Actually dead men do say quite alot. Like Joe says, forensic science will probably show exactly what went on. Brokenmace, for example. It would show beyond doubt your double leg takedown etc.
But it is the context within which you move that counts. What did he say and do to you? What grounds do you have for saying that you feared your life was genuinely in danger?
By the way. For me the question isn't "could I honestly say I could kil someone". It is, in certain circumstances, "could I honestly say that I could not". If someone hurts my family badly, they are going to die. And guess what? I know how to get away with it too.
