Moderator: Van Canna
Aahmed"Shows that even a BULLET isn't always reliable, thats what astounds me the most."
1) MOVE TO COVER
- Actively seek cover or create distance in order to carry-out rule “3”
- Never take your eyes off the threat
2) REMAIN IN THE FIGHT
- Check Weapon / function / reload, confirm good solid grip
- STAY MOBILE
3) CONDUCT A QUICK SELF ASSESSMENT
- You’ve been shot / stabbed, you know your hit, a gun shot or stab wound is NOT going to disable you (mindset)
4) IMPLEMENT THE PROPER FIRST AID MEASURES
- Bleeding Control (TQ possibly)
5) REMEMBER TO SIMPLY CALL FOR HELP
- squad radio
- cell phone
- lung power
6) CONDUCT A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF YOUR WEAPON OR ANY AVAILABLE WEAPONS
- Access gear status more completely
- Rounds available, back-up weapons
7) BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE/IMPENDING LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND PLAN FOR SAME
- Do you have a Plan to break contact due to severity of injury?MENTAL CONDITIONING IS PIVOTAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL
- Have a Plan and have rehearsed possible scenarios
- There is no reason to be down and out post-injury (mindset)
We all know that a large part of our survival during violent encounters depends on having a plan. A plan is just a general guideline that we use to maneuver ourselves during which may be times of stress or complexity.
A plan helps us keep things simple and helps us stay focused. Everyone is different, has different skill levels, different concerns, and different beliefs so each plan must be tweaked to fit our personal situation.
At times it’s even quite practical to have a plan “B” that can be put into effect should initial attempts fail.
McDevitt’s SIMPLE RULES OF SELF RESCUE are based on research into officer survival and input from law enforcement officers, military special operators, and the backbone of America, armed civilians. Use the rules as a basis for your own plan.
What was most interesting in this research study, was the fact that they found the use of feet resulted in the greatest injury severity, when compared to the use of other blunt objects, and that sharp object (edged weapons) was the next most likely to result in severe injury. To me this is another reason why one cannot stay on the ground given the probability of being kicked or stomped by your attacker or their friends.
Specific to knives, I attempted to locate research specific to:
1. At what point did the offender have their weapon deployed, and
2. What kind of occurrence rate is there for knife to knife encounters
Unfortunately I could not find any Peer reviewed research on these two topics, but I did just recently read a book by James Lafond called, “The Logic of Steel, a Fighters View of Blade and Shank Encounters 2001”. Based upon a large number of interviews (1000 separate acts of violence), the author created something that he called a “Violence Index”.
Although not a peer reviewed scientific study, Lafond does offer some retrospective empirical/anecdotal research that is of some interest and does correspond with some of the above noted research:
§ 59% of incidents occur outside
§ 59% of incident occurred after dark
§ 69% of incidents were described as an attack rather than a consensual fight
§ 53% involved alcohol or drugs
§ 25% of violence resulted in at least one party being knocked out
§ 63% of violent acts were resolved in less than 10 seconds
§ 25% of violent acts lasted from 10 seconds to 1 minute
§ 13% lasted more than a minute
§ 57% of aggressions were successful, 32% by knockout
§ 13% of defences were successful, 50% by knockout
§ 32% of aggressors were armed
§ 8% of defenders were armed
§ 7% of aggressors required medical attention
§ 28% of defenders required medical attention
§ 1% of aggressors died
§ 4% of aggressors died
Specific to incidents of weapon use per 1000 acts reviewed:
§ Edged weapons 11%
§ Firearms 10%
§ Clubs, rocks, sticks 8%
According to LaFond, in most edged weapon attacks, the attacker already had their weapon deployed, and the vast majority of attacks lasted less than 10 seconds. This supports the fact that unless the fighter (defender) already has their knife pre-deployed prior to engagement, the defender will have very little time to deploy their own weapon.
This fact is also compounded when you also factor in Survival Stress Reaction, retrieving a holstered or pocketed knife, combined with the attacker’s already violent engagement.
Specific to knife-to-knife encounters, LaFond reported that this type of occurrence in extremely rare.
Posturing is a system of body language designed to avoid physical conflict. It is made up of a mixture of facial expressions, body positioning/movement and verbal directions.
Some of these can be seen at a distance, but as the distance closes the posturing become more extreme. Just as animals strut and bellow, so do humans, all designed to intimidate an opponent in order to avoid a fight, to gain dominance over an opponent without coming to blows.
These can range from “hard” stares to body positioning to pushing and shoving. However, if these postures are ignored or not placated then the fight might begin in earnest. The ritual can be broken down into four stages:
Selection ~ an opponent is selected and visual and/or verbal challenges are issued.
Posturing 1 ~ intimidation by size and voice, strutting and bellowing.
Posturing 2 ~ not always seen, but intimidation by strength.
