A Legal Issue
by Jim Wagner
One size fit all, right? Wrong. We all
know it doesn’t apply to most aspects of life, so why would it apply to the
martial arts. With the way most martial arts instructors teach their students
how to handle a fight, one would come to the natural conclusion that one size
does fit all. It seems like most training sessions are geared towards the worst
case scenario – the use-of-force against an opponent.
For those of you who have been following along with me as I’ve laid out what
is, and is not, reality-based martial arts (a term I coined that everybody is
starting to use), you may have notice that I have been touching a lot lately on
legal issues. After all, once you actually use your martial arts skills in a
real self-defense situation, you will be held legally accountable for your
actions. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned street cop or you’ve just
completed your third martial arts lesson, some prosecutor or defense attorney
is going to bring up the use-of-force issue. They’re going to have a field day
with you if you can’t articulate the different levels of force, and what you
can and can not do legally at each level.
Based on Standards:
I am a former soldier, jailer, street
cop, SWAT officer, diplomatic bodyguard, and just recently - a counter terrorist
with the U.S.
government. In every single one of these positions that I have held, I had to
follow a Use-of-Force policy. Stay within the policy, and I was protected. Go
outside of it (using unreasonable force or violating someone’s Constitutional
rights), and I could have found myself in jail (criminal charges) or paying out
some big bucks (in a civil law suit). To date I have never stepped over that
line, even though I have had to use force against suspects on occasions.
Being a civilian martial artist does not isolate you from the law. Ignorance of
the laws of the land is not a legal excuse that will protect you, especially
when it comes to excessive force cases. Most civilian martial artists have no
idea just how much trouble they can get into legally, even when they, in good
faith, were just trying to protect themselves or someone else. There are a few
well meaning martial artists sitting in prison right now, because they didn’t know
where to draw the line, or even where the line was when it came to the use of
force. This is why I created the Use-of-Force Ladder for Martial Artists. It’s
also why Black Belt magazine has made it into a full-page mini poster (for
schools to hang on their walls). Although “the ladder” is similar in concept to
what the military and civilian law enforcement agencies must follow, my ladder
is specifically designed for civilian martial artists. In this article we will
go over each component of the Use-of-Force Ladder.
The colors of conflict: Like a real latter that you would lean up against a
building, the most stable place to be is not on the ladder at all. Once you get
on, there are risks – even from a foot off the ground. Likewise, in daily life
you are always safest when you avoid trouble. Yet, trouble can sometimes find
us out.
Before we go up, or down, the ladder you will notice that to the left of the
ladder are the subject’s actions (your attacker) and a vertical arrow with a
gradient of colors. The arrow corresponds with the Jim Wagner Conflict
Color-Code System that I developed, inspired by my military, corrections, and
law enforcement, and even my martial arts background:
1. Secure (White)
2. Caution (Yellow)
3. Danger (Orange)
4. Conflict (Red)
Secure
(White) is: Staying off the ladder all together. At this level you are in a secure
place: home, work, social events, etc. Conflict is not anticipated. This does
not mean that you are “totally secure.” At Code White you must have emergency
plans in the event that the peace is disturbed. For example, if you are at home
you should have some sort of home security plan: locks, outdoor lighting, alarm
system, escape routes, etc. At work you must have an escape plan should there
be a workplace shooting, and so forth.
Caution (Yellow) is: This
is the level that you must always maintain when you are in public. You should
always be aware of your environment: people, vehicles, behind large objects,
dark areas, etc. This is not a state of paranoia, but prudent caution. That’s
why the arrow extends below the ladder and into the white area. Once there is any indication of a conflict the
yellow color blends rapidly into orange. On the ladder the yellow turns darker
when a subject is giving VISUAL INDICATORS,
such a hard stare (mad dogging you),
posturing, wearing gang colors, etc.
Danger
(Orange) is: At this level there is a real possibility of danger since the subject is
giving VERBAL INDICATORS: direct threats, suspicious words, etc. The intensity
of this phase can escalate or dissipate. The potential for conflict can be
rapid, steady, or gradual. Although words themselves cannot hurt you physically,
words will determine your course of actions. If someone is threatening to hurt
you, there must be three things present before you can take physical action:
means (the wherewithal to harm you), opportunity (the immediate ability to harm
you), and the intent (the thought to harm you, whether implied [such as a
robber with a mask and gun] or verbalized [“I’m going to kill you!”])
