Poll of the Week: Self Defense in Starfleet

[Randal Shayne]

Starfleet officers are prepared for their roles in every way possible. Endless classes, lectures, and hands-on learning opportunities form the education of the cadet. Rigorous technical instruction allow a prospective officer to function, work, and maintain the equipment they will encounter. History, astronomy, history, basic first aid...the sheer amount of knowledge is overwhelming.

However, in addition to all of these courses, each cadet is also required to pass a self-defense course. The career path a cadet wishes to take will affect how much training they receive in this regard. As one might imagine, individuals such as science officers are provided the basic skills necessary to cope with bodily attack, while those pursuing a security role are, naturally, required to master far more intensive techniques for all situations.

We all know that Starfleet officers embrace life, and do not injure without cause, or when peace might prevail. However, ten different officers might have ten different ways of approaching the question of self-defense. Some might prefer to attack and disable, while others might choose to focus almost exclusively on defending against blows. Personality, position, and mindset all play a part in one’s attitude.

This week’s poll asks you to think about your character, and to consider their approach to self defense. Are they generally more aggressive, seeking to give as good as they get, and not hesitating to injure assailants? Or do they prefer more peaceful forms like aikido and judo- disciplines focused on disarming and disabling an opponent without injuring him or her? Or perhaps they experience some sort of middle ground - a midway between offensive and defensive techniques that suit any situation.

Give us your vote and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below the poll!

Edited October 20, 2017 by Randal Shayne

[+ Trellis Vondaryan]

Trellis has horrible hand-eye coordination and hates physical confrontation, so prefers never to be involved in combat at all. If forced he's pretty much all defensive, waiting until someone else can phaser the person.

[Aitas]

Aitas has some training in Betazoid martial arts, though she can't use such to full effectiveness given that she's a touch telepath. The stuff she knows there is relatively balanced in style. 

If she finds it necessary, she's willing to use that half-vulcan strength to put a pretty quick and decisive end to stuff, but that's too severe of a response for most situations. 

[Piravao sh'Qynallahr]

Tasha is compentent in unarmed combat. She uses and equal mix of defence and attack in those situations.

That being said, if she doesn't have an available phaser she would prefer to locate an object that she could substitute for a sword, and once she has her sword substitute, watch out!

[Hannibal Parker]

Hannibal believes in taking the fight to the enemy, then doing what is required to removing or neutralizing the threat. This can be any method from hand to hand, phaser fire, or quantum torpedoes....

[Laria Herren]

Anath has some martial arts training and could probably hold her own in a fight if she needed to. That being said, whether she would go on the offensive or hold back would vary by situation. The intent behind a given threat and the level of risk it poses would decide if she would react with a more aggressive or defensive response. Unless she lost her temper, Anath would also refrain from anything not proportional to the initial threat. Different situations call for different responses.

[Wilmer]

Nate likes to start things off with running in head first, without thinking, all the while making himself an easy target. He then likes to follow up a random volley of blind swings with unclenched fists, and finishes his opponent by allowing himself to get punched in the mouth, falling down, and crying....

...wait, that might be how I play STO...

[+ catscatscats]

T'Reshik is still waiting for the higher-ups to grant her request to add a small phaser turret to her wheelchair. She probably wouldn't hesitate to run over someone's face if it came to it, and has surprisingly good upper-body and hand strength.

Partly because of her disability, she wouldn't go on the offensive unless she absolutely had to, but if she had to, she'd absolutely fight dirty.

[+ Valin Dermont]

Valin is older, but with a large frame that comes from years of moving loads of ore.  He also has the mentality of a guy used to dealing with others guys who mine the ore.  Usually after hours in a pub somewhere.

He's more than willing to swing his meat mallets at any target that presents itself.

Still hasn't mastered the "defense" part of self defense though...

[Jalana]

Jalana had her basic training at the Academy, but as a medical doctor, she had not used any of it ever since. So as with everything else "If you don't use it you lose it" she doesn't have any ability left. With a past life of a cop, that sometimes hits her pretty hard. She also freezes up when she has to use a phaser. As a Co she sometimes has to be able to do self-defence or using a phaser, so right now she asked an old friend and her Tactical officer Teryn Vehk to help her re-learning these things. Looking forward to these sims.

 

[+ Saveron]

"Violence is always abhorrent; occasionally it is necessary." ~ Saveron at some point.

Saveron is trained in Western Suus Mahna, which largely follows the same kind of principles as Aikido; disarm and disable. However it maintains some of the older parts of the discipline that the Eastern form does not; he is capable of taking the offensive though he prefers not to. His Nel Gathic culture does not hold with discarding information simply because one finds it disagreeable. They also believe in being prepared for all eventualities.

"We do not seek war. But he that would bring war to us, let him beware." ~ A Nel Gathic Comander in Surak's time, now a proverb.

He is acceptably competent with a phaser, but vastly prefers not to use one. If at all possible he will talk his way out of a situation.

Edited October 28, 2017 by Saveron