You may have heard somewhere…
Eighty percent of the time, the first person to get the first punch is the one who will win the fight.
The exact percentage doesn’t matter, and might as well be made up.
You can’t just go around hitting people for no reason, though.
You can only take that shot if you’re facing a real threat.
But how do you know when that is?
This is a topic we’ve actually covered before on the blog, but I never get tired of talking with our experts about it.
Recently, I spoke with Matt Numrich about how to know when someone is going to attack you, and here’s a run-down of what he had to say to me.
3 “Must Know” Warning Signs That Someone Is Going To Attack You In A Real Street Fight!
Reasonable people try to defuse a fight, to talk their way out of it before it happens.
There will be times when, even though you are apologetic and trying to avoid things getting physical, the guy you’re facing intends to take things to the next level.
Very few people are aware of the indicators that violence is coming.
There are three warning signs though, that you should always be looking for.
These warnings can tell you that a guy is about to hit you… and that you’d better do something about it!
Street Fight Warning #1: Proximity
Your first indicator is simply proximity.
That means, how close is the guy, and is he getting closer?
One of the reasons instructors teach people to get into the “interview stance,” to “blade” themselves to point one of their hips at the other guy, is that this allows you to slide away backwards until you are at a safe distance.
The number one indicator that the situation is going to escalate is if you are backing away and the person is closing the gap.
If you’ve gone ahead and taken your two, three, four steps back and the person starts inching their way on in, that’s a huge indicator right there.
Obviously, could they be coming in to try to intimidate you only, and have no desire whatsoever to physically attack you?
Without a doubt that could happen.
But, if someone decreases distance more and more as you try to maintain distance, then it’s more than likely they are going to lash out physically.
If you can increase distance from them, great.
You’ve increased your reaction time.
If he keeps inching closer to you, though, that’s a huge red flag you need to watch for.
Street Fight Warning #2: Rate Of Conversation
The second thing to look for is the rate of the conversation.
Is he talking faster?
Is he responding more quickly?
If the rate of conversation increases, be mindful of that.
If a person wants to attack you physically, and you’re kind of barking back and forth to each other rapidly, that is not a good sign.
Even if you’re being apologetic, that person might still be firing remarks back at you very rapidly, which means they may attack.
Listen very carefully for this clue that a fight is about to happen.
Street Fight Warning #3: Facial Expressions And Skin Tone
The third thing to look for is facial expressions.
It’s not just the face they make, though.
It’s also their skin tone, which can change.
If someone is going to attack you, they will probably get redder in the face.
The redder and darker their skin tone, the more you should be on your guard.
These three physical indicators I’ve just explained to you are very important.
They can help you survive when it comes to actually having to defend yourself.
Don’t forget to watch for them… and if you see them, know that you’d had better TAKE ACTION.
