Telegraphing: Countdown to Launch
















Many human predators “telegraph” their attack before they launch it. Spotting this “countdown to launch” makes the difference between getting hit and getting out of harm’s way.


Human predators tend to leave clues about their violent intentions all the way until they launch an assault against their target.


At the end of this chain of clues, there are often certain kinesic signs - those associated with body movements - that indicate the attacker’s intention to hit their target.


This category of clues is commonly referred to as “telegraphing.”


Admittedly, the number of possible scenarios to launch an assault is almost infinite and limited only by the training and preparedness of the attacker. From sudden empty hand strikes and headbutts to knife and gun deployments from deep concealment, there is no shortage of ways to overwhelm the unsuspecting target the second the assault begins.


Thankfully, most of these scenarios might get telegraphed by the attacker, and many human predators end up doing just that.


More so, the number of the kinesic clues to keep in mind when it comes to telegraphing, which cover the majority of possible attack scenarios, boils down to just three major pre-attack indicators.


They are:


  • Body weight shifting. The human predator rotates their body and leans back slightly so that more of their body weight ends up being shifted toward the back. This subtle transition in body weight distribution between the right and the left limbs allows the attacker to concentrate more power in a rear limb and make a punch or a kick with that limb more powerful. A more skilled assailant might use this shift in body weight to throw a headbutt or spring into a more powerful attack with a front limb.


  • Hand concealment. The attacker conceals one hand or both hands behind their hips or back, in their pockets, inside their bag, beneath the jacket, or elsewhere. This lets the human predator hide the fact that their weapon is being drawn or has already been deployed and is being held in a ready position in one or both of their hands. This pre-attack indicator often goes hand in hand with a shift in body weight.


  • Strategic hand placement. The assailant places their hands in a way that makes it possible to bypass the target’s defense when the assault is launched. One such tactic involves the use of active gestures extremely close to the target’s vital areas, such as the eyes and the throat, which allows the human predator to attack these areas in an instant without any resistance and quickly overwhelm the target. Another common tactic involves holding the hands above the level at which the target’s hands are positioned, which lets the attacker reach the target’s head level faster than the target can defend against such an attack.


These are the most common pre-attack indicators that have to do with the human predator telegraphing their attack. They give us the last chance to get out of harm’s way before the assault is launched.


This chance should not be taken for granted. We must use these pre-attack indicators in our observation of the attacker’s behavior to take defensive action well in time.