Taking the Fear out of you and putting it into them

[USCMAAI]

In all my years working in Criminal Justice, Military, and as a Self-Defense instructor one of the things I have noticed is that most attacks occur because the risk is less than the reward! Even in today's crazed world with its Homicide Bombers, Mass Murders, and assorted nut jobs, attacks are against targets that are left vulnerable. You don't see these terrorists blowing themselves up in empty fields, or these crazies walking into a police station with a gun. No, they attack targets that will cause shock, misery and terror (reward), even if they have to give their lives (risk) to get this done, but they don’t attack targets that are not accessible or provide no potential for terror or misery.

Now I feel there are several ways to deal with these attacks, but I am more concerned with the type of attacker you are likely to meet in a street encounter. Like our terrorist friends above, most bullies are looking for rewards that are greater than the risks involved. The reward can be money (robbing you), prestige (looking good for his friends, impressing the ladies), or some sadistic love of hurting people (rape, assault).

What we as Combat Martial Artists must do is make the risk greater than the reward. Does that mean that every technique in a combat system must be lethal? No, but your system must address each level of force (from non-verbal/verbal to deadly force) in a common sense (combat effective) way. Thus the use of Psychological warfare in the streets. First I should describe man's basic motivations. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, there are four levels of needs that all humans strive to meet, and each level is generally progressive (i.e. one level must be mostly met, before another is tried for).

At the base of this pyramid of needs is the survival needs (physical safety, food, shelter, etc). These needs are the strongest and are even organized amongst them to a degree (your need for safety usually overrides your need to eat, unless starvation threatens your life). Physical safety (I include the safety of your family in this), generally overrides all other needs, except in extreme cases.

The next level is what I call "comfort" needs (bigger shelter, more food, money, cars, etc). These needs help make our existence easier, and more comfortable. These needs and the needs of the next level are somewhat intermixed, and can be interchangeable to some degree.

The next level is the need for social interaction. We are all social animals, and to have healthy development, we must have social interaction. This need does not include family, because the need to survive also includes the need to continue the species, and thus mating, rearing young are at the basic level. The need for social interaction is what motivates some gang membership, social gatherings (going to the club/parties), and other social activities. It is a well-documented fact that social isolation is detrimental to the development of young humans, and this same isolation for extended periods of time can cause symptoms of insanity to appear in adults.

The next level is the need self-actualization (spirituality, self-fulfillment). This is the level which we develop our philosophical views of life (if you are starving, or your life is in danger, it is hard to be philosophical). Our value systems are developed at this level. It is important to note that while our values/morals maybe developed in this stage; once developed they can at times override other levels. Again I say that this a general outline of the needs pyramid, and each level has exceptions.

Ok, now that the psychology lecture is over, let's get to the nitty- gritty. Generally speaking, an assailant is not concerned for his/her safety. The fact that they are attacking you unprovoked (this assumes that you haven't done anything that threatens your attacker) means that their safety need is not their priority! Our goal as Combat Martial Artists is to make his safety the top priority of the assailant, and to make his response to that threat --FLEE. Now in the beginning of this article I stated that your level of force could range from non-verbal to lethal. Depending on the seriousness of the confrontation, and that is true. Some antagonist that you run into may not really have the “heart” for violence, and are just as afraid as you are. These people are as likely to be talked out of a confrontation, as they are to attack you. I often tell people that if you look like a victim, you will be treated like a victim. Showing confidence (looking people in the eye), walking with your head up (scanning your environment), and maintaining mental and physical balance can go a long way in letting this uncertain attacker know that you are not going to be a push over.

Other people are more aggressive, and some even look forward to violence. These people are less likely to be persuaded by your words to leave you alone. I teach students if a person like this attacks you don't "fight", go to "war". The difference is that in a fight there is a “winner” and a “ loser”. In war there is only a "survivor" and "the dead". That means that you are going to survive "by any means necessary". That is what you want to project through your movements and actions. Most bullies, robbers and idiots, will choose to pick easier prey (even those who enjoy violence. They enjoy violence, but don’t enjoy getting seriously hurt). The only problem with projecting this attitude is that occasionally you may have to really hurt someone (some people just don't pick up on the danger, or don't care). Now for you guys who may be "freaking out" about what I am saying relax! I don't condone excessive violence, nor do I say that you should not try to talk your way out of a confrontation. If someone tries to rob me, I most likely would just give up my money. But there are times when talking isn't going to work, or you feel that a robber may become violent no matter what you give to them or you have to protect a loved one (I pity the person that threatens my children!). In those situations, you should not hesitate in your action. Nor should you be squeamish about what happens. Doc put it best "Be kind and gentle to your fellow man, until your fellow man threatens you or your family’s safety. Then become ruthlessly aggressive, after all if you don't protect yourself, who will?" One of the things that I teach in my Self-defense course is that the police rarely arrive at the scene of a crime before or even during the commission of the crime! Remember in my article on speed, I talked about the responses to a threat are flee, fight or freeze. Well that holds true for your attacker as well. If they are met with a sudden and violent response to their action, the surprise may be even greater (especially if the violence is at an unexpected level), which could cause them to freeze or flee. An example of this happened to me a couple of years ago. I was a local bar with some friends, when a "tough" guy came in. He walked up to our table, slammed his drink down, and began being verbally aggressive. We got up and left. My friends and I went to another bar, and was followed by our antagonist. Again he came over to us (this time with four of his buddies) and began making threats. We got up and went out the front door, but as we got outside, Joe (his name) came from around back, making threats. This time instead of walking away, I grabbed Joe by the throat, slammed him up against the wall, told him I was going to make him my play thing, bit his cheek, and reaped his leg (throwing him to the ground). I then turned to his "friends" (my friends said that I had an insane look in my eye…lol) and asked, " who's next?" as it turns out they were not friends after all. To this day my friend Joe leaves shortly after I arrive any place that he happens to be…. Hmmm? Now I know that some of you are thinking that I still could have avoided the conflict and didn’t. I agree and disagree. In hindsight, I should have gone home after the first encounter! Since I did not and instead left the area he was in twice, I felt that his rushing up to me outside the second bar demonstrated his desire for a fight. I didn’t really hurt him, but I took the encounter to a whole other level, and because normally people back down from Joe, my action was unexpected. Not only was Joe concerned for his safety, his “buddies” and even some of my buddies were concerned for their own safety as well. Again I reiterate that walking away or talking your way out of a fight is best, but sometimes you have to be able to prove that you should be left alone. In my encounter, Joe and his friends were mentally stunned because they were expecting one reaction and got another. They all froze when confronted with the reality of what I was willing to do.

