 Bad luck, hated moment, or just a series of unfortunate circumstances you find yourself facing off on an opponent. Now based on your experience, there may be many questions involved, but there is one of them that tends to stick out. Just how much does the other guy know? If you like our channel and want to show your support, you can join us on Patreon or YouTube memberships and get access to member content such as extra interviews, behind the scenes, and additional bonus episodes. We appreciate you all keeping this project growing. So how can you tell if the person you're about to tangle with knows martial arts or has been trained to fight? Are there any clues that can tip you off on if they have experience or perhaps what they might even have experience in? Getting into a fight can be very dangerous, especially if it's with someone you don't know. Knowledge is truly power, so let's talk about a few signs you can look out for to gauge whether or not you're up against someone experienced. Before we get started, and this is a critical note, but I need to say that nothing we're going to look at is an absolute. Every situation is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to an opponent. There is no way to truly know when 100% will kind of threat or danger the other person may pose, but we can only do the best that we can with whatever information is presented to us and try to make an educated decision. If violence can be avoided altogether, then that's usually the best option for all parties involved. We're also going to look at this from two different perspectives. The first is how a person is naturally acting versus how they are responding to an elevated situation. So while we can never truly know for sure the experience or knowledge a stranger has, there can be some possible signs that they have at least done some training. The first thing you can do is observe their behavior. How are they interacting with others? Generally speaking, someone who has training will tend to be aware of what's going on around them. They may have great coordination and navigation to the setting that you're in. Also, a person who has experience with street fighting or violence in general typically won't leave themselves in prone positions. This might include never sitting with their back towards the door, keeping their head up on level so they can observe and hear others, and possibly glancing at reflective surfaces to discreetly observe anything going on behind them. If you find somebody doing this, then there is a higher probability that they are trying to stay mentally prepared. Another sign of this may be in the way they're sitting. Are they at a table or a booth with multiple people? If so, then they most likely prefer the end or aisle seat so they can get out without being obstructed. They may also be keeping one leg out from under the table, or if it's a stool, keeping one foot on the floor so that they can spring up if they suddenly feel the need to do so. A skilled person may be able to discreetly control the distance between themselves and others. Are they letting people get inside their personal space? Are they constantly turning their body so they can face people? If someone reaches out for a handshake, are they turning or intercepting the hand? How are they responding to stimuli? Are they turning towards any unexpected sounds or accidental shoulder bumps or passerbys? Now these are not definitive signs that the person has trained, but it can be reasonably assumed that if a person has skill, they're going to have better coordination, balance and mobility within their environment. We also have to caution on any assumptions based on their physical build. Big muscles don't always mean someone can fight, and appearing out of shape doesn't mean that they can't. There may be some physical clues however, with probably one of the most common ones being cauliflower ears. This condition is the result of many hours of abrasive pressure and contact against the ears, typically the result of extensive grappling. If you see somebody with this, and you already suspect them of training, this is probably a pretty good indicator that they are more than just a hobbyist. Cuts, abrasions, scars, calluses on the two forefront knuckles could also be clues that this person is no stranger to scrapping. So those are just some context clues that might be present. At this stage of observation though, if you are able to observe them passively and you still feel that they may be a threat, then this is a good window to possibly mitigate a situation. If you can assess them at a distance and you feel they may be a danger, the best response may be to just leave while that's still a choice. But say you don't have a choice. What if, for whatever reason, things culminated into a face-off? What are some other signs that you should look out for? Well first, their behavior again. Are they loud, arms waving around, threatening, talking trash? Or are they quiet and motionless? Sometimes people use big talk to try to intimidate or deter their opponent. Many skilled fighters don't. A person with real fighting experience is likelier to be more focused on watching you with less exhibition. How are they breathing? When the confrontation occurs, a natural reaction is for our blood pressure to increase in our adrenaline in the pump along with an increase in respiration. Even if someone trained in the dojo their whole lives without incident, it would be completely natural for them to be nervous for the first time or during an infrequent situation. Is this person breathing rapidly and looking anxious? If they are both quiet and calm and breathing slowly, they aren't new to this. Are they flinching or reacting to small movements? Are their eyes darting all over the place? If not, then the chances are they are reading you carefully and they have developed peripheral vision. How are they standing? An experienced fighter is going to limit their targets they leave open. If the person is standing and facing you perfectly square it up and arms down, they probably don't have a whole lot of fighting experience. A martial artist will likely settle into a stance even if it's subtle. They might not drop into a deep stance and bring their hands up, but if you see them turn their centerline away from you, open their stance up a little bit and distribute their way evenly and bring their hands up above their waist, then they're in a silent fighting stance. If they do suddenly drop into a blatant fighting stance, well then they've made their intentions known. Make the same observations. Are they closing off vital targets? Are they well balanced in the hands up? Are they tucking their chin down into the shoulders? Do they have their gaze laser focused on you? These are all powerful clues. Are they adjusting their distance? Are they keeping you within a certain range? If they know what they are doing, they aren't likely to let you get that close to them. You don't know them, but remember, they don't know you either. If they are bouncing around and staying light on their feet, this suggests that they understand timing and ranging. And even if their experience is only competitive, I wouldn't discount their fighting ability. If they're exhibiting most or all of these signs and issuing you a verbal warning or trying to get you to stand down, then listen. The first reason is, at this point, it's reasonable to deduce that this person has fighting experience and they're trying to de-escalate it so that somebody doesn't get hurt. The second reason is, if they are the ones asking you to back down, then what are you doing? Don't take the role of the aggressor if you don't have to. That puts responsibility, both physical and legal, on you. Another element to factor in is, are they purposely keeping an arm or hand out of you? Never assume they are not carrying a weapon, especially if it's someone you don't know. Skilled or not, the introduction of a weapon into a fight is a game changer and can go horribly wrong very easily. Are they alone? Are they or you intoxicated or under the influence of something else? For some people, that's an impairment. For others, it's a stimulant. So in the end, never make a definitive assumption on someone you don't know and who you may perceive to be a threat. While there might be some clues that you could pick up on, there's just too many uncertainties. And I maintain that if you have the opportunity to leave before a situation arises or you're able to avoid a confrontation altogether, then that is usually your best option. But if you can't, then hopefully some of these observations can help you prepare for what you're about to encounter. So what are some of the things that you guys look for? Are there any particular details or clues that you try to pick up on when trying to assess a threat? Let us know down in the comments below. Stay safe, everyone. And remember, the best self-defense technique is the one that you don't have to use.