INTERLUDE—ARE YOU READY FOR LEVEL 4?

Levels one through three are essentially communication. At Level 3, touch, even though you are placing hands on the threat, you are demonstrably guiding, assisting, or comforting. At Level 4, you are placing hands on the other guy, but what you are doing, if not legally justified, is assault. You are going to force the adversary to move or to stop moving or, through pain, influence the other guy to move or stop moving.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a crime. You may only do this if your justifications are clear. Not just clear to you in your emotional state at the time, but something you can make clear, if necessary, to a jury.

Level 4, while ubiquitous in the tournament ring, should be the rarest of self-defense skills. The locks, takedowns, holds, and pressure points common at this level are rarely fight-enders. They do not stop the threat so much as discourage the threat. Unless you break the joint (a higher level of force), a joint lock merely discourages a threat. You cannot hold the lock forever, and when you let go, the other guy is completely capable of attacking again.

As such, though locks and pins temporarily take away means, they depend on altering intent. That works best on weak intent.

Level 4 techniques are also unlikely to work against an aggressive, dangerous threat. It is very hard to actually snatch an incoming fist out of the air and apply a lock. It is difficult and dangerous to close on a knife for a takedown. Pressure points do not work nearly as well on infuriated threats as they do on eager, curious classmates.

These factors combine to make Level 4 rare outside of the law enforcement and security communities. Specifically, Level 4 techniques are not fight-enders, work best against less-dedicated threats, and are difficult to pull off without getting hurt. Civilians do not have a duty to act, so most things that can be handled at Level 4 can also be handled by walking away.

That bears repeating: Most things that can be handled at Level 4 can also be handled by walking away.

Most often, in a civilian setting, Level 4 will be used on people you don’t want to hurt, your friends and relatives. These are people who are unlikely to sue you or press charges anyway. Breaking up a fight at a family picnic, taking the keys from your inebriated roommate, immobilizing an out-of-control child, these are all legitimate uses of Level 4. Attempting to disarm a drug-crazed lunatic is not.