TheDarceKnight
Veteran
I mean my job is teaching combat sports and self defense to people, so my reasoning is based on a blend of personal experience combined with legal reasons.How you reason?
Defending yourself is escalation?
In who's book?
Ever since I was knee high I was taught if somebody hits you you hit them back
Will Smith is so adapt at whooping ass he did fukk a man up in 10 seconds. lol
Man foh with these ducktales. Hancock was a movie character
With legality we're talking super grey areas here. I don't know California state law, but in general...if someone commits battery against you (which is exactly what Will did) you can defend yourself, but not after the battery is over. As soon as Will started backing away, then (as weird as it sounds) Chris did not legally have the right (at least in most jurisdictions) to then become the aggressor and fight back. The legal green light time frame for Chris to fight back was immediately upon being hit. And he did clench his fist up, but as soon as it was clear Will wasn't about to hit him again, you can see Chris release his fist.
None of this is taking into ethical considerations. I'm totally fine in principle with the ethics of Chris running down Will and fighting him, even if he wasn't in his legal rights to do so. I just happen to think it was a classy and professional move by Chris to not further escalate an already tense situation. If Will had hit Chris multiple times then absolutely I think Chris should not only fight back, but I think he'd be wrong NOT to fight back. You have every right to defend yourself, and in many cases I think you have a moral obligation to defend yourself.
I think Chris did a great job assessing that it was a slap and not a punch, and that the aggression ended as soon as it started. Don't get it twisted. There are times where I think it's fine to escalate, even if it's illegal. But I think Chris came across looking like the bigger man and looking more professional by standing tall and keeping it moving. It made Will look more unhinged and it made Chris look more professional.