Ah, yes, the sucker punch. Here at Skillset, we have been sucker punched more times than we would like to admit. No one likes to be punched, and no one likes to be punched like a sucker. So, in today’s article and video, we are going to discuss the skills needed to survive being punched like a sucker by a sucker with a sucker punch.
What Qualifies as a Sucker Punch?
There are a few definitions of a sucker punch. A cheap shot. A concealed strike. A person who punches you from behind. Basically, any sneaky punch or strike where a person points and asks, “Hey, what’s that over there?” and when you look away to see what all the hoopla is about, they clock you.
Luckily for you, we here at SKILLSET have a certain set of skills that we have acquired over time that can help you survive 83.6% of even the cheapest of all cheap shots. However, since nothing is perfect, there is still a 16.4% chance that you will still catch one to the kisser. For the record, these percentages are 100% made up, and we have no idea what chance you have at not getting sucker punched in the schmoozer, but we are kind of convinced the following information on situational awareness can help increase your chance of reading body language, keeping distance, and avoiding a bloodied nose.
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Pay Attention
At least one time in your life, you’re going to come across someone who just “wolfs” a lot, bark, bar, bark, no action. I hope that anytime someone gets in your face, it’s all bark. However, there is that person who’s going to take a step back, pull their pants up, ball up their fist, turn away, and then turn back with a haymaker right at your noggin.
The important thing is to read the body: don’t stare someone in the eye; watch their chest; watch their pockets; watch their feet; look for any step forward or step back, or a pull up of the pants.
If a person is aggressive towards you, take a couple of steps back, keep them outside of arm’s reach, and if they must lunge forward to take a swing at you. This way, you will already have enough distance that, if you back up a little or step to the side, they might miss you with their punch. And NEVER take your eyes off anyone who is even remotely aggressive or argumentative toward you, especially in a public place. Always look for knife pocket clips or any type of “weapon printing” in an attacker’s clothing. Remember, 90% of the population is right-handed, so they are a great chance of the sucker punch coming from the right side.
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Finally, keep your hands up and in front of you, arms extended, at about face level, even if it seems like you are telling someone to calm down or asking them to stop. It is MUCH easier to block or intercept a punch with your hands up. It’s almost impossible to stop a punch starting with your hands down.