Looking for some experienced opinions here.
It's a slow Saturday here so I found myself watching a couple vids on youtube. I don't typically do that as most of the stuff on youtube is, to put it nicely, crap. But I was bored so I thought I'd look up some gun reviews and wound up watching a few shooting clips with people that are far more tacticool than me. (Actual videos unimportant) One thing that jumped out at me was the comment of squaring yourself against the target, as you would in a real fight with the "body alarm" response. I've heard this and thoughts like it before but I had never really thought about it much.
It is my experience that people don't square themselves up against an attack, surprise or not.
Later this evening I was chatting with a friend and shooting buddy of mine and I mentioned it to him. He was taught, by Magpul I believe but perhaps someone else, that yes; you instinctively square up with the target, bend at the knees to lower your center of gravity and bring your head down.....all the while your heart rate doubles and your eyes try to pop out of your head. I agree with most of that I suppose, but I question the "square up" portion of it.
I have some experience with HTH altercations having done a bit of doorman work in the past and it is my observation that people tend to angle or blade themselves from an attacker, with the weak/non-dominant side forward. Admittedly I have not studied any after action reports regarding this, and my personal experience is comparatively limited, both in duration and scope, compared to lifer LEO/Mil/.gov types and therefore my sample size is small. But I don't remember anyone ever squaring off with me, or another doorman, or another patron/aggressor. The only time guys "squared off" was when they were going to talk a lot of smack, typically getting right in each others face. But that is macho posturing BS. While I am willing to buy into that sort of posturing as a genetically hard-wired process I don't believe it is the same as the fight or flight reactions.....I suspect it is a whole different phase of a confrontation.
I expressed this at greater length to my buddy who expressed that the "squaring off" is a "body alarm" response and it is hard-wired into everyone......it is something you WILL do not matter what. Completely unavoidable, and therefore it is wise to train for it as you WILL respond that way.
Interesting.
So I went back to youtube and watched a few more vids.....not convinced. People don't fight like gingerbread men, at least not in my experience or observation. Surveillance vids of fights show people often leading with the weak/off side, though a found a few that were the exact opposite with the person leading with the strong side, notably when they have a weapon it in. My search was not exhaustive by any means, but it is after 01:00 here so I have to get to bed soon and I'm not really interested in filling my head with any more images of people getting attacked/hit/knifed/shot/killed before tuck in time at the pillow ranch.
I'm not trying to kill any sacred cows here guys, or piss off any trainers. I am just curious to hear what people have seen/experienced first hand. I am totally prepared to be wrong.
Thanks
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