Eyes

[Rob Broad]

Do your eyes actually actually tell an attacker to be wary of you? do you have a look that tells those bent on ill intend to step aside and let you on by.

 

[theletch1]

Not a conscious one, no. My first wife and several people I've trained with tell me I have a look about me that precludes pushing too far. I certainly don't feel that I look dangerous/evil just confident. There's a fine balance when looking someone in the eye between looking confident and looking antagonistic. I think it's more of a whole body thing than just the eyes. Carry yourself as if you were not a victim and the likelyhood of becoming a victim is reduced. Carry yourself meekly, as a prey animal and you will feed the machine.

 

[ppko]

Do your eyes actually actually tell an attacker to be wary of you? do you have a look that tells those bent on ill intend to step aside and let you on by.

Yes just by looking aware will keep you from getting attacked most of the time as I am always looking aware

PPKO

 

[Kenpo Mama]

The eyes are the windows of the soul, so if in your soul you feel confident in your ability, this will be seen. Being aware, confident, but not confrontational, you will be the less likely victim. When i spar i am told my eyes reflect purpose and determination. When i am in a situation that heightens my awareness, i get this same look in my eyes. Works for me!

Donna :asian:

 

[Rob Broad]

What other traits, mannerisms or physical posturing conveys your confidence or assuredness.

 

[Kenpo Mama]

Simpy standing tall, keeping your shoulders back, hands out of pockets and keeping your head up allows you to constantly scan your surroundings.

I work with teen girls in self defense & awareness training classes, and they are notorious for staring at their shoes, hunching over and carrying stuff in their hands. The first item we address is how not to look like a victim. Oh and ditch the walkmans (oh i'm dating myself) MP3 players & iPods.

Donna :supcool:

 

[mj-hi-yah]

The eyes definitely speak volumes. It sure works in the classroom...have you ever heard of the famous teacher look? It stops 'em dead in their tracks! No need for verbalization either as the eyes say it all! It's a narrow eyed look that says, "Man are you in trouble!" I notice it in sparring matches that I've observed. You can see the people who have developed great concentration by watching their eyes. My instructor's eyes tell a lot about his ability to tune into his surroundings, and I've learned a lot by watching his eyes when he is demonstrating a technique or sparring drill.

Stand tall with good posture and a walk with an attitude that says, "Don't mess with me today I haven't had my latte yet!" :angry:

 

[8253]

There is a lot that you can tell by a persons eyes and facial expressions. It is an excellent tool to use if you know what to look for. However just looking at the eyes cant tell you a lot without looking at other signs. Like their posture, if they are in a defensive position it is obvious what they want to do. But if they are standing in front of you it is best to listen to tone of voice, look at their facial expressions, where their arms are and what type of motion they are making with their arms, if they have their hands open or not. These are just a few of the signs that can be looked at. Hopefully they can be talked down before any physical altercation ensues.

 

[Turner]

Body language as a whole is what really tells a person "don't mess with me." The reason why soldiers drill in marching over and over to develop the proper body mechanics of a confident person. You know a person is having problems if they can't swing their arms in sync (or don't swing their arms) or are hunched over as if the weight of the world is on their shoulders...

But then I do believe that there is something specifically about the eyes. While in the military I scared my roommate pretty bad one night when the pair in the room next to ours got up at 0200 and started blasting their stereo real loud, waking us up. As he got up to go fuss at them I sat up in bed (in a massive rage) he said as I sat up he felt like he'd been punched and saw my eyes glow in the dark.

 

[OULobo]

Ahhh. . . you seek the wizdom of the 1000 yd stare technique hidden deep within the lessons of the evil eye school of the hairy eyeball sect. All joking aside, there are people who I think have constantly haunted eyes, and there are people who have eyes that constantly show mischief or ill-tidings, but I haven't seen any that constanly issue a warning. Almost anyone can convey emotion with the eyes and facial muscles, and some people are especially good at imitating those expressions. As mentioned body language is also a good deterant or other way to convey current personal attitude. I think it all comes down to intimidation and empathy.

