Are UK Police not allowed to hit a suspect who's assaulting them?

The other thing to consider that if you do pin someone down you are in a mount position (a generalization I know) and can appear to be the aggressor by bystanders, even if you are the one defending themselves.

 

While we are on the subject of distractions and disruptions here are the 4 D's by Geoff Thompson.

The Four 'D's by Geoff Thompson

There are four techniques often used by attackers, especially muggers and rapists, in preparing victims for attack. Although these are nearly always overlooked by self-defence writers, the four 'D's - dialogue, deception, distraction and destruction - are the most important element of self-protection to be aware of.

DIALOGUE

Dialogue designed to disarm and distract the targeted victim is the professional attacker's most common priming technique.

An attacker will approach a potential victim in a non-threatening way and begin a conversation.

Often, he will ask a question about directions, ask if you have the time, a light, or any spare change.

His objective is to make you think about his question, so that you do not notice the weapon he is drawing, or his accomplice coming around behind you.

It only takes a second of distraction for you to get into deep trouble. Understanding this will make you more aware and keep you alert, which is the most important part of target hardening.

DECEPTION

An attacker uses deception to make himself appear harmless.

Dialogue and appearance are the most common methods used to deceive victims, to make them let down their guard. Do not expect dangerous people to stand out in a crowd.

Attacks may start with politeness, even with an ingratiating approach.

Deception is the attacker's greatest asset. Every attack I have ever documented that was not a blind-side attack (the ones that happen when you do not use awareness) came through deception, the attacker using this as a window of opportunity.

DISTRACTION

Distraction is a part of deception and usually comes through dialogue.

The attacker may ask his victim a question and then initiate attack while the victim is thinking about the answer. This distraction also switches off any instinctive, spontaneous physical response the victim may have.

A man with twenty years of physical training in a fighting art can be stripped of his ability by this simple ploy. I have witnessed many trained fighters, who are monsters in the controlled arena get beaten by a guy with only an ounce of their physical ability. How? They were distracted before the attack.

Rob, a hardened street fighter and nightclub doorman, always told potential opponents that he didn't want to fight before he attacked them. Their first thought when recovering consciousness would be: 'I'm sure he said he didn't want to fight!'

If the distraction is submissive, 'I don't want any trouble, can we talk about it?' will also take your assailant down from a state of fight or flight to one of low awareness, because your submissiveness tells him that the danger is over and he can relax into self-congratulation.

Brain engagement via disarming/distracting dialogue, gives the victim a blind second. This is when the assailant strikes. The distraction is also used by the experienced attacker to take down any protective fences that may have been constructed by the victim (the 'fence' is dealt with in detail in a later chapter).

DESTRUCTION

This is the final product of expert priming.

Few people survive the first physical blow and most are out of the game before they even realise that they are in it.

Even trained martial artists often get suckered by the four 'D's because these do not appear on their training curriculum. They do not understand the enemy they are facing.

The attacker uses the techniques of deception and distraction to prime a victim that is only trained in 'physical response'.

 

The dialogue stuff I always find quite fascinating. Even after having been exposed to some of this and read about on it on here for years, I'm still very aware of all the times someone has asked me for the time and I've instinctively out of politeness looked straight at my phone to answer, not giving any consideration to situational awareness and all that.

It's quite sobering how non-instinctual this stuff is despite how simple it sounds.

 

And that is what the mugger relies on.

I've had self defence courses that fail to take off because so many think it's unnecessary.

Some things are obvious once they've been pointed out to you.

 

Disliked by some (John Titchen dislikes it) and used by others (Hannibal uses it) there is Cooper's Colour Code.

Cooper's Colour Code was devised by the late Geoff Cooper, who broke down situational awareness into levels of escalating degrees of preparation.

The colour code system is a mental process, rather than a physical one.







I liken this to crossing the road.

You are in Code Yellow (which is where I spend my time unless at home*).

You see there are no on-coming cars so cross the road.

Alternatively you see a car coming a bit quicker than you thought and see the threat has changed. You move instantly into code orange, as there is a specified alert.

You may need to go red and sprint across the road.

Get to the other side and return to code yellow.

You'll all have seen people who block a shopping aisle while having a chat.

They are in code white and completely oblivious to anyone around them.

When my kids were younger (I have 4) I used to take mental pictures every few seconds. Scan the area to check they were all in tow.

Do it again 10 seconds later and mentally compare it to the last picture. Any changes, or any missing kids and the alert level goes from yellow to orange and potentially higher.

*Some of you may recall an incident many years ago when I was confronted at my door by a guy with a knife.

I was at home, tired, mentally switched off and in code white.

Going to code yellow even answering the door would have been preferable.

It's easy go get caught out as Southpaw mentioned.

Finally I apologise for the HAVOC logos, but I'm not searching the interwebs for clean images.

 

It works the other way too. The way we are perceived by others.

For example yesterday in a shopping centre car park was a woman with both hands full of shopping.

She has unlocked her car, but couldn't open her door while still holding the bags.

I offered and opened the door, but was very aware of the words I used, the angle I approached and so on.

To her I hope it just appeared a friendly gesture, but to me there was so much more going on.

 

That's the reason you hate them? There's so many other options though