Every action we do results in some type of consequence, good or bad.
In the Self Defense arena we have to understand the consequences of how we choose to respond in a confrontation. Your response doesn't always have to be physical (.e.g. punch to the face), talking your way out of a situation is priority number one.
Consequences to a physical response may include you being handcuffed and taken to jail until the police can sort out everyones story. On a more extreme note, if you serious injure or kill your opponent then things could get worse.
Be sure to inject possible consequences (post incident interview, accidental death, etc.) in your training. At the end of the day I want you to go home to your family safe. Developing your ability to address consequences is key to taking your training to the next level.
At BTS we have saying, “It's not who is wrong or right, it's who is left!”
Train HARD!