How to know when someone is about to assault you

As I’ve written before, and will continue to do so, one of the most important keys to winning a street fight is “Hit First.”

However, there are legal aspects to this as well… you can’t just haul off on someone because they are in your face.

With that in mind, it’s important to learn the signs that someone is about to hit you.

Typically, a street fight or bar fight situation starts with the two combatants within striking range… about 18 to 24 inches apart.

This is the macho, squaring up position, where one or both people are trying to intimidate the other.

At some point though, one of them decides it’s time to take action.

It is critical that you recognize the signs that the other person is about to wind up and hit you.

In no particular order, these signs are…

1. They shift weight.
2. They look away
3. Their speech changes…it becomes monosyllabic
4. The appearance on their face changes

Let’s discuss in a little more detail.

First of all, don’t be one of those stupid people looking for a fight at a bar.

However, if you are approached in the street, and didn’t spot the potential offender before they got into your personal space, you need to understand these signs.

I will also add that it is quite likely this individual has a partner and is getting in your face as a distraction.  I’ll get to that down the road.

Weight Shift

As mentioned, many times two idiots will square up and get in each other’s space.  This puts both in a position that doesn’t allow them to do too much, except head butt each other.

Therefore, in order to create a little space to throw a punch with power, there will be a weight shift to one foot and away from the other person.

Look Away

Another sign of an imminent strike is a look away.  That look away is a way of distracting, to suggest that maybe the person is going to back out of the confrontation.

Instead, that look away means they’ve already decided to haul off on you, and a sucker punch is incoming.

Speech changes and Change in Facial Expression

When the speech changes from loud and obnoxious to a sudden quiet, or from lots of talk to single words, or very short phrases, chances are the person is now thinking more about the use of violence.

This is often combined with a change in facial expression.

A change in facial expression is simply a sign that someone has shifted their thoughts to committing violence.

The change is usually one to an angry disposition.  In their mind, a line has been crossed, and it is time to proceed with violence.

The change in speech and/or facial expression is a more subtle sign than the weight shift or look away.

Those first two signs are far more clear indications that violence is imminent.

Reach behind or into pocket

One other sign you should be VERY wary of is the reach into a back or front pocket.  This could be a reach for a weapon.

As soon as you notice that, you MUST take action.

If you are ever approached in the street by a stranger, always pay attention to their hands.  If you can see both thumbs, then they do not likely have a weapon in hand.

If one hand is hidden, you must at least be sure to keep them out of your personal space.  If unable to do, so, take action (run, hit, kick, all of these).

Final Thoughts

I can’t reiterate enough… the best thing to do is to avoid these types of confrontations altogether.

Development of soft skills such as increasing your level of awareness every time you set foot outside your home is crucial.

Situational control is another skill you should learn.  This effectively means keeping people out of your personal space.

Lastly, de-escalation is another way to get yourself out of a violent confrontation, especially if it is something like an encounter with a drunk at a bar.

When all else fails, however, you’ll need to understand the signs that someone is about to assault you.  That way, you can get in that all important first shot.