Reasonable Person, Reasonable Force: Plain-English Use-of-Force Principles
Hardware and shooting skill are only half of responsible carry. The other half is decision-making.
Our “Reasonable Person, Reasonable Force” manual explains how self-defense decisions are judged in the real world, using plain English instead of dense legal language. This page gives the public overview.
Core Concepts We Teach
Reasonable person standard – What would a normal, responsible adult have done in your situation with the information you had at the time?
Ability–Opportunity–Jeopardy (AOJ) – Does the other person have the ability to cause serious harm, the opportunity to do it now, and are they acting like they’re about to?
Proportionality – Does your level of force reasonably match the level of threat?
Imminence and avoidance – Is this about to happen now, and could you safely avoid it?
Disparity of force – When size, numbers, or other factors make an unarmed attack potentially deadly.
Why This Matters for CCW Holders
Students learn that:
Being technically allowed to use force doesn’t always make it wise
Words alone are rarely enough to justify deadly force
Juries and prosecutors look for attempts to avoid or de-escalate
Stopping force when the threat stops is critical
Social media, decals, and “tough guy” branding can be used against them
We steer students toward calm, defensible decisions that protect life and survivability in court.
How This Fits With the Rest of Our Curriculum
Avoiding the Fight covers conflict prevention and ego control
Reading the Threat covers behavioral cues and early warning signs
This manual connects those skills to legal principles and aftermath realities