The Knockout game, flash mobs and race. Can we talk about it

Not to be a shit talker, but is it me or is that forum unbearably boring and dead lately. The AR thread has like 2 posts this month. I am an AR whore, I must have someone talk to about them! I sure as hell am not joining Arfcom and people on M4C can be snotty little bitches at times.

Thanks.

This forum is a little tighter knit, the rules are looser and as a result people express themselves a little more freely. I probably never would have put much of that up at that other forum just because of the second guessing that was often involved.

Body language is important though. Look at that couple above that were in the tunnel. They were at a club, there was an incident at the club where one or a couple of the guys were hitting on the girl, there was an argument of some sort, they left, the couple walked past the group (after all this having happened) and they were still caught basically unaware after going past a group of pissed off younger 20-something males who'd they'd already had a problem with.

If they had of payed attention to the body language that was almost undoubtedly present in both in the club and then after when they went by they probably could have saved themselves some grief. Taken a taxi, had a friend come pick them up from the club or at least been ready. As it was they got ran up on and they were basically caught unaware.

Plus the body language part of it plays into the whole psychology thats involved in everyday decision making and social wrangling. That kind of thing interests me even without the fighting. Millions of years of evolution and interacting with each other in regards to social behavior on display.

Walking past a (in this case, pissed off) group of teenage or 20-something males who have been drinking or are somehow chemically altered and/or who are looking to prove something to themselves and each other is probably one of the most dangerous situations that most people face as far as personal violence goes.

That's not to say that the couple was somehow to blame for what happened, they aren't. That responsibility lies with the members of the group who attacked and beat them, but it would have been better if they realized what was up.

So what were some of the main ideas of the course in reading a crowd?

I know what to look for in individuals and small groups of people, very little on crowd psychology except for what was in the book 'Among the Thugs' (about soccer hooligans in the UK, but it was very much a book about crowd violence and psychology).

It's been awhile (and I doubt I still have the powerpoint), but the idea is to identify threats and make decisions based on what you know, not necessarily having all the information (I believe the term is "heuristics", check me on that).  Basically, the course was an attempt to quantify that "spider sense" when you know something isn't quite jiving--but the enemy has not revealed themselves, yet.

The "based on what you know" is the subjective part and where profiling comes in.  18-30 year old Iraqi males, for example, would be the most likely demographic to pose a threat.  You see a group while on patrol--what are their actions and body language telling you?  Shifty eyes and stances, nervously glancing at a non-descript bag or spot in the road? Clenched jaw, flushed cheeks, overall "tense"?  Signs that they might be up to something.  So, adjust your decisions accordingly.  This does not mean open fire or detain them, but just adjust the patrol route according and make yourself a "hard target".  In the military, it is easy to get caught up in "this is the route, stay on course"--combat profiling is a tool that reinforces to that squad leader his ability to make quick decisions and call audibles.

It goes the other way, too.  Is said group of 18-30 year old Iraqi males engaged in casual conversation? Not paying much attention to you at all?  Very possible they are just talking about a soccer game.

Anyway, this all correlates with what you originally said about adjusting yourself and providing angles and deflection from the possible threat.  It is not racist to actively avoid a group of young black males.  I now profiling is not politically correct--but it works.  Statisically, there are demographics in every region that have a higher probability to commit a crime or pose a threat.  The idea is to develop a mindset to allow dynamic action that can avoid conflict (or start the process to ready yourself) as oppossed to being stuck in a reactionary frame of mind (this happens, often) and waiting for the other team to act first.

Reading a crowd?  Look for angry faces...they stand out.  Nervous posture, shifty eyes, flushed cheeks, clenched jaws.  These are signs of increased adrenaline and an indiviual readying himself for something (conflict, all the fight or flight stuff).  Crowds of people act like sheep, which makes it easier to spot the wolves.

Good info guys! Keep it coming. Browning those videos you posted are interesting. That first British guy got his ass handed to him by the calm dude. Got a chuckle out of that.

Wish I could contribute more to this thread. Will be reading and learning for now.

Which video?