Self Defense Quotes

“When a man is penalized for honesty he learns to lie.”
― Criss Jami, Salomé: In Every Inch In Every Mile

“People can have their opinions about everything in the world, but people's opinions end where the tip of my nose begins. Your opinions of others can only go so far as to where their own shoreline is. The world is for your taking, but other people are not. One is only allowed to have an opinion of me, if that person is done educating him/herself on everything about me. Before people educate themselves on everything about you, they're not allowed to open their venomous mouthes and have an opinion about you.”
― C. JoyBell C.

“How can you protect yourself by carrying a sword if you don’t know how to use it?’
Not me, sir. Other people. They see the sword and don’t attack me,’ said Maladict patiently.
Yes, but if they did, lad, you wouldn’t be any good with it,’ said the sergeant.
No, sir. I’d probably settle for just ripping their heads off, sir. That’s what I mean by protection, sir. Theirs, not mine. And I’d get hell from the League if I did that, sir.”
― Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment

“Most gun control arguments miss the point. If all control boils fundamentally to force, how can one resist aggression without equal force? How can a truly “free” state exist if the individual citizen is enslaved to the forceful will of individual or organized aggressors? It cannot.”
― Tiffany Madison

“Raff,' Katsa said, 'your problem is that your heart's not in it. We need to find something to strengthen your defensive resolve. What if you pretended he's trying to smash your favorite medicinal plant?'
'The rare blue safflower,' Bann suggested.
'Yes,' Katsa said gamely, 'pretend he's after your snaffler.'
'Bann would never come after my rare blue safflower,' Raffin said distinctly. 'The very notion is absurd.'
'Pretend he's not Bann. Pretend he's your father.”
― Kristin Cashore, Bitterblue

“Sometmes when you pull knives on people, they get this impression that you're going to hurt them, and then they're completely terrified. Crazy, I know!"

"Okay," said Nick. He turned to Jamie & popped his left wrist sheath again. "Look."

Jamie backed up. "Which part of 'completely terrified' did you translate as 'show us your knives, Nick'? Don't show me your knives, Nick. I have no interest in your knives."

Nick rolled his eyes. "This is a quillon dagger. That's a knife with a sword handle. I like it because it has a good grip for stabbing."

"Why do you say these things?" Jamie inquired piteously. "Is it to make me sad?"

"I didn't have you cornered," Nick went on. "You could've run. And this dagger doesn't have an even weight distribution; it's absolute rubbish for throwing. If I had any intention of hurting you, I'd have used a knife I could throw."

Jamie blinked. "I will remember those words always. I may try to forget them, but I sense that I won't be able to.”
― Sarah Rees Brennan, The Demon's Covenant

“If there's any guy crazy enough to attack me, I'm going to show him the end of the world -- close up. I'm going to let him see the kingdom come with his own eyes. I'm going to send him straight to the southern hemisphere and let the ashes of death rain all over him and the kangaroos and the wallabies.”
― Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

“Beautiful girls should know how to defend themselves against the advances of gentlemen.”
― Cassandra Clare

“A woman who goes around wearing a knife is obviously looking for trouble." She reached deep into her pocket and brought out a long, slender piece of metal, glittering all along one edge. "However a woman who carries a knife is ready for trouble. Generally speaking, it's easier to appear harmless. It's less trouble all around.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

“In fact, if law were restricted to protecting all persons, all liberties, and all properties; if law were nothing more than the organized combination of the individual's right to self-defense; if law were the obstacle, the check, the punisher of all oppression and plunder — is it likely that we citizens would then argue much about the extent of the franchise?”
― Frédéric Bastiat, The Law

“We are not ready to fight because we love fighting. We are ready to fight because we are worth fighting for.”
― Zoé Samudzi, As Black As Resistance: Finding the Conditions for Liberation

“Remaining for a moment with the question of legality and illegality: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368, unanimously passed, explicitly recognized the right of the United States to self-defense and further called upon all member states 'to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of the terrorist attacks. It added that 'those responsible for aiding, supporting or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of those acts will be held accountable.' In a speech the following month, the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan publicly acknowledged the right of self-defense as a legitimate basis for military action. The SEAL unit dispatched by President Obama to Abbottabad was large enough to allow for the contingency of bin-Laden's capture and detention. The naïve statement that he was 'unarmed' when shot is only loosely compatible with the fact that he was housed in a military garrison town, had a loaded automatic weapon in the room with him, could well have been wearing a suicide vest, had stated repeatedly that he would never be taken alive, was the commander of one of the most violent organizations in history, and had declared himself at war with the United States. It perhaps says something that not even the most casuistic apologist for al-Qaeda has ever even attempted to justify any of its 'operations' in terms that could be covered by any known law, with the possible exception of some sanguinary verses of the Koran.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Enemy

