Defensive Body Language

Defensive Body Language

Defensive body language expresses a person's feeling of physical or emotional threat or personal space being invaded. Automatically when a person feels like they are at risk of physical attack, they cower to protect vital body organs. They may curl up in a ball and tuck their head in. Men when faced with attack by a female almost always aim to protect their groin first. If you even pretend like you are going to strike a man, watch how fast they protect the family jewels by either lifting a leg with a knee cross protection, or their hands drop to cross in front of their crotch. When faced up against another man, men will generally post in a fending off stance with arms drawn out and jaw/nose region protected. They will harden their muscles in order to withstand an attack better. Another common body language signal that will tell you if a woman is uneasy is, if carrying a purse or a bag, the grip will become tighter and it will be drawn in close to their body. Some people, when uneasy, will display defensive body language by putting a barrier between them and the person or situation that is making them uncomfortable. This could be a chair, table, or even holding a package out in front of them making an obstacle between them and the perceived threat. They may grip their keys in between their fingers to use as a weapon if a situation were to arise. Another defensive body language cue is when someone becomes stiff or rigid. They will attempt to not make a single move with their body to draw attention to themselves while at the opposite side of the spectrum, a person in a defensive mode will scan a room or location for an escape route, or may even flee the room if the perceive the threat level too high. Some individuals when faced in a possible threatening situation may not ever exhibit signs of defensive body language, and instead present with either submissive or aggressive body language.