Conflict
(Red) is: At this level you are in physical conflict. Does this mean you can use
whatever martial arts techniques you’d like? No. There are many levels of
conflict. Even in warfare there are differences: low intensity conflict
(guerilla warfare, terrorism, etc.) and high intensity conflict (all out war or
limited actions). Someone who pushes you because they are rude will not be
treated like someone who is trying to stab you with a knife.
Notice that the arrows of the graph start at the bottom as a low risk situation
then escalates to a high risk situation; from being cautious, to being engaged
in physical conflict as indicated by the arrow to the right.
The higher you climb any ladder, the more unstable it can become; especially if
you are climbing it by yourself. If you are alone when a subject confronts you,
you are the only
one that can help yourself. Yet, if you have other people with you (strength in
numbers) they can help support the ladder the higher you go in some situations.
Once you go beyond the ladder you will experience death or injury, just as you
would if stepped off a real ladder from the top (thus, the top of the arrow is
black indicating death or serious injury). In other words, you must always
maintain control, no matter what level you are at.
There is good reason why the two arrows in the graph point both upward, and
downward. That’s because a conflict situation may start at any level, at any
time. You may find yourself in Code Red without going through all of the
previous steps. For example: if you’re standing in a bank then suddenly bank
robbers barge in blasting away with guns – your there in Red instantly.
In some situations you may climb the ladder progressively, and in other
situations what my have started off high, gives opportunities to deescalate.
Climbing
the ladder
The Jim Wagner Reality-Based Martial Arts Use-of-Force Ladder has four rungs to
make use-of-force levels easy to remember. Cops often complain that their own
Use-of-Force Continuum graphs, or “steps” as they are often called, are
difficult to remember. You won’t have that problem. Your ladder will be easy to
remember in any conflict situation.
Rung 1, starts at the base of stability and ends at Rung 4 which is an
unstable, and at an unpredictable height. Remember this rule: The subject’s
actions will always dictate our actions. A true martial artist stays off the
ladder if he or she can help it. Yet, when you do come face to face with
hostile subjects, you may be required to do something. As we all know, there
are three reactions humans will take in a conflict situation: 1. Flight (get
away) 2. Fight (defend yourself) 3. Submit (give into the subject’s demands or
actions).
Level
1
At level 1 a subject uses VISUAL INDICATORS. In other words,
you will feel that there is possible danger based on things that you see: a
suspicious subject approaching you, somebody who is looking around nervously, a
car slowing next to you. At that moment no laws are being broken by the
subject, but you know something is wrong, and you prepare yourself mentally for
all possibilities. First you take on a CONFIDENT DEMEANOR (YOUR REACTION found
to the right of the ladder). This means that you look confident and not afraid,
and that you are aware of your environment and how to use it to your advantage.
CONFIDENT DEMEANOR also means that you are prepared for an encounter through
your training or open to getting away from the situation.
Level
2
At
level 2 things start to heat up. Now the subject is engaging you directly
through VERBAL INDICATORS. This can be anything that warns you that an attack
is about to happen; from the subject’s tone of voice to actual threats, or
things you overhear – such as two
terrorists in an airplane whispering about taking down the flight attendant
when he or she passes. If a subject is trying to start a fight with you, for
example, the best thing to do is to try and calm that person down or ignore
them. This is known as VERBAL DEFLECTION. By reacting in this matter you will
not incite the situation further. However, in some situations you may have to
use a firm, confident voice to talk some subjects down. You may have no choice
but to try to intimidate them, and try to resolve the conflict that way. Words
themselves will not hurt you physically, but words will be a good indicator
that it may escalate to a physical confrontation.
Level
3
At
Level 3 we enter into actual physical contact with the subject. It may be a
simple push, or a punch in the nose, or it could even be a sexual touch (sexual
battery). It’s at this level where most martial arts systems teach the one size
fits all. If someone pushes you cannot launch a side kick and blow their knee
out, then come crashing down with a drop elbow into their spine. If you do,
even though you have a right to defend yourself, you would most likely going to
jail. This would be “unreasonable force” for the situation.
At Level 3 you can get injured: a broken nose, cuts, bruises, scrapes,
soreness, etc., but they are not life threatening. If the subject throws a few
swings at you because you’re throwing him out of your party, you can’t rip his
head off – the law won’t allow you to do that, even if you did sustain minor
injuries. Because there are not hard and fast rules on what you can and cannot
do in a self-defense situation, the law will judge you by a simple rule: What
would a reasonable person do in a similar situation. The cop who questions you
knows what is reasonable, and the jury who listens to you will determine what
is reasonable. By the way, cops are not judged by what a “reasonable person”
would do, but rather, what would a “reasonable peace officer” do, because they
are bound by a lot of restrictions and unique situations.
