Quick question, Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars…there appeared to be no startle reflex (that I could see). In your opinion, do you think it was staged?
I got this question a lot. I decided to write a more cohesive answer.
My goal here isn’t to exploit or glorify this embarrassing event. The goal is to use it to explain a few things with the sole purpose of making you safer by the end of the article.
Here goes:
Let’s start by analyzing the flinch.
Why didn’t Chris Rock flinch?
There are many reasons and factors someone might not flinch.
If someone is totally oblivious to a threat, their reaction will be slow, muted, or even non-existent.
Check out this picture. Everyone is flinching except the guy getting hit.
How’s that possible?
How did everyone else know there was ‘danger close’ except this one guy?
“No Awareness / No Chance”
Background: This Dad was at the game with his two sons. They went to the bathroom (check out the two empty seats beside him, check out the stairs). He was turned, looking over his shoulder, and watching them walk to the can when the bat came loose. Everyone saw this but him.
“No Awareness / No Chance”
All awareness is impacted by our understanding of the scenario and the attack. Even if we are trained and aware, our movement will still be affected by the speed, aggression, and proximity of the attacker.
This is better explained using our “A-SAP Model”: Awareness is affected by Suddenness, Aggression, and Proximity
The human body is an organic weapon system, and the mind-body survival system can work independent of cognitive cueing (i.e. you flinch without telling your body to flinch).
In other words, this amazing survival reflex bypasses executive function – in effect – we flinch independently of the neuro-muscular command “flinch now, please.” Whereas we tell ourselves to block, strike, kick. Etc. This distinction is key.
So Why Didn’t Chris Rock Flinch??
Here’s a list of possible non-conscious influences, let’s start with the psychological:
- He was at the academy awards. You don’t get into fistfights at these events.
- You’re the host. Will Smith is one of the most famous people in the world. He’s also known for his stance on personal development and non-violence.
- His wife cheated on him and he didn’t fight that guy – if he didn’t beat that rapper up, he’s not going to beat me up over a JOKE. Right?
Now let’s look at the neurobiology and neuroscience of survival to explain why Rock didn’t flinch they way we expect:
- The startle-flinch response is a nonconscious response to sudden danger. If the mind can’t perceive it, the body will be late to the party. (See A-SAP)
- He leaned in just as he was struck. This changes body tension which changes flinch dynamics. Leaning in and locking eyes changes peripheral vision and that absolutely changes your potential awareness and reaction time.
- Why did he lean in? Doesn’t matter, but it affects how he’ll move. That gesture is common in conflicts – two guys in a staredown. Or was he leaning in as if to gesture, “Hey, we’re friends, I’m a comedian, it was a joke – you can’t be serious, but I’ll listen to what you have to say.” Either way, it affected his awareness and restricted his survival reflexes.
- A classical flinch response typically shows tension in the face, head-turning away from danger, and the hands protecting the head or extended towards the threat – just like in the baseball picture. (Keep in mind, a flinch can also be super subtle. A grimace, a tightening of the facial muscles, etc. In that sense, Rock did flinch as he does grimace in anticipation of impact.)
- Restricting hand and arm movement: Note that everyone in the baseball picture holding an object has a restricted flinch response. Why? The body clamps down onto whatever it’s holding. In this confrontation, Rock had both hands behind his back and was holding a red envelope. This completely changes the crossed-extensor reflex’s functionality to protect the head and push away from danger.
Make sense?
If you assume you’re safe (public area, lots of security, cameras, you know everyone, etc.) you relax and this disconnects you psychologically which will affect your reaction time components of your survival system – the mind navigates the body.
And if you’re “overextended,” leaning in with your hands behind your back, you will compromise the physiological and biomechanics of the flinch response.
Ok, here’s where things get super cool…
What if we changed the baseline that triggers our situational awareness alarm? And while we’re at it, let’s change the characters.
- Let’s switch Chris Rock for a trained MMA fighter.
- Let’s move from the Academy Awards to a fighting venue.
We discussed how the safe haven of the Oscar’s venue would influence or affect situational awareness and the flinch reaction…let’s continue along those lines of thought.
Do fighters engage in pre-fight hostilities, like trash talk, shoving, and threats?
Yep.
Is this common before fights?
Yep.
Watch this then come back for the rest of the article:
This is entirely the opposite of a fight at the Oscars, yet the victim doesn’t flinch either.
How is that possible? Look at this checklist:
- They are in an arena with a cage where fighting occurs
- There are often fights in the stands
- There is security standing around them
- The body language and tone are aggressive
- Both are trained
- Both know they’re going to fight
Everything about this list screams “get ready to fight”.
So how is it possible, knowing all this, the victim still doesn’t flinch?
Once again, we can explain this with psychology, neuroscience, and the neurobiology of survival. The A-SAP model helps explain this.
So why didn’t he flinch?
This MMA fighter knew they were going to fight, but he thought the fight was starting in 24 hours. Again, “No Awareness, No Chance”.
Real or Fake?
I think it was a real, but more like a real accident.
It was a complete loss of control, a sudden meltdown of a frustrated man, very understandably embarrassed by other events in his relationship, who let his fear and ego dictate his next move.
There’s a lot for us to learn from this event.
The biggest takeaway, IMO, which can also be supported by murder and rape stats, is that we are statistically more likely to be attacked by someone we know.
The people we know have infiltrated our circle of trust – they are inside. Husband, wife, friend, coworker, neighbor, postman, and even the person you know you’re going to fight (just not this minute) can get within arms reach of each one of us!
Consider this: Had a stranger jumped up on stage and encroached on Chris, you bet his hands would be up and security would’ve been running. Had someone from the other fight’s entourage started mouthing off and moved in that close that fighter would’ve had his hands up and probably shoved him to create space and control distance.
In both these examples, the attacker was known to the victim and the victim let the attacker get too close.
Conclusion:
It’s much easier for someone who’s already been approved by our reticular activating system (RAS) to betray us than a stranger.
As I like to remind folks, ‘situational awareness’ is a conscious cognitive skill, and even if we’re ‘on-guard,’ we can all be surprised due to certain behavioral influences.
Unfortunately, we are most vulnerable to people we already know. Hence ‘betrayal’. Accept that and it’ll shorten your reaction time so you can recover from the psychological denial (WTF?), shift psychological gears, and get back in the fight and protect yourself.
Stay safe,
Coach B
Please share this article with your friends in the defensive tactics, self-defense, and martial art world. Understanding both the psychology that surrounds situational awareness as well as the neuroscience that controls how our body/mind works can help make us safer.
As always, please share your thoughts below!
I doubt you missed the video, but if you did, here it is in all its mortifying glory. Re-watch through the SPEAR filter and see if it makes more sense to you.
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