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The opinion of self-defense experts is always to avoid fights. Avoid the bad guys with your maximum effort. But we may face danger at any time, any place, without pre-warnings.
Attackers usually show some signs before they start a fight. Identifying them early is an opportunity to avoid a confrontation or to minimize the damage from the bad guys. This article describes pre-attack indicators, or pre-assault indicators, from the point of view of self-defense.
The bad guy might have been drunk, might be on drugs, and might be angry. Observing one or a few pre-attack cues will be a warning of an upcoming attack.
Keep in mind that the ideas below are not guarantees for next-minute attacks every time. The situation may differ for you from my situation.Therefore, these are essential to follow as per the instruction of self-defense experts.
Observe the stance your opponent is in.
One of the key indicators is the way the bad guy stands, the way he keeps his hands. Stance is the basis of an opening punch or any attack, realizing the energy with speed from the strike through the hand to have an easy knockout.
Position he tries to get.
Compare your position while he achieves a better position to get the chance of a blind side or to launch a surprise attack. Go backwards to keep a safe distance. It gives you enough time to react to the attack.
Don’t look at the hands or legs.
From my personal experience, looking at the opponent’s hand is dangerous. Looking at the leg to scan for a coming kick is bringing terrible results. You may not find enough time to react. Train your eyes to scan the body movements before they come.
The bad guy’s stare as one of the pre-attack indicators
Look towards you, then look around. Repeat the same.
If you follow the gaze, get ready for the sucker punch. These repeating movements are not only to distract you, they are also to identify the potential support you may get from others, like cops or friends, and also to search for any witnesses around you.
Furthermore, to lower your guard,
Watch this video <by John Lovell of The Warrior Poet Society talks about Pre Fight Indicators>
Prepare for the next action once you observe the following also:
- Words show the anger of the aggressor and also the repetition of words.
- Put away the things in hand (especially putting the mobile in the pocket) to make the hands free to commence the attack.
- Dropping bags down and removing shirts are the real ways of showing violence that the bad guy is willing to initiate.
- Adjustment of clothes (lifting the pants is common)
- Changing positions towards the target with constant fidgeting and movements.
- Scan behavior: scanning the vulnerable points of the victim (chin, throat, eyes).
- They are looking for not only your body, but also the physical items you are holding at the time (belongings).
Read this article also: 6 Essential self-defense practices for you
To prevent the attack
If the aggressor cannot approach you with a sucker punch or any attack, he will reconsider approaching you. But seriously, keep this in mind: you are still not secure from danger. The bad guy may use the element of surprise in his attack (suddenly in an eye blink time) and get control.
- Run away from the confrontation (the first time you get the chance to do so).
- To maintain distance between the aggressor and you, step back as required. Enough distance makes enough time to react. It’s not good to allow anyone to come too close. Remain calm and try to de-escalate. Invading your space unnecessarily should be regarded as the first warning sign of a fight.
- Tone of voice – speak loudly, show that you are not an easy target (most of the time, they want to get an easy target, they don’t like to get into trouble like a strong counter-attack or any legal matters in return).
- While engaging with strangers, you can use both respect and disrespect. From the training of self-defense and social experience, you can identify the path you need to follow.
