Casing a Joint

      I'm not talking about robbery. I am actually talking about sizing up attackers, how to tell if you are being mugged by someone who knows what they are doing or just random Joe who really doesn't know whats going on. There are three big encounter types when you need to size up an attacker - Weapon encounter, Pre-Brawl and Premeditated Attack.
     Whenever a weapon is involved you must carefully weigh the situation, if the assailant asks for something easily given without much consequence, i.e. your wallet or watch, it is probably best to just give it to them, material possessions can usually be replaced - your life and health or the life and health of those around you cannot be replaced. The two common weapons that could be encountered are handguns and knives. For knives, if the assailant brandishes the knife and you can see the muscles in their arm flexing as hard as they can then they don't know what they are doing, or if they are holding the knife like a Harry Potter wand, with their wrist weak then they really don't know what they should be doing. If their arm is flexing hard then their reflexes with the knife are inhibited because they have to relax the muscle before they react to what you do. If they are holding the knife like a wand then either they are too cocky and that can be taken advantage of, or, they haven't handled a knife as a weapon before, in which case they could probably be disarmed with a relatively low risk. For handguns it requires some knowledge of the weapon. First, although it may seem silly, see if you can tell if the safety is on. If it is then you can proceed forward with relative safety (that's a pun). Check the range of the opponent, firearms have a range of increased effectiveness, if they are farther away than what one step can take you quickly then they are more dangerous, if the gun is right up against you then you have more to work with. You cannot beat a bullet but you can beat the reaction of the person holding the gun.
     For a pre-brawl  size up keep in mind the state your opponent is in. A brawl is often just a fight that has no deadly consequences nor is the opponent really trying to get something from you. Your opponent may be drunk or high, in which case you must adjust your fighting style from causing pain to more of a inhibiting injury standpoint because they might not feel pain the same as they would if they were not drunk, high or whatnot. If they start in a recognizable fighting stance with their hands in the A position, then they have had some training. Hopefully they will just throw their hands up wildly, allowing you to trap and break their arms if necessary.
     For premeditated attacks the assailant is more likely to have some thought out plan of attack, so beware of being cornered or flanked. Also, its more likely that this encounter may prove deadly. Premeditated attacks may or may not include weapons of some kind, so be vigilant of your attackers clothes and body movements to see any forms that look like weapons. Guns can be tucked into the pants or have holsters. knives are hidden in coat or pants pockets, or on boots and legs. switchblades have a slight edge that is visible outside of the pocket for easy access and opening.
     To take in your opponents appearance, does he have scars etc. think about how this can help you. An old injury is just waiting to be reopened, sunglasses can be broken and used to blind your opponent, piercings should be ripped out to cause pain and disorientation, and piercings above the eyes obscure vision with blood. If the opponent has cauliflower ears, its most likely they are used to being hit, so instead of punching, use nails and teeth to the eyes, throat and other vulnerable areas
I hope that none of you ever have to be in a situation where violence is required, but if you are, remember -don't hold back, do what you must to save your life.
Thanks
Mr. Waaler