Level
4
At
level 4 death or serious bodily injury is likely to result, whether on the
subject, you, or both. If a subject does attack you where death or serious
bodily injury is likely to result (FELONY ASSAULT), then you have the right as
a citizen to use DEADLY FORCE. This does not only apply to felony assaults
against you, but others. If someone is trying to harm your family member in
your presence, you may (but are not required to) use deadly force. However, if
it goes to court, you will still be judged based on reasonable force.
Examples of felony assault include attempted murder, mayhem (putting out an
eye, severing a limb, ripping off an ear, etc.), rape, caustic chemical attack,
robbery, etc. In other words, and remember these words, you must have fear for your life, or the life of another.
If
you notice the gray triangles they start off with broad bases, then taper off
to mere points. This represents the options you have in a conflict situation.
When we start off with Level 1, there are many options: walk away, call the
police, yell for help, etc. However, by the time you are engaged in a
life-and-death conflict there are few options – survival is the rule. If
someone is trying to stab you, you have limited options. If you don’t block the
knife, you could be dead. This is why you always want to try to resolve
conflict at the lowest level, and as I’ve mentioned before, don’t get on the
ladder in the first place if you can help it.
Memorize it, use it on a real ladder you do not always have
to go up the ladder rung by rung. If you choose to skip a rung, you can. However,
by doing so, it is always more unstable. In a real conflict you may have to
skip a level. For example: you have a VERBAL INDICATOR that a man has a belt
bomb strapped to himself (a very real possibility in this day and age).
Although one does not truly know the intention of the person (it could be a
prank for all anyone knows), the “bomb” implies intent. Thus, you can go from
VERBAL DEFLECTION to DEADLY FORCE, and skip REASONABLE FORCE altogether.
By memorizing the Use-of-Force Ladder that I created, you,
and those you train with, will be able to stay within the law if you ever have
to use your martial arts skills. If you’re a reality-based martial arts
instructor you can start teaching your students the different levels of force,
and how they can apply their techniques to each level. By doing this, you not
only teach them that one size does not fit all, but how to survive the justice
system when they use what you taught them.
The Use-of-Force: A Legal Issue by Jim Wagner
One size fit all, right? Wrong. We all
know it doesn’t apply to most aspects of life, so why would it apply to the
martial arts. With the way most martial arts instructors teach their students
how to handle a fight, one would come to the natural conclusion that one size
does fit all. It seems like most training sessions are geared towards the worst
case scenario – the use-of-force against an opponent.
For those of you who have been following along with me as I’ve laid out what
is, and is not, reality-based martial arts (a term I coined that everybody is
starting to use), you may have notice that I have been touching a lot lately on
legal issues. After all, once you actually use your martial arts skills in a
real self-defense situation, you will be held legally accountable for your
actions. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned street cop or you’ve just
completed your third martial arts lesson, some prosecutor or defense attorney
is going to bring up the use-of-force issue. They’re going to have a field day
with you if you can’t articulate the different levels of force, and what you
can and can not do legally at each level.
Based on Standards:
I am a former soldier, jailer, street
cop, SWAT officer, diplomatic bodyguard, and just recently - a counter terrorist
with the U.S.
government. In every single one of these positions that I have held, I had to
follow a Use-of-Force policy. Stay within the policy, and I was protected. Go
outside of it (using unreasonable force or violating someone’s Constitutional
rights), and I could have found myself in jail (criminal charges) or paying out
some big bucks (in a civil law suit). To date I have never stepped over that
line, even though I have had to use force against suspects on occasions.
Being a civilian martial artist does not isolate you from the law. Ignorance of
the laws of the land is not a legal excuse that will protect you, especially
when it comes to excessive force cases. Most civilian martial artists have no
idea just how much trouble they can get into legally, even when they, in good
faith, were just trying to protect themselves or someone else. There are a few
well meaning martial artists sitting in prison right now, because they didn’t know
where to draw the line, or even where the line was when it came to the use of
force. This is why I created the Use-of-Force Ladder for Martial Artists. It’s
also why Black Belt magazine has made it into a full-page mini poster (for
schools to hang on their walls). Although “the ladder” is similar in concept to
what the military and civilian law enforcement agencies must follow, my ladder
is specifically designed for civilian martial artists. In this article we will
go over each component of the Use-of-Force Ladder.
