Identify an attacker who practices martial arts

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How to identify someone who has a martial arts training

In a self-defense scenario, being able to (rapidly) recognize the combat preparation contextual cues of a potential aggressor can be a crucial survival factor.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Even if it is impossible to truly make precise assessments of a person we do not know, the capability to spot some of the most evident hints:

Before an eventual physical confrontation – Allows us to evaluate better our options (read Personal defense: the S.A.F.E. method)
In the early stages of a fight – Allows us to tactically decide how much we can / should expose ourselves (be more defensive, aggressive, etc.)

Do all martial arts practitioners are equally dangerous?

Absolutely not.

The fact is that if we are serious practitioners (read for example You can call yourself a 6 Dragons Kung Fu’s practitioner if…), those people who are deluded to master martial arts by going 1 hour per week at the classic gym course, may even be less dangerous than those who have zero preparation (read Why martial arts do not work: 5 reasons and What makes a martial arts practitioner dangerous?).

A note by Master Kongling – There is a funny quote about this from the movie “The Karate kid” (read 12 teachings from the movie The Karate Kid): “Walk on road. Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish, just like grape. Here, Karate, same thing. Either you Karate do yes, or Karate do no. You Karate do guess so, [makes squish gesture] just like grape. Understand?”. Deluding ourselves that we know how to fight by trying to apply something we do not master and / or for which we are not trained, can easily lead to express an inferior performance to the “innate” one (regardless of how many years we may have practiced martial arts).

Said this, these are the 2 evaluations that are worth making:

The first (and more straightforward) is understanding if we are facing a common person or a martial arts practitioner
The second (much more difficult) is understanding the level of danger of our opponent

The signals that identify an attacker who practice martial arts

Without any claim to completeness, this is a list of some of the most common attitudes that (may) identify a generic martial arts practitioner.

Before the fight:

Prepare a (not aggressive) guard stance – Do things like raising the arms frontally, lowering the chin, stand in profile and broadening the posture (read A self-defense trick: the secret guard stances and Kung Fu rooting: the pyramid concept)
Eliminate anything that is bulky – Remove (worse than worse without haste) all those accessories or items of clothing that clutter, block or that could even just slow down movements (bulky clothes, bracelets, etc.); naturally, we are not talking about those who strip naked only to show their muscles or throw their clothes off in anger
Study the characteristics of the scenario – Check for eventual obstacles and opportunities (witnesses, other people that could intervene, closed areas, encumbrances, space where it is possible to move, etc.)
Body preparation – When possible / reasonable, start basic movements of stretching and / or warm-up (but in any case, without lowering the attention level); obviously we are not talking about complete series of exercises but about a sort of “small adjustments”; those who train intensely on a daily basis do not need excessive body preparation and usually know which are the most delicate points on which to intervene (read How to always be ready to fight)
One for all, complete calmness – In front of danger, a real and complete calm made of concentration combined with one or more of the previous signals; this is one of the worst cases, in fact, it probably means that whoever we are dealing with is in his / her element
The offer of one last chance – In conjunction with one or more of the other signals, asking if we are really sure we want to fight (but in a measured way, without threatening in any way and at the same time, without backing down in any way, neither psychologically nor physically)
…

Just after combat has started:

Dynamic balance – Maintain even during the first interactions a very balanced and calibrated spatial position (managing distances, coordination, pace and position)
Technical precision – Perform quick but precise actions in both defense and attack phases (no matter if calmly or aggressively)
Take a correct guard stance – Read How to rapidly learn Kung Fu: guard stance
Show mercy – If after the first exchanges (completely against us and without effort from our opponent), he / she (gently) asks us if we really want to continue, it is very likely that he / she has already understood that he / she can easily beat us (it is therefore worth looking for an alternative solution, because soon it will be easy for us to end up knocked down); clearly, it is not automatic that this happens but neither impossible, it depends on what is at stake (the point is that those who are really good at fighting cannot bear to face someone who is too “inferior” in combat)
…

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

It must be reiterated that these are not all possible signals, beyond a certain limit they become specific choices of a certain style, school or even instructor; for example, the fact of trying to reach a weapon (read Improper weapons in a real situation) is possible but not a common factor in all types of martial training (which could perhaps be more oriented towards another type of fight, combat sports, etc., read also What is the difference between real fights and combative sports?); even the fact of looking for calluses, bruises or other can help to increase suspicions but it is not a determining factor (there is an infinity of downright dangerous practitioners who have no visible sign)
Let’s not forget that we should never listen to what a person says but watch what he / she does and how he / she involuntarily expresses non-verbally; in particular, we have to pay attention to the eyes (they are really the mirror of the soul, read also Self-defense: nonverbal body communication) and to the direction in which he / she moves (is he / she slowly moving away? Is he / she approaching?)
The mere fact of speaking little or a lot is another signal that can easily be open to various interpretations and can even depend on the type of preparation; in fact, if on one hand silence can be both synonymous with terror and inner calm, on the other hand, talking a lot can be a symptom of fear but also of tactics; in our school, for example, we teach a very simple thing “who talks don’t fight” and “time is almost always your friend” (that’s why we teach negotiation techniques, read /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///); in short, the fact of speaking or not, if not crossed with other elements, must not lead us to make too hasty judgments
An opponent that, in a situation that for most people should be fight-or-flight, shows real tranquility and serenity is probably the worst possible (it may be the sign of a life of martial discipline); the good news is that, generally speaking, it is very rare that such a person attacks without a serious reason
As the most attentive will certainly have noticed, in this discussion we do not take for granted the fact that we are the victims; we strongly believe that a correct education in self-defense should not always assume that we are on the right side (this is a sort of counterproductive conditioning, read also Training in negative)
In conclusion, let’s stress that only practical experience and attention to detail can let us “read” our opponents correctly (read How to study an opponent); we also have to understand that each fighting style, each person, etc. is and remains unique, we created this guide only to give some general indications and not certainties (life tells that we have to accept the probable but wisdom to never stop doubting)
…

In the next article of this series, we will discuss the signal that identifies a not-dangerous, fake or amateur-level martial arts practitioner.

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – All the core practices to gain real martial skills (described in detail)
Self-defense basics: how to – Our core self-defense video course: from the theory to the practice
Self-defense: not violent self-preservation – A guide to all the possible solutions before accessing violence

In-depth articles

Avert dangers: the concept of constant attention – Cover the gap between our reflexes and a sudden attack
Self-defense: how to avoid street robbery – How to address a practical self-defense scenario, a street robbery

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Have you ever been wrong in assessing an opponent’s martial skills?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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