 

[Enson]

i believe that there are some that know how to "dog" someone. (new terminology?) just everything about them screams they want conflict. i remember when i lived in costa rica there was some areas where you should not look like a tourist. don't get me wrong costa rica is so peaceful but there was on area named after a soda that was pretty dangerous. luckily i have a way of fitting in that most people didn't really think that i wasn't from there. but in this certain place you had to show that you were not prey or you would be prey.

peace

 

[loki09789]

I would say that it is more the facial expressions that will communicate intention. I don't know the citation, but the usual breakdown is that 70% of all human communication is nonverbal. That would mean that facial expressions, body positioning/distance, hand position....all will 'tell' people around you something. I would say that we all have 'tells' that we can learn to control and use to send signals at that nonverbal level.

BTW...Nice work on that teaching children book. Readable and very user friendly.

 

[KenpoTess]

Yep.. I just give them 'The Look' and they know...

 

[Storm]

Yes I have to agree "the look" normally does the trick but if somone carries on, they know its too late when "the look" is joined with the little smirk I apparently get.

 

[Tony]

Well I certainly don't have much of a stare. I have often found it difficult to make eye contact with people in the past. I sometimes find people staring at me as if I have done something wrong, or I'm some curious creature they have never seen before. I have this classic technique to deal with that and that is to look at them, look behind me as if to say "are you looking at me or someone else"? look back at them and most of the time these people will feel embarrassed and turn away. But though I've been training in Kung Fu for 6 years I still don't feel like a confident person so I guess that is seen in my eyes as people see an easy target in me, which is probably why I was bullied at school. But whenever I go out I try to be aware, sometimes turning my eyes as to be in a defensive mode.

 

[MichiganTKD]

As stated before, the eyes are the window into the soul. A high ranking martial artist will have a definite look of concentration in his eyes, almost a piercing stare. You can't help but respect it. The eyes are one of the first things I look at when sizing someone up. If someone says they are X Dan black belt, one look in the eyes will tell me the truth. A true Master or Grandmaster will have a powerful set of eyes that tells you they are for real.
Conversely, someone who is crazy, on drugs, scared, or plain stupid will also show it in their eyes.
I tell students, when they go to test the judges will watch their eyes. The judges can tell from their eyes whether they will pass or fail or if the student will ever make black belt.

 

[OULobo]

As stated before, the eyes are the window into the soul. A high ranking martial artist will have a definite look of concentration in his eyes, almost a piercing stare. You can't help but respect it. The eyes are one of the first things I look at when sizing someone up. If someone says they are X Dan black belt, one look in the eyes will tell me the truth. A true Master or Grandmaster will have a powerful set of eyes that tells you they are for real.
Conversely, someone who is crazy, on drugs, scared, or plain stupid will also show it in their eyes.
I tell students, when they go to test the judges will watch their eyes. The judges can tell from their eyes whether they will pass or fail or if the student will ever make black belt.

Stupidity and fear are easy to hide. Even in the eyes. Being a good judge of character is one thing, but if I gave out 10 pictures of people's eyes, just the orbitals, no brows or face, it's impossible to tell the mental state, experience or abilities of the person.

 

[MichiganTKD]

Granted, the eyes are often judged in context to the entire face. But I've been told the eyes don't lie. If someone is telling you something or trying to act a certain way, watching the eyes can tell you what they are REALLY thinking. My Instructor used to use this piercing stare into my eyes when talking to me to really judge my reactions. He could tell from my eyes whether I was truly serious about something or just paying lip service to it.
Additionally, watching someone's eyes instead of their hands or feet will A. tell you if they may be about try something or not and B. make it almost impossible for them to sneak an attack.
As Mr. Miyagi said "Always watch eyes!"

 

[8253]

Stupidity and fear are easy to hide. Even in the eyes. Being a good judge of character is one thing, but if I gave out 10 pictures of people's eyes, just the orbitals, no brows or face, it's impossible to tell the mental state, experience or abilities of the person.

what he said :bow:

 

[achilles]

On the technical side, the eyes often telegraph where you plan to attack. Look carefully...