From Branca's website

Proportionality - " Don't bring a gun to a pillow fight "

Deadly defensive force may be only used to counter a deadly force threat. If the threat is non-deadly in nature, only non-deadly defensive force can be used.

There's lots of room for interpretation. And these are catchphrases & not legal clauses.

But Branca claims to have reviewed existing self-defense laws in all 50 states and boiled the core principles common to all (most?) into five elements.

From Branca's website

Proportionality - " Don't bring a gun to a pillow fight "

Deadly defensive force may be only used to counter a deadly force threat. If the threat is non-deadly by nature, only non-deadly force can be used.

From Branca's website

Proportionality - " Don't bring a gun to a pillow fight "

Deadly defensive force may be only used to counter a deadly force threat.

From Branca's website

Proportionality - " Don't bring a gun to a pillow fight "

Deadly defensive force may only be used to counter a deadly force threat.