Loc: Toowoomba, Qld, Australia
Quote: I still don't understand how a person who has yet to make a move could be restrained though, I mean what would you be restraining them from? Drew mate, would you care to explain?
Police and security personnel do it all the time. You are restraining/preventing them from continuing their current course of action. In this sort of situation it would be preventing them from continuing their aggressive actions towards an individual. A course of action that you may reasonable believe would result in violence.
I've always seen Self defence as violence minimalisation. Obviously the best result is no violence occurring at all, hence the importance of awareness avoidance, prevention and de-escalation etc. but if it has to go violent then then the outcome that produces the least amount of overall violence occurring whilst still maintaining my own safety is next best.
A preemptive movement/strike//what ever may just result in a lower level of overall violence occurring.