Hands or Eyes?

[Yo Mama]

I remember reading somewhere you look at the weapon in the hands of a perp, and not their eyes. Is this the right way, or do you look at the eyes?

 

[GRIZ22]

People kill you with their hands unless they're Chuck Norris.

 

[coloradokevin]

Personally, I feel that it is a bit more complicated than a simple "A" or "B" choice. There are a lot of factors in play when you are dealing with a potential aggressor, and dealing with these situations takes training beyond that which could be provided in an internet dialogue.

But, having said that, keep in mind that "the hands kill you", not the eyes! Nevertheless, you have to be focused on the bigger picture, to include the person's body language, outside factors (associates of the perp?), eye movements, tone in voice, etc, etc, etc.

To more directly address your exact question, if the perp is coming at you with a weapon, it is really time to stop watching, and start acting!

 

[Shadow 7D]

When I was learning martial arts, my instructor always told us not to focus on any single part of the body, but to look at the person as a whole because then you can see the start of any move.

 

[kanewpadle]

When I was learning martial arts, my instructor always told us not to focus on any single part of the body, but to look at the person as a whole because then you can see the start of any move.

Yes. That's why my answer is BOTH.

 

[CWL]

No matter what the eyes are telling you, you'd better look at the hands.

If you don't know what a BG is holding, you may be shooting somebody holding a cellphone.

Guess who then goes to jail?

 

[stevenhyde]

in my martial arts training i always found it worked best for me if i didnt focus on a specific part of the body.
i keep my "lack of focus" on the center of the chest. i found it kept my opponents hands, head and feet in my peripheral vision.

even if i knew they were going to throw a jab....id focus on the body in general. and after a while of focusing on the body i found that i could see the movement of their legs or torso before their jab.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Everything.

I look at everything, and let my curiousity focus my attention to things that are out of place for the situation and environment.


The person I notice first might be only one part of the crew, and his glance and signals might clue me into something else that should warrant more immediate attention than him.


Miyamoto Musashi put his thoughts about this very subject in writing. And rather than try to convey what he did so eloquently with my own feeble attempt, I'll point you to his timeless words to reflect upon. Purchase The Book of Five Rings, a rather short work, and ponder what he has to say about the matter.

 

[conw]

BFK said it pretty well, but I find myself initiating eye contact and reading body language from a distance frequently, then looking at hand/body movement second.

 

[ChristopherG]

In our state's academy curriculum, 10 deadly errors are memorized (along with many other such lists) based on interviews and studies from the FBI and whatnot. Deadly Error number 1:

Failure to watch the hands.

 

[sniper5]

Fight the person, not the weapon. If you focus only on hands your mind blocks out a lot of other targets you could attack.

 

[conw]

Honestly though, going around, do you look at everyone's hands first? Of course not. There's no need to look at that 5 year old's hands, or that retired teacher who you had in high school...you verify who they are, their context, and body language cues first, subconsciously, then if something's up you look at the hands. Right?

 

[Blakenzy]

"In God we trust... Everyone else keep your hands where we can see 'em!"

It's not the only thing to look at, but it is smart to know what an approaching fellow is doing with his hands.

 

[Makotoseven]

the head and the shoulders form a triangle that indicates all movement of the body. look there. as a general rule the eyes tell you a lot and if you look there they dont tell the badguy where YOU are thinking of going should you decide to act.

also, the peripheral vision is way more responsive than your "tunnel" vision so if you look at the eyes you'll actually notice other movement faster.

 

[Kwanger]

Yes. That's why my answer is BOTH.

+ another 1

 

[sidheshooter]

Honestly though, going around, do you look at everyone's hands first?

I can honestly say that I verify what's in the hands of everyone I come in contact with. Only takes a micro-second to clear them, unless their hands are out of view (which is another issue).

 

[Yo Mama]

Thanks for all the replies. Good information.

BFK, I'll have to check out the book you suggested. I recently added a few reads to my list here .

Advice on keeping awareness on all parts is loud and clear.

Thanks.

 

[Shadow 7D]

A fun exercise to develop this skill is the kids game of slap where you put your hands out and try to move you hand before the other person can slap it.

 

[ChristopherG]

I can honestly say that I verify what's in the hands of everyone I come in contact with.

Exactly. I'm not going to remain fixated, but I'm going to check them; and if they move out of view, I'm going to check them again.

 

[kanewpadle]

As I stated earlier, I chose both.

If I can't see your hands I'm in condition orange until I see that their hands are empty. I can see thier hands with my periferal vision. I focus on the eyes. Sometimes the eyes are a dead giveaway.

There is no "pat" answer. Situational awareness, movement and cover MAY give you the extra time you need to protect yourself.