--- title: Self-defence or just stupid? — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Self-defence or just stupid?», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: An older boy grabbed Sam's arm by the lockers and squeezed hard, and wouldn't let go. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Self-defence or just stupid? # Self-defence or just stupid? Lesson 377 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 31 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/0/) — An older boy grabbed Sam's arm by the lockers and squeezed hard, and wouldn't let go. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/1/) — Sam twisted free, ran straight to Mr Hughes on duty and told him everything, shaking. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/2/) — That was self-defence: getting away from someone who is hurting you, and getting help. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/3/) — Sam did not chase the boy or hit him afterwards. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/4/) — He got safe, and that was the whole point. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/5/) — Jake, on the other hand, told the head he had hit a boy «in self-defence». - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/6/) — «What did he do?» asked the head. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/7/) — «He looked at me funny.» Even Jake heard how that sounded. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/8/) — A look is not an attack. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/9/) — Neither is a rude word about your mum — Maddie learned that when she hit a boy for one and still got the same punishment as any other fighter. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/10/) — Self-defence means only what you need to stop being hurt right now, and then getting away. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/11/) — When Kieran got kicked and then chased the Station Road boy down the street to kick him back, it stopped being defence and became revenge. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/13/) — The dog sniffed and lost interest. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/14/) — Other cases are harder. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/15/) — Freddie had been called names by Jake for a whole term; one day he snapped and hit Jake. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/16/) — The hit was wrong, but the months of names were wrong first, and Freddie could have told a teacher or his parents instead. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/17/) — When Callum shoved Sam over, Sam stayed down on the floor, didn't fight back, and told a teacher later: not cowardly, because it stopped the fight growing. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/18/) — And when a boy grabbed Maddie's hood and dragged her backwards, she pushed him off to get free and stopped there. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/19/) — That was self-defence. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/21/) — When a boy kept pinching Lily's arm on the bus, she said clearly, «Stop pinching me,» so the whole bus heard. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/22/) — The boy went red and moved seats. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/23/) — Self-defence means doing only what is needed to stop being hurt right now, then getting away. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/24/) — Getting free and running to a grown-up is self-defence; chasing someone afterwards is not. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/25/) — Hitting back after the danger is over is revenge, and schools and the law treat it as fighting. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/26/) — A look, a rude word or an insult is not a physical attack, so hitting for it is not self-defence. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/27/) — Saying «stop» loudly so others hear is often the quickest way to make someone stop. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/28/) — If a dog runs at you, standing still with your arms by your sides and calling for the owner is safest. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/29/) — Running or waving your arms at a strange dog can make it chase or jump. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/30/) — Staying down and not fighting back when shoved is not cowardice; it can stop a fight getting bigger. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/31/) — Someone who is called names for months may snap and hit out, and it is still wrong, but the name-calling was wrong first. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/377-self-defence-or-just-stupid/32/) — After any attack, telling a trusted adult is part of keeping safe. - ← previous: [What fights cost at home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/376-what-fights-cost-at-home/) - next →: [Maddie the tomboy](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/378-maddie-the-tomboy/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)