Anyway, what are the 5 principles of Stav? Very briefly they are 5 mind sets or roles that can be adopted; the Trel or slave, Karl or freeman, Herse or warrior, Jarl or priest and Konge the king or wise man. Lots more to be said but here I am going to explain how they apply to martial training. In a conflict situation you will either be in a particular role which you have to act out. Or you may chose to adopt a particular role because it seems like a good idea at the time. Either way how a conflict works out largely depends upon your status within it.

First thing to say about self-defence is that if you have to hit someone then something has gone seriously wrong. Actual physical violence usually has on going consequences in terms of injuries, legal problems or just resentment which are best avoided. It is important to be able to handle violence, just not something you want to have happen to you. So if a conflict develops then it is in many cases a clash of roles and you need to be thinking accordingly.

If you are in a situation where you have no responsibility and no real interest in the situation then just back off from it and remove yourself from the situation. This is the Trel response and you won't get any medals for heroism operating on this level but you will live longer. So for example if a gang of teenagers are causing havoc in the local park and you want to have a quiet walk then just leave and find somewhere else to relax. That is not to say you shouldn't call the police and cooperate with the authorities in dealing with the problem but you are under no obligation to get into a fight over it.

If it is your garden that it being invaded by trouble makers then confronting them and making it clear you want them to go away is absolutely the right thing to do. Don't take unnecessary risks but make it clear that it is your space and they need to go. Most people have a sense of territory and once convinced that they are confronting the legitimate keeper of that space they will respect it so long as they can leave with some dignity. This is the Karl response and the responsibility ends at the garden gate.

If however you have been granted some kind of authority to maintain order then you have found yourself on the Herse level. This is the role of the policeman, marshal, doorman etc. This is the person whose responsibility it is to moderate the behaviour of the teenagers in the park or evict them if necessary. At this level you may have to take someone under control, preferably by using your authority but with physical force if necessary. A certain degree of skill is needed to do this but 90% of your effectiveness should come from the fact that you represent an accepted authority. Many policemen and women get through their whole careers never having had to get rough with anyone because they have simply used the authority of their office. In the same way the best doormen don't get into fights but deal with situations with good humour and unmistakeable authority. What makes this possible is the confidence that if the situation does turn nasty you have a good chance of coming out on top, if you have it your probably won't have to use it.

The Jarl level is when you can handle the situation by keeping detached from it. The Konge level is when you do simply because you can, but you are also willing to accept the consequences.

Hope that is clear, but there is no substitute for actually being trained and we have two courses in February, on the 5th in Salisbury and on the 27th in Leicester. Full list at http://www.facebook.com/l/2fa33fRiB0D5BWcrIBx99FQVBaA;www.iceandfire.org.uk/forthcoming.html

Regards

Graham