You must also understand what your assailant might be looking for - things that might tell him that you are an easy target - so he feels safe to attack you.
It's true that your...
- Body Language
- Vocal Tone
- Size, and...
- Gender
are all factors in determining who might attack you, and how they might attack.
But, there is one cue that many attackers look for that tells them whether or not you're an easy target, or whether they'd have to fight too hard to get anything in return for their efforts.
This "cue" can also be used by you as a tool in your own defense.
But, in order to use it as a tool, or to not have it used against you in a fight - you have to know what it is.
Without this vital piece of knowledge, you're actually giving your attacker an advantage over you.
And, it's one that he'll exploit if you let him! What is it? What is this "thing" about you that, if you don't control it, can be used against you by an astute opponent? What is this "tell," that gives away your fear, regardless of how tough you try to present yourself? What tells a would-be attacker that you truly confident and able to give him more than a run for his money? Do you know? It's your eyes.
And, an attacker who knows what to look for, will be able to read the signals that your eyes are sending - unless you learn how to control them! In the ancient scrolls of the warrior and ninja lineages which form the foundation of the Warrior Concepts Black Belt Life Mastery Program, there are actually instructions for where to point your eyes (called "metsuki" in Japanese).
There are lessons for when you are confident and in command of the situation, as-well-as for times when you know that his spirit is stronger than yours.
And, in either case, he can't tell the difference! This is critically important, because many attackers will use their eyes to intimidate - to attack you in your heart - before he ever attacks you physically.
They will do this to gauge what, if anything, they should be worried about in dealing with you.
They're looking to see if they can break you.
And, your eyes will tell them if, and when, they've succeeded.
Knowing this simple fact can give you a distinct advantage - even over someone who have much more skill in self defense than you have.
So, what is your assailant looking for when he's watching your eyes? I'm not talking about the opponent who's only focused on scaring or intimidating - I'm talking about the attacker who is skilled, meticulous, methodical, and smart.
What's he looking for? He's looking for your eyes to look to the side or down.
This "breaking of contact" says you're uncomfortable and weak - at least to him.
And, in this instance, he has you.
But, how can you keep this from happening? There is a way that you can both prevent this tell from compromising your safety any more, AND possibly break him in the process! The scrolls point to this method by telling you to look at the point above his nose - between his brows.
This isn't something that you can do when you're too close to him, as your eyes will cross and give you away.
But, from a normal fight/attack distance, he can't tell whether you're looking at this spot, or actually staring him right in the eyes! And, from here, without looking directly into his eyes and potentially being effected..
..
..
you can watch for his eyes to move - to break contact!