“You had a good dinner of properly fried food, and if you want to live long enough to have another one, you’ve got to weaponize properly.”
― Dean Koontz, Deeply Odd

“I am not all sneers and scathings, you see, I have my gentler side.”
― John Banville, The Infinities

“Its like what Kathleen said about how in school there was this class that you went to and they were teaching the girls how to prepare themselves for rape and when you looked outside and saw the rapers outside playing football and you said "they are the ones who should be in here being taught not to rape".”
― Kurt Cobain, Journals

“Ava said, “There is a French saying that applies to my situation: 'Be careful of that animal - it is very vicious. When you attack it, it defends itself.”
― Ian Hamilton, The Water Rat of Wanchai

“I have weapons of self-defense. They’re called jokes.”
― Jarod Kintz, Eggs, they’re not just for breakfast

“Self-defense is clearly my focus in this book. What is it? It is recovery from stupidity or bad luck, from finding yourself in a position you would have given almost anything to prevent. It is difficult to train for because of the surprise element and because you may be injured before you are aware of the conflict. The critical element is to overcome the shock and surprise so that you can act, to “beat the freeze.” Self-defense is about recovery. The ideal is to prevent the situation.”
― Rory Miller, Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence

“LEAVE ME ALONE YOU B****RD! YOU BOTHER ME AGAIN I'LL KILL YOU!”
― Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

“I froze. The grizzly paused, catching my movement, then lowered his head and with a sort of stiff-legged gait, ambled toward me swinging his head from side to side. I knew from having watched this bear interact with other animals that the worst thing I could do was run.

The big bear stopped thirty feet in front of me. I slowly worked my hand into my bag and gradually pulled out the Magnum. I peered down the gun barrel into the dull red eyes of the huge grizzly. He gnashed his jaws and lowered his ears. The hair on his hump stood up. We stared at each other for what might have been seconds but felt like hours. I knew once again that I was not going to pull the trigger. My shooting days were over. I lowered the pistol. The giant bear flicked his ears and looked off to the side. I took a step backward and turned my head towards the trees. I felt something pass between us. The grizzly slowly turned away from me with grace and dignity and swung into the timber at the end of the meadow. I caught myself breathing heavily again, the flush of blood hot on my face. I felt life had been touched by enormous power and mystery.”
― Doug Peacock, Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness

“The Dmitrist must foster a society ready to both defend itself and its people, as well as prepare for the liberation of the oppressed Dmitrists and libertarians around the world.”
― Dmitri Brooksfield, The Tenets of Dmitrism

“Action is faster than reaction.”
― Damian Ross, Self-Defense For Dummies

“When a martial art exists in two forms, the original self-defense form and a sport/competition form with rules for determining “winners,” the boundaries tend to blur, and effectiveness in self-defense can be sacrificed to effectiveness in scoring points in a rule governed contest.”
― Roberto Pedreira, Jiu-Jitsu in the South Zone, 1997-2008

“Today, it is possible to get a Jiu Jitsu black belt without knowing self-defense or even getting into a real fight. This was impossible during the 1970s and 1980s. Because my father and uncle loudly proclaimed their style 'the world's most effective form of self-defense,' every young Gracie knew that at some point he would be called upon to represent our family in the ring or in the street. Your first official vale tudo fight was like losing your virginity; it was a rite of passage.”
― Rickson Gracie, Breathe: A Life in Flow

“If you can truly flip the switch from surprised, overwhelmed, and terrified to the assault mindset, I can’t teach you much.”
― Rory Miller, Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence

“DEVELOPING A SINGLE COMBAT MIND-SET

I know I have said this before, but I will hammer this point home again: You must firmly believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it. It can be for your country, the organization, your team, or your buddy next to you. It can be that inner drive that says don’t quit and do your best. Whatever motivates you, you need to harness it and keep it strong in its place. Reflect on it as needed to keep your energies channeled for the time that will come for you to earn your keep. The stronger your belief, the stronger your mind-set.

This resolve or strength will also help ensure your survival. With it, you will train harder and push farther than someone who does not have it. Use this strength to develop your own personal beast and then keep it in its place.”
― Paul R. Howe, Leadership And Training For The Fight: A Few Thoughts On Leadership And Training From A Former Special Operations Soldier

“The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed.”
― Rory Miller, Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence

“The goal of self-defense is not to win a fight, but rather to avoid combat in the first place.”
― Rory Miller, Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence

“Risking your life for anything other than saving a life is ego, it's bullshit, and it is childish.”
― Rory Miller, Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence

“Fitness does not always mean size and strength. People inexperienced at violence look at size first, muscle definition second. Experienced people look at movement.”
― Rory Miller, Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence