78 P

OLICE

policemag.com October 2006

I THE WINNING EDGE

Countering

Blind-Side Attacks

Use your natural startle reflex to speed

your response to surprise attacks.

Al Abidin

B

lind-side attacks against officers

are often successful because

many cops think nothing can be

done to thwart them and therefore lit-

tle effort is spent on learning to count-

er them. Consequently, cops are in-

jured, disabled, and even killed by

blind-side punches.

But I’m here to tell you that blind-side

attacks can be thwarted and countered.

That’s right, countered. You don’t

want to just survive a blind-side attack;

you want to gain the advantage against

the suspect who initiated the attack.

So let’s look at how you can prevent

blind-side attacks, how you can survive

them, and how you can take the fight

to the bad guy after he attacks you.

Detecting an Attack

Preventing or deterring an attack is

your primary objective. And since you

can’t see the attacker when he comes up

on your blind side, your best bet for pre-

venting the attack is to hear it coming.

Listen for sudden footsteps or swish-

ing clothing that may indicate an im-

minent blind-side attack. Take evasive

action if you hear them.

You can also use your sixth sense to

determine an imminent threat. A lot of

cops, probably yourself included, have

very acute street sense. If something feels

hinky, it may mean that someone is

coming up behind you. Check your six.

Of course, you won’t always have

that sixth sense and you will not always

hear the tell-tale sounds of a blind-side

attack, especially in industrial areas or

areas with heavy traffic.

Reflexive Action

So there are times when you will be

taken by surprise. When this happens,

you will need to know how to eliminate

or minimize the penetration of the

blind-side attack.

To help you develop your blind-side

attack defense, let’s focus on transform-

ing your natural reflex action into a de-

fensive technique.

Reflexes are something all humans

have. When you touch a hot frying

pan, your reflex action is to quickly pull

away. When you get surprised from be-

hind, your natural response is to be star-

tled and to make a sudden flinching

move. Your eyes blink, your shoulders

rise, and your hands come up near the

chest. This is a good natural defense po-

sition, and you can assume it very fast

because when startled, you automati-

cally move at maximum quickness.

Using the Startle Reflex

The following is a five-step power

move drill that will help you learn to

use the startle reflex to your advantage.

Start each step from a relaxed position.

Your goal is to blend these five steps to-

gether so they appear to be one move

when you perform them.

• Step One—Blink your eyes

The first thing that happens when

you are startled is that your eyes blink.

Forcing this in practice situations will

condition your body and better prepare

you to react and defend yourself. Inten-

tionally blink your eyes, imagining that

someone is suddenly attacking. Do this

enough and whenever someone makes

you blink, you will take a defensive ac-

tion, instead of flinching first before

you defend.

• Step Two—Transform your startle

From a standing position with your

hands resting, palms toward your

You can train your body to detect a blind-side attack and immediately react with a simple defensive technique.