Lesson 10: Don’t be the first aggressor.

You can’t claim self-defense if you started the fight. In most jurisdictions, if you’re seen as the first aggressor, you may lose the legal protections that justify the use of force—even if you find yourself in imminent danger later. Prosecutors may frame the incident as “mutual combat,” which undermines your self-defense claim. To stay protected under the law, you must be reacting to a threat, not instigating one.