Process of An Attach

The theory presented below was accumulated from watching and observing attackers over the years in a training environment. It is my own research and observation especially of self observation while in the attackers position.

The subject below discusses the passionate attacker, not a dispassionate attacker. A passionate attacker is one who attacks because he is agitated by something.  He is not a hired killer and the victim with a price on his head.  That is another subject, and harder to study.  Most commonly,he is mad, or upset emotionally enough to assault the victim.

1. Intention build up.

The attacker is disturbed or agitated to the point of emotional instability,or enters the environment under this condition. He has not rationally nor mentally made a decision as to what he will do, nor even mentally decided to attack, but rather emotionally decided he is going “to get” the victim. He might be agitated by anger, fear, jealousy, hate, revenge, or apprehension.

2. Situation evaluation.

The rationale of the attacker looks over the situation. What weapon is at hand, what is the distance, does he, the attacker have an injury that must betaken into account, does the victim have any attribute that can easily be taken advantage of, is there an authority close by that must be avoided? The attacker evaluates the victim, the environment, and his limitations rationally,logically, according to his perceptions.

3. Process selection.

With the situation evaluated the attacker logically chooses the mode of attack based on the interaction of emotion, and perception of the situation. If the goal is only to steal an ice cream cone the process selected (a trip for instance) will be different than if the goal is to kill the victim, which will be different if the goal is to rape the victim, which will be different if the goal is to arrest a suspect, which will be different if the goal is to steal a purse.

4. Spiritual approach.

The attacker “plays out” the entire scene as he visualizes it will happen, as he wants, and hopes it will happen. This is not a rational thought process, but a work of the imagination. It has a life of itself not dependent upon rational, logical, thought processes. It is similar to day dreaming.

5. Mental review.

One last situation evaluation will be made rationally, and if everything is satisfactory, the next stage will be entered. If not, the attacker will return to the stage wherein the problem lies; usually step 2 or 3.

6. Nervous system activation.

The brain sends out the necessary impulses racing through the nervous system to activate the muscles that will execute the plan formulated.

7. Physical approach

The muscles carry out the plan as directed by the nervous system. Commitment is made by body mass and velocity. The law of inertia comes into play so that the body, to a certain measure, is bound to the path of execution physically.

Hopefully, nothing dramatically changed in the environment from step two through step six that will affect the successful execution of step seven. If that is the case, the attacker may not notice that change mentally; he is busy playing out the attack as the body is executing it. If he is taken advantage of by the defender,  through the use of blocking, or maneuvering, he will go into a short time of psychological shock, while he comes to the realization that things did not happen as planned. He thinks for a moment that he has successfully hit the opponent, and is confused during this time as he tries to figure out why things are as they are if the opponent was hit. He goes through a moment of denial of the situation as it is, trying to mentally establish things again according to his plan, for he is not able to accept yet that he has failed. This psychological shock is augmented if he is unbalanced by the block or maneuver. It is during this time of shock that he is an easy target for a counter attack.