The colors of conflict: Like a real latter that you would lean up against a
building, the most stable place to be is not on the ladder at all. Once you get
on, there are risks – even from a foot off the ground. Likewise, in daily life
you are always safest when you avoid trouble. Yet, trouble can sometimes find
us out.
Before we go up, or down, the ladder you will notice that to the left of the
ladder are the subject’s actions (your attacker) and a vertical arrow with a
gradient of colors. The arrow corresponds with the Jim Wagner Conflict
Color-Code System that I developed, inspired by my military, corrections, and
law enforcement, and even my martial arts background:
1. Secure (White)
2. Caution (Yellow)
3. Danger (Orange)
4. Conflict (Red)
Secure (White) is: Staying off the ladder all together. At this level you are in a secure place: home, work, social events, etc. Conflict is not anticipated. This does not mean that you are “totally secure.” At Code White you must have emergency plans in the event that the peace is disturbed. For example, if you are at home you should have some sort of home security plan: locks, outdoor lighting, alarm system, escape routes, etc. At work you must have an escape plan should there be a workplace shooting, and so forth.
Caution (Yellow) is: This
is the level that you must always maintain when you are in public. You should
always be aware of your environment: people, vehicles, behind large objects,
dark areas, etc. This is not a state of paranoia, but prudent caution. That’s
why the arrow extends below the ladder and into the white area. Once there is any indication of a conflict the
yellow color blends rapidly into orange. On the ladder the yellow turns darker
when a subject is giving VISUAL INDICATORS,
such a hard stare (mad dogging you),
posturing, wearing gang colors, etc.
Danger (Orange) is: At this level there is a real possibility of danger since the subject is giving VERBAL INDICATORS: direct threats, suspicious words, etc. The intensity of this phase can escalate or dissipate. The potential for conflict can be rapid, steady, or gradual. Although words themselves cannot hurt you physically, words will determine your course of actions. If someone is threatening to hurt you, there must be three things present before you can take physical action: means (the wherewithal to harm you), opportunity (the immediate ability to harm you), and the intent (the thought to harm you, whether implied [such as a robber with a mask and gun] or verbalized [“I’m going to kill you!”])
Conflict
(Red) is: At this level you are in physical conflict. Does this mean you can use
whatever martial arts techniques you’d like? No. There are many levels of
conflict. Even in warfare there are differences: low intensity conflict
(guerilla warfare, terrorism, etc.) and high intensity conflict (all out war or
limited actions). Someone who pushes you because they are rude will not be
treated like someone who is trying to stab you with a knife.
Notice that the arrows of the graph start at the bottom as a low risk situation
then escalates to a high risk situation; from being cautious, to being engaged
in physical conflict as indicated by the arrow to the right.
The higher you climb any ladder, the more unstable it can become; especially if
you are climbing it by yourself. If you are alone when a subject confronts you,
you are the only
one that can help yourself. Yet, if you have other people with you (strength in
numbers) they can help support the ladder the higher you go in some situations.
Once you go beyond the ladder you will experience death or injury, just as you
would if stepped off a real ladder from the top (thus, the top of the arrow is
black indicating death or serious injury). In other words, you must always
maintain control, no matter what level you are at.
There is good reason why the two arrows in the graph point both upward, and
downward. That’s because a conflict situation may start at any level, at any
time. You may find yourself in Code Red without going through all of the
previous steps. For example: if you’re standing in a bank then suddenly bank
robbers barge in blasting away with guns – your there in Red instantly.
In some situations you may climb the ladder progressively, and in other
situations what my have started off high, gives opportunities to deescalate.
Climbing
the ladder
The Jim Wagner Reality-Based Martial Arts Use-of-Force Ladder has four rungs to
make use-of-force levels easy to remember. Cops often complain that their own
Use-of-Force Continuum graphs, or “steps” as they are often called, are
difficult to remember. You won’t have that problem. Your ladder will be easy to
remember in any conflict situation.
Rung 1, starts at the base of stability and ends at Rung 4 which is an
unstable, and at an unpredictable height. Remember this rule: The subject’s
actions will always dictate our actions. A true martial artist stays off the
ladder if he or she can help it. Yet, when you do come face to face with
hostile subjects, you may be required to do something. As we all know, there
are three reactions humans will take in a conflict situation: 1. Flight (get
away) 2. Fight (defend yourself) 3. Submit (give into the subject’s demands or
actions).
