Know Your Enemy --- Chief Instructor's Blog November 2025

Sun Tzu said “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. “
 
In today’s times, one way of knowing your enemy is understanding and seeing the signs of what may turn into an attack.  Besides a few exceptions such as the once popular “Knockout game”, attackers do not typically just attack someone out of the blue. 
 
There are cues to determine if a person may resort to physical violence and understanding those signs will help you to know your enemy.
 
Some physical clues include:

• Rigid or confrontation stance [Ref. 1]

• Clenched first or jaws [Ref. 1]

• Shallow or rapid breathing [Ref. 1]

• Pacing or fidgeting or erratic movements [Ref. 1 and 2]

• Subtle cues such as signs of discomfort, irritability, frustration, or tension [Ref. 1]

• Cursory eye contact leading to Staring {Ref. 2]

• Erratic eye movement [Ref. 2]

• Adrenaline rush indications (e.g., dilated pupils, rapid breathing, pale or flushed skin, trembling, arm splaying, finger beckoning, head nodding, closing the distance [Ref. 2 and 3])

 
Some verbal cues include:

• Raising their voice [Ref. 1]

• Use of sarcastic or aggressive language (e.g., “What are you looking at?”,” Are you looking at me?”. etc. [Ref. 1 and 2]

• Disarming dialogue (e.g., “Haven’t we met somewhere before?”, or “I don’t want any trouble” all while moving forward aggressively [Ref. 2]

• Incoherent speech or rapid talking [Ref. 1]

• Adrenaline rush indications (e.g., quivering voice [Ref. 2])

 
You should also be aware of where people’s hands are.  If they look like they are concealing something (i.e., hands in their pocket or behind their back, etc.), this may be an indication of an intention to start an attack.
 
If you feel you can avoid, walk away, or de-escalate from any situation where a person shows the signs above, those should always be your first options.
 
To see the signs, you must be aware of your surroundings, so encourage everyone when they are out in public to always practice situational awareness. For some additional thoughts on awareness, refer to the blogs More Awareness August 2009 and Awareness Revisited March 2014.  Knowing the signs of an enemy allows you to be practice in your response and gives more time to avoid and walk away before any physical altercation begins.

Regards,

Kelly

"The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them." ~ Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), legendary Japanese samurai and author of The Book of Five Rings

References:
1. 4 Tips for Recognizing and Addressing Aggressive Behavior | Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), retrieved 2 October 2025
2. Three Second Fighter by Geof Thompson
3. What Happens When You Get an Adrenaline Rush? 8 Symptoms, retrieved 2 October 2025