Look for pre-assault cues. What notice did the recipient of the initial strike have that they missed?
Watch for things that are consistent across many videos including: poor quality grappling, wild striking, verbal cues, unused escape routes.
Notice how sloppy real fights are. Be careful to avoid saying things to yourself like “I’d just do X.” X often doesn’t work unless you have practiced it against a resisting & free-thinking partner.
Watch the video, then think when or if you would have attempted to access a weapon. Many times the “proper” weapon access time comes and goes in a matter of seconds. You must do it in a way that the draw is not capable of being fouled, but wait long enough that the action is warranted. Accessing the weapon too early or too late can have equally dire consequences. We think after an honest assessment you’ll find that sometimes you may be asked to handle problems without weapons.
Pre-Assault Cues
At 8-9 seconds (and the later views of the same time) we can see furtive head movement as he looks behind himself for other witnesses, police, etc.
21sec – He loads up just like a pitcher about to throw a fastball. He loads his hip and swings his momentum for a huge knockout punch.
Discussion
As much as I’m not a fan of simply saying situational awareness can win the day, nor do I believe anyone can be “switched on” all the time, this guy wasn’t paying any attention. The man in green was acting strangely and was in very close proximity which are all things needed to make a sucker punch. The head movement and huge wind-up were classic pre-assault cues that weren’t heeded at all. Just being a little more aware could have changed this scenario completely.