Level 1
At level 1 a subject uses VISUAL INDICATORS. In other words, you will feel that there is possible danger based on things that you see: a suspicious subject approaching you, somebody who is looking around nervously, a car slowing next to you. At that moment no laws are being broken by the subject, but you know something is wrong, and you prepare yourself mentally for all possibilities. First you take on a CONFIDENT DEMEANOR (YOUR REACTION found to the right of the ladder). This means that you look confident and not afraid, and that you are aware of your environment and how to use it to your advantage. CONFIDENT DEMEANOR also means that you are prepared for an encounter through your training or open to getting away from the situation.
Level 2
At level 2 things start to heat up. Now the subject is engaging you directly through VERBAL INDICATORS. This can be anything that warns you that an attack is about to happen; from the subject’s tone of voice to actual threats, or things you overhear – such as two terrorists in an airplane whispering about taking down the flight attendant when he or she passes. If a subject is trying to start a fight with you, for example, the best thing to do is to try and calm that person down or ignore them. This is known as VERBAL DEFLECTION. By reacting in this matter you will not incite the situation further. However, in some situations you may have to use a firm, confident voice to talk some subjects down. You may have no choice but to try to intimidate them, and try to resolve the conflict that way. Words themselves will not hurt you physically, but words will be a good indicator that it may escalate to a physical confrontation.
Level 3
At
Level 3 we enter into actual physical contact with the subject. It may be a
simple push, or a punch in the nose, or it could even be a sexual touch (sexual
battery). It’s at this level where most martial arts systems teach the one size
fits all. If someone pushes you cannot launch a side kick and blow their knee
out, then come crashing down with a drop elbow into their spine. If you do,
even though you have a right to defend yourself, you would most likely going to
jail. This would be “unreasonable force” for the situation.
At Level 3 you can get injured: a broken nose, cuts, bruises, scrapes,
soreness, etc., but they are not life threatening. If the subject throws a few
swings at you because you’re throwing him out of your party, you can’t rip his
head off – the law won’t allow you to do that, even if you did sustain minor
injuries. Because there are not hard and fast rules on what you can and cannot
do in a self-defense situation, the law will judge you by a simple rule: What
would a reasonable person do in a similar situation. The cop who questions you
knows what is reasonable, and the jury who listens to you will determine what
is reasonable. By the way, cops are not judged by what a “reasonable person”
would do, but rather, what would a “reasonable peace officer” do, because they
are bound by a lot of restrictions and unique situations.
Level 4
At
level 4 death or serious bodily injury is likely to result, whether on the
subject, you, or both. If a subject does attack you where death or serious
bodily injury is likely to result (FELONY ASSAULT), then you have the right as
a citizen to use DEADLY FORCE. This does not only apply to felony assaults
against you, but others. If someone is trying to harm your family member in
your presence, you may (but are not required to) use deadly force. However, if
it goes to court, you will still be judged based on reasonable force.
Examples of felony assault include attempted murder, mayhem (putting out an
eye, severing a limb, ripping off an ear, etc.), rape, caustic chemical attack,
robbery, etc. In other words, and remember these words, you must have fear for your life, or the life of another.
If you notice the gray triangles they start off with broad bases, then taper off to mere points. This represents the options you have in a conflict situation. When we start off with Level 1, there are many options: walk away, call the police, yell for help, etc. However, by the time you are engaged in a life-and-death conflict there are few options – survival is the rule. If someone is trying to stab you, you have limited options. If you don’t block the knife, you could be dead. This is why you always want to try to resolve conflict at the lowest level, and as I’ve mentioned before, don’t get on the ladder in the first place if you can help it.
Memorize it, use it on a real ladder you do not always have
to go up the ladder rung by rung. If you choose to skip a rung, you can. However,
by doing so, it is always more unstable. In a real conflict you may have to
skip a level. For example: you have a VERBAL INDICATOR that a man has a belt
bomb strapped to himself (a very real possibility in this day and age).
Although one does not truly know the intention of the person (it could be a
prank for all anyone knows), the “bomb” implies intent. Thus, you can go from
VERBAL DEFLECTION to DEADLY FORCE, and skip REASONABLE FORCE altogether.
By memorizing the Use-of-Force Ladder that I created, you,
and those you train with, will be able to stay within the law if you ever have
to use your martial arts skills. If you’re a reality-based martial arts
instructor you can start teaching your students the different levels of force,
and how they can apply their techniques to each level. By doing this, you not
only teach them that one size does not fit all, but how to survive the justice
system when they use what you taught them.