Even a basic understanding of the patterns and rituals exhibited before a confrontation will give a much greater chance of spotting a situation developing before it turns nasty. Although every attack is unique, you can identify several common occurrences.

Most scenarios of arbitrary violence follow the same pattern – picking, testing, challenging, intimidation, and assault. Being able to spot these stages will allow you to evade the problem sooner.

I will use a couple of examples.

First, consider a scenario in a pub or club, where alcohol and male groups significantly contribute to the onset of fights. Many ‘brawlers’ will look for a victim to pick on, knowing that under the influence of alcohol and in the presence of friends, the victim’s ego will stop them from backing down.

Second, we will look at a mugging scenario; the aggressor here is often looking for someone who will not offer them a fight but will hand over property.

Acquisition

A potential mugger will be able to pick out from a crowd the person in the most ‘switched off’ state and begin to evaluate them as the victim.

Playing the eye contact game is one method by which a brawler will acquire a target. By making stare attacks, they are aiming to invade your space and make you feel uncomfortable. Catching someone’s eye is inevitable; how you deal with it is the key.

If you make eye contact and then immediately look away, you are giving off a victim signal. Artificially holding eye contact is considered a hostile challenge, which is equally as likely to get you into trouble. Either of these responses will provide the aggressor an excuse to take the next step in the process.

The safest option is to hold contact for a second and then glance away and carry on with what you were doing. If you convey the impression that the encounter has been inconsequential, you are much less likely to receive a reaction. Another alternative is to acknowledge the aggressor with a wave, nod or mouthed ‘hi’. They may be left wondering where they know you from.

Challenge/Interview

Once a victim has been picked out, they will be approached and, more often than not, questioned.

The brawler nearly always leads with an “Are you looking at me?” type of statement, while muggers may start a more deceptive inquiry.

Muggers will often use some form of question to engage the conscious portions of your brain. By engaging you in discussion, they are lulling you into a false sense of security so they can get close to you. This period of distraction is the time that the attack is most likely to happen. Often they will attempt to defuse the situation falsely; it is amazing how quickly people become your ‘mate’. They are using deception and distraction to lower your guard before attacking.

The opportunist is equally as wily and, through practice, will have a strong idea of what actions they can expect from certain questions.

Think of your responses to the following:

‘Have you got the time?”

‘Can you tell me where the nearest post office is?’

‘Have you dropped something?’ (pointing behind you)

All of these statements will cause most people to look away from the attacker, whether at your wrist, down the street or on the floor. As soon as you take your eyes off the attacker, they will attack.

Being aware of these tricks is often enough to allow you to take control of the situation. If you can control the interview, you can stall the challenge or attack by walking away while giving the time they asked for or explaining route directions from a distance (don’t poke your head into cars).

The brawler is much more aggressive; the primary aim of his challenge is to see if you will back down. Seeing you succumb to intimidation simplifies their lives. If you back down, they may use their new status to attack. In some cases this drop in status on your part may be the result they are looking for; by facing you down they can boost their own ego. Most bullies will avoid a fight if they possibly can, preferring to use intimidation alone.

If you manage to raise yourself to a higher status than them, through greater aggression and posturing or superior numbers, they will quite often back down. This principle is ingrained at such a subconscious level that most people do not even realise it is happening.

Perhaps the most dangerous situation is if you try to maintain equal status. This then escalates into a struggle for dominance, leading to increased aggression from both parties.

By being aware of both the acquisition and interview elements of an encounter, you can avoid escalating the situation and maintain control. By applying your awareness skills, you will receive some warning, and understanding the methods of discussion, deception, or distraction will enable you to turn the tables. Answer questions with a question, pretend you know an aggressor (or member of their family), or do anything which gets them thinking instead of attacking.

If a mugger threatens to hurt you for something material, give it to them. Very few things are worth getting into fights over. If giving someone your cash is what it takes to save you a fight, it shouldn’t be too tough a decision.

Next time – The Attack