The very foundation of defensive tactics is knowing what constitutes an attack in the first place. There are three elements that contribute to an attack. They are Intent, Weapon, and Delivery System. All 3 of these factors need to be present for an assault to succeed. If you remove one of these elements an attack can be mitigated. Let’s take a closer look at each of the component parts:
Intent
Intent is the driving force or motivation to do something. The catalyst. The kindling that fuels the fire. When an assailant is intent on acting and the time and opportunity are right, an attack may occur. Intent may be pre-planned or spontaneous. Either way, it involves identifying the target, method, timing, location and the type of force (weapon or weaponless). In other words, intent includes determining the “who, how, when, where and what” of an attack.
Intent is a thought process. The way to mitigate intent is to change the way someone thinks. Mike Tyson famously said “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”. Impact can change a thought process, as can a display of force. An Officer that opens his ASP baton to the sky with loud verbal commands can almost immediately change a criminal’s bad intentions.
Weapon
A weapon is something that is used to inflict harm during an attack. It can be a gun, knife, club or a tool of some sort. It can also be the personal weapons of an attacker ( hands, feet, knees, teeth). Different weapons cause different effects. Tactics also vary depending on the situation. An interior door of a house would stop a knife but not a bullet. Another example of this is an assailant who swings a wild punch at a victim, the fist becomes the weapon. If the fist doesn’t reach its target the weapon is momentarily nullified. Natural reactions, such as moving away from the attacker’s punch, are plausible, as is learning to create and maintain safe separation during a confrontation.
Delivery System:
The delivery system is what delivers a weapon to its intended victim or target. Each weapon needs both a delivery system and intent. A knife that is on a table is not the problem. The person that picks up the knife and starts swinging it at you is the problem. The arm that is swinging the knife is the delivery system as it’s sending the weapon toward a target. With a wild haymaker attack the arms and torso are the delivery system. Against the empty hand attack the baton is poised for mitigation. Strikes to the center mass of the attacking limb can disrupt and disable the subject’s ability to complete his attack.
When we teach ASP Instructor Certification courses, We simulate the elements of an attack using a Trainer in a RedMan suit as an assailant, swinging wild punches, kicking, closing distance and creating a lot of stress. We start from command presence and verbal commands as a show of force to change intent.This progresses to employing the baton to stop the weapon (punches, kicks etc) from reaching its intended target, by disabling the delivery system (center mass of attacking limb), while controlling and maintaining distance. In training and on the street, officers learn that taking one or more elements out of the fight, stops the fight.