Action ~ this might be fight, flight or disengage, dependent on how the cues are received and what cues are given off by the opponent.
There is no guarantee of how long it will take for a person to move from posturing to action, but this ritual is always followed except in a few cases.
Narcotics, alcohol and mental health may well negate the use of posturing as the “higher” brain functions are affected.
If a person is well versed in conflict, they may avoid these rituals altogether, such as experienced fighters and criminals. In these cases we must look to the biological signs.
The aggressive (fight) cues can be identified as:
Squaring off, usually accompanied by wide arm gestures, this is to make the attacker look larger. (P)
Loud, verbal abuse and challenges used to directly intimidate. As aggressive tendencies increase, the level of language reduces to monosyllabic responses.
The questioning style is indicative to the issue of a challenge e.g. “Well?” “So?” “Eh?” “And?”*1 (P), then later (P)(B)
Pushing/shoving to intimidate as a display of strength as well as size*1(P)
Bared teeth, usually with the lips tight to the teeth and the corners of the mouth pushed forward. (P)
Furrowed eyebrows to protect the eyes. *4 (P)
Chin tucked towards chest to protect the throat. (P)
Staring intently at specific area of the body a result of tunnel vision but also an indication to where a person intends to attack. (B)
White face (as blood drains away towards muscles)*2(P)
Red face *2(P)
Clenching of fists.(P)(B)
Leaning in. A state of preparation to launch forwards. *1(P)(B)
Forward motion. A forward motion will precede just about every attack. Interestingly backward motion can also be seen, but it is usually another posturing movement, for intimidation. (P)(B)
The Fear (flight) cues can be identified as:
Muscle twitching/shaking/tightening.(B)
Shaky voice.(B)
Flushed face*2 (B)
Furtive eye movements as if looking for an escape route.(P)
Distractive movements*3(B)
Staring intently,a result of tunnel vision, focusing on the perceived threat.(B)
Eye brows raised*4(P)(B)
Bared teeth, but with the corners of the mouth pulled back. (B)
Hands splayed in front of the body, as if to ward of a threat (P)
Freezing. This is known to occur in states of extreme fear. Animals use it as a defence mechanism against predators who hunt primarily by sight. (P)(B)
Retreat or body movements indicating a desire to disengage, such as turning the body away.
Other cues in both categories are:
Increase in breathing and heart rate.
Digestive system is affected. On the one hand the sympathetic response
causes a restriction, the parasympathetic release. This is why some feel the need to vomit, urinate or defecate when stress, a sign of the internal conflict between these two systems.
Impaired vision ~ the loss of peripheral vision (tunnel vision).
Impaired hearing ~ nothing but a high pitched ringing can be heard (auditory exclusion), this is due to the blood vessels in the ear dilating. May also be brought on be cognitive dissonance.
Dry mouth
Sweating
Cognitive dissonance ~ this is where small details are focused on and the “bigger picture” is forgotten.
In extreme states the “higher” functions of the brain appear to be restricted. Speaking becomes difficult either the voice is shaky or the words are monosyllabic.
Time slows ~ events seem to occur in slow motion (tachypsychia).
CONTROL
It is possible to reduce the effects of the chemical imbalance on our bodies in a conflict, but we can never remove them.
Training or working in conditions that induce this chemical response will tend to desensitise us, we become less “bothered” about the threat, and thus we can maintain an element of control.
As has been stated, experienced fighters know a quieter individual can be a greater threat; positioning the body into a natural fighting stance can augment this.
From this position they know that you probably know how to fight, as it is the most stable to launch a strike from.
Another way to get some one to capitulate is to cause what is known as an “adrenal dump”.
By behaving in a manner that causes the onlooker’s brain to flush the body with adrenaline, you can create the feeling of fear, which in turn causes them to capitulate.
This can be done by sudden and extreme aggression. A way to enhance this is to push the opponent out of fighting range, it is thought that the creation of distance causes the body to go from “fight” to “flight” as they have suddenly been given a way out.
Certainly when trying to intervene in a fight a very loud and aggressive “OI!!” has been known to stop a fight, this is certainly the case for some prisoners who end up fighting in order to “keep face”, but desperately want someone else to end the fight for them.
It is important to remember, however, that this increase in aggression can refocus the opponent towards you and trigger an attack; after all they are already geared for action and just require the appropriate trigger.
Issuing calming or passive body language can placate an aggressive opponent.
Keeping a relaxed body with little movement, emphasised with a relaxed face and voice can help keep your attacker in the deciding phase as they still can’t decide if you’re a threat or not, but as with responding with aggression, this may also trigger an attack as the individual may decide you no longer pose a threat to themselves as you are passive.
It is my hope that, just as I did, by gaining an understanding of these mechanics of conflict will not only help you to recognise your own responses, thus gain an element of control over them, but you will recognise them and the pre-fight rituals that accompany them in others, thus (hopefully) negating physical conflict at an earlier opportunity.
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