Defend Against A Sucker Punch
Apr 03, 2023Without question there is nothing more cowardly than a sucker punch.
And believe me… if you are not thinking about how you’re going to defend against it, then you’re asking for trouble…
Listen: in my profession I’ve seen it happen too many times to count…
Over the past 20 years I’ve spent time in the Army SSF, smashing guys with pugil sticks, getting smashed myself, and perfecting hand to hand combat. After I left the army I joined the police department and Special Operations as part of a SWAT team where I retired as the Team Leader.
I’ve participated in over 500 tactical operations taking down armed suspects. I’ve also been assigned to gang task forces where we would move through the nightclub scene doing checks for known gang members.
However the sucker punch isn’t limited to just criminals…
Hands down it’s one of the most common tactics used by dirty street fighters, aggressive drunks and violent criminals alike…
As the name implies, the sucker-punch, also known as the ‘king-hit’ if you live in Australia, relies on your attacker’s ability to dupe you into a false sense of security, lowering your fight-awareness…(never forget your situational awareness… more on that later)
They’ll do this through engaging the your mind with words or movement — meanwhile closing the distance and getting into a good striking position — to then deliver one single almighty punch.
This punch is delivered with full speed and full power to do one thing and one thing only: knock you out.
In such situations, there is no fight. There is only an ambush, brutality and violence. There is not a loser as such, only someone who has been victimized. Often times it’s not the hit that kills but the fall.
Youtube is packed full of sickening videos of a victim being punched, falling limp onto the concrete with their head bouncing off the ground and getting the crap kicked out of him while lying defenseless.
And if that’s you lying on the floor — critically injured or worse — you can bet that the next victim is going to be whoever you are with. So if you want to remain standing in order to protect your friends and loved ones you need to learn to counter the risk of the sucker punch right now!
First and most importantly, the title of this article is slightly misleading. I don’t want you in a position of defense.
There is no defense to a sucker punch. That’s the nature of an ambush. You don’t know it’s coming. If you did know it was coming and got hit well then that’s a skills issue.
Putting yourself in a reactive mindset is going to get you in a world of trouble. This is one of those situations where you are going to have to strike first or suffer the consequences.
I want you to understand the mechanics of this situation so you can appropriately switch gears both mentally and physically.
The Layout of a Sucker Punch Scenario
There is some sort of confrontation brewing and you feel the ice in your veins. Welcome that feeling… it is adrenaline priming your system… this is a good thing.
Engagement: In a total ambush your attacker will engage you with general verbal dialogue. He’s hoping you don’t realize violence is coming. So be aware of everything, how he is dressed, your location, time of day. You must be able to simultaneously process all of these pieces of
information to accurately assess the danger level.
This could be something as innocuous as a request for directions, or “Do you know so-and-so?” etc. — and non-threatening body movements. This will invite you into striking range.
Distraction: They will distract your mind with questions (waiting
until you begin answering before ambushing) or forcing you to look away. This is done by having you look away at a location or direction by having to reference things in your environment.
This provides a window of opportunity for the bad guy when your eyes are averted.
Ambush: Once you are looking away the attacker ambushes you with a sucker-punch.
Escape: The offender then goes about robbing you and escapes as fast as he can in case of witnesses or electronic surveillance in the area.
Sucker Punch Counter Measures
To avoid the sucker punch, your mind needs to work differently than the majority of sheep walking the earth. If you haven’t elevated your game yet, the time is now!
Consider the following points as you assess the scenario:
- Environment – when approached by a stranger for what seems like a routine conversation, your responsibility is to assess.
Where are you in the street, what can you immediately use to your advantage if necessary. Is your back exposed or can you use a building nearby as cover. Are there witnesses present? What is your opponent wearing? Why are they singling you out?
All of these isolated little fragments of information paint a much fuller picture when put together. You must know how to process these and how you can use your environment to your advantage. - Stance – if someone approaches you and their reason isn’t immediately apparent but there is a little sensation in your brain warning you… you can set yourself up for success even by how you stand and interact with this person.Widen your stance slightly and put one foot slightly ahead of the other.
- Get your hands up into a position we call “interview stance”. This means your arms are bent and your hands are up just above your belly button as you talk with the person. This should be a very relaxed stance but it allows you to immediately transition from being passive to being poised for action if required.
- W.O.O – this is a critical component to your planning process and your response. Weapons Of Opportunity.What do have immediately in your possession or surroundings that you can use to end the fight fast if required.There are several ways you can use a variety of different objects or tools in your environment to inflict necessary violence if required.
Listen: I have only scratched the surface here. These 4 critical points will allow you to diffuse the threat of a sucker punch. However if your would-be attacker is intent on violence then you need to make sure you are ready for whatever he throws down next.
Being prepared for these types of things doesn’t necessarily require studying for years to get a black belt, but rather it requires some critical mental retooling, and a handful of go-to moves that will allow you to completely dominate the situation and your opponent.
Make no mistake about it… you don’t rise to the occasion. You Sink to the level of your training.
Society has put your ability to defend yourself to sleep. Too many guys walk around complacent with the attitude that this kind of thing happens to other people. I’ve seen and trained guys to defend themselves with some key moves you can learn in a matter of minutes. This unique training is an absolute game changer and tips the scales in your favour.
If I had a nickel for every time I have been at the scene of an assault where the victim is in shock and says… ”this kind of thing doesn’t happen here” or “I didn’t think this would happen to me… whyyyy is this happening to me?” I would have a lot of nickels.