Now I must say that if you are not willing act quickly and with “total commitment”, then this thought process is going to be useless to you. Total commitment is of course a relative term. It does not always mean killing a target. It could be something like this: A young girl was walking home from school. A man driving a van tried to stop her. The girl became suspicious of the man, because he wanted her to get in the van with him. The man began following the girl, asking her if she would go to the mall with him. The girl knowing that she could not get away, or hope to physically defeat the man, walked up the street. When she saw another man and a woman getting out of a car and starting to enter a home, she screamed at the man to stop following her and then walked right up to the home and entered without knocking. Of course the man sped off! The little girl explained to the stunned homeowners what had just happened, and the police were called. The man was picked up several blocks away and was identified as a know sex offender. I would say that the girl was very smart. Why would I call this behavior total commitment, because she decided what action to take and did not hesitate to act, which at the least kept her from being sexually assaulted and most likely saved her life! In this example can you see how the little girls actions turned the psychological tables on the man. He thought he was in control looking for the opportunity to victimize the girl, but became afraid when she aggressively reacted to him and used her environment to her advantage.

I realize that this topic isn’t thought of as significant as discussions on specific techniques and such, but understanding the motives and psychological aspects of your possible assailants as well as your own, can make you a more effective in avoiding an assault. It is also useful in the event you have to defend yourself!

[cross]

Excellent post.

I realize that this topic isn’t thought of as significant as discussions on specific techniques and such, but understanding the motives and psychological aspects of your possible assailants as well as your own, can make you a more effective in avoiding an assault. It is also useful in the event you have to defend yourself!

In my opinion this sort of stuff is far more important than discussion on technique etc.

To answer the poll question. I think it would be any of those motives listed depending on the specifics of the attack.

The important thing to defending against each type of threat is understanding the underlying motive and playing to that in order to give the aggressor what they want without sacrificing your own safety. And also knowing when you will not be able to meet their demands and will require to defend yourself with physical techniques.

[bushido_man96]

Good information there. Very helpful. Thanks again!

[BlueKiwi]

Massive thread dredge I know. But I just wanted to say:

This is a great piece and thank you for taking the time to write it. Even all these years later, someone can still really take something away from this.

Thank you!

[Spartacus Maximus]

The poll seems to be begging for a simple, one-dimensional answer to a very complex question. The answer cannot be any one of the choice answers alone and is always a combination of two or more of them.

"Why do some people attack others" sounds simple, but it is a very difficult question. It depends on the specific condition of the attacker. Mental and emotional state at the time etc, etc.

In the most general and broad terms, one reason: Want. People will attack others because of want things. Usually it boils down to material and influence/power. Every single violent attack can be defined in those to fundamental motivations. Consider these simple examples:

A mugger will attack because he wants the victims valuables

A gangster will attack because he wants to keep or expand power/influence

A rapist will attack because he wants power by forcing the victim to accept his will and submit

A religious or ideological fanatic will attack because he wants power to forcefully impose his vision.

[Hawkmoon]

To me its a persons want to control or have power over something or someone, something that stems form a flaw in that person!

So to quote and use Spartacus Maximus list:

A mugger will attack because he wants the victims valuables

A gangster will attack because he wants to keep or expand power/influence

A rapist will attack because he wants power by forcing the victim to accept his will and submit

A religious or ideological fanatic will attack because he wants power to forcefully impose his vision.

A poor or bad education would go some if not a long way to explaining that list.

(Hell maybe all the way...!)

You don't become a CEO of a corporation with an education in finger painting!

We fear what we don't understand, and when we try to control it things happen that only add to the confusion and fear of it...whatever it is!

We crave control of things we don't understand our ego/pride in many cases simply will not allow us to admit we don't have a idea its seen as a sign of weakness , that's a problem only education can fix!