How to defend the sucker punch!
Defend the Sucker Punch!
It never fails…
Two people face to face talking trash or one person talking while the other person remains silent. Then suddenly one unleashes a surprise attack! Usually a big hooking punch with their dominant hand but not always.
The person getting hit is never ready to defend the sucker punch so they get blasted and often knocked out.
Something in our egos makes us do this detrimental dance. But statistics show that the person who sucker punches wins the fight 90% of the time.
Odds are you won’t be the person hitting first so how in the world are you supposed to win if the other person sucker punches first?
By following these concepts for how to defend the sucker punch…
Concept #1 – Create Space
Distance is your friend. Reaction time is simply pattern recognition and already being in position.
But remember you are still a human and subject to human physiology.
That means from the moment your attacker throws their sucker punch your brain has to do the following:
- Receive the visual stimulus through the eyes.
- Fire that signal down the optic nerves to the brain.
- The brain then has to form a picture (what is that?) of a punch.
- Then believe it or not it goes through a very complex process of determining if that punch is a threat or not.
- After that it must choose an appropriate response from your repertoire of practiced responses.
- If you don’t have a practice response (or enough reps of it) then you freeze or flinch.
- If you do have a practiced response it will now fire off your defensive move by sending signals to your skeletal muscles.
Well guess what?
You got hit probably on step number 3 or 4.
That is if you were toe to toe.
What if you were far enough away that your attacker had to take a step, maybe two? Do you think you could react in time now to block their sucker punch?
Yep, pretty sure you would own that.
Concept #2 – Hands Up
Same basic concept as the first one. If your hands are down it takes too long to get them up by your face to defend the sucker punch.
Depending on the situation you should have your hands in one of several different positions such as:
- “Calm down” position to deescalate
- “Hmm that’s interesting, or Prayer hands” if you are trying to look like nothing is bothering you
- “Stop – stay back” for a firmer message
- “Stay the F*CK back” for a more aggressive message
Concept #3 – Don’t Talk Trash
First off don’t be a douche. Don’t let your ego get the better of you. Staying level headed dramatically increases your odds of winning.
Two other really good reasons to avoid trash talking:
One you might be able to deescalate things. But as soon as you insult someone’s ego they feel obligated to fight.
Two there are smartphone and security cameras everywhere. You are likely being recorded. While you might think you are just and in the right but when the police officer who arrives on scene watches the video of you stepping up willingly to the other person and trash talking there goes your self-defense option. You are now involved in mutual combat. And if the other person gets badly hurt (which perhaps you did not intend) regardless you are in big legal trouble.
Concept #4 – Use a Natural Flinch Response
The problem many martial artists face is that they want to use a particular move or sequence to counter an attack. They plan out in their head how it will go and what they will do. They might even rep it out with a compliant partner.
But what happens when the attack doesn’t happen the way they planned?
More complexity equals the more things can go wrong.
Instead use a natural flinch response to defend the sucker punch. Our human brains react to imminent danger by pushing away using limbs and pulling the head and body away. This is hardwired into your nervous system. So rather than trying to detrain something that is already there (and the single fastest thing you can do… flinch) why don’t we use it?
You can see examples of the flinch response on the video.
Concept #5 – Hit First or Wait?
Would you like to know the absolute best way to defend the sucker punch?
Sucker punch them first.
Your brain works just like a computer. A series of “if this then that” gates. So if you get this input then the brain will produce this response.
Great you have trained your response for a right hook, someone drawing a gun, etc. But have you programmed your brain for what stimuli would make you choose to hit someone first vs. wait for them to attack?
Because it just really is a HUGE deal!
There are legal, moral, and ethical consequences to hitting first. There are tactical consequences to waiting for the attacker to hit first.
I can’t tell you whether it is correct to hit first or wait because I know nothing of your potential situation.
The best thing you can do is create your own hit first or wait list.
Here are some things you should consider when creating your list:
- Local laws
- The size, strength, capabilities of your attacker
- The number of your attacker(s)
- Do you have combat-able friend with you to assist if things go wrong?
- Are you in public or secluded?
- What are the consequences of them winning (robbery, rape, death, or just a black eye and bruised ego, or do you even know)?
- Do you have distance to assist your reaction time?
- Has this person verbally threatened you with physical violence?
- Did they just use physical violence on someone else?
- Are you in a position of authority such as a law enforcement officer?
- Have you demonstrated any aggression towards this person or are you moving away from them telling them to “stay back”?
- Are there cameras and witnesses around?
- Could you articulate to a reasonable non-self-defense person why you had to hit first?
- Do you live in the Mad Max world or in a civilized society with rules and laws against fighting?
Concept #6 – Cover Your Six
Guard your back against an unseen attack by having something behind you like a wall, table, friends, etc. If you are in open space you can use quick peeks left and right. If you are surrounded by strangers start moving to a more advantageous position.
Concept #7 – Stance and Demeanor
If your stance is narrow and squared up with your attacker you can be easily knocked off balance.
However if you take an obvious fighting stance you are likely to escalate the situation.
Try to find a hybrid where your widen your feet and angle your stance 45° to your aggressor without it being noticed.
Leaning back or showing nervous movements will come off as meekness and will encourage your aggressor to throw that sucker punch.
Once again a more aggressive posture might escalate the situation.
Instead stand tall, confident, and calm. Have your hands in an appropriate up or “ready” position that doesn’t look like a fighting position. Keep all movements smooth, slow, and calming.
Get ready to defend the sucker punch without looking like you are getting ready.
Hands and voice are where you will show the most nervous energy, practice eliminating it there first.
Unless you want to fight don’t insult their ego. Saying something like “take one step closer and I will f*ck you up!” is bad for 2 reasons.
- Insulting someone’s ego will often force them to fight as they don’t want to lose face in front of others.
- Can be used by a lawyer against you as proof that you threatened their client and thus have some legal or civil liability.
Instead just say something simple and non-insulting like, “stay back” or “leave me alone.”
Concept #8 – Emotional Control
If you let your ego and emotions get hijacked by your aggressor then you will likely lose all of the previous 7 concepts and be unable to defend the sucker punch.
It sure is easier said than done to keep a cool head when someone is insulting you, yelling at you, etc.
It is well worth doing some visualization practice where you experience the emotional rush of an aggressor and see yourself staying cool headed, calculated, and in-control.
Final Thoughts
Like anything, get your reps if you want to be successful. Since this is one of the primary entries for violence in our modern urban world we drill this frequently in our Jeet Kune Do classes and in private training with my clients.
Until next time,
Brian
