In some situations, self-defense is a viable defense in Maryland. You can use this defense as long as you weren’t the aggressor or didn’t bring the fight to the level of deadly force. You must have believed you were in immediate danger, the danger must have been reasonable, and you can’t have used more force than necessary to defend yourself from harm.
However, it’s very difficult to claim self-defense without the help of an experienced Maryland criminal defense lawyer. The state will attempt to pick apart your story and if they can show that at least one of the points above wasn’t true in your case, you could be found guilty.