I've used the challenging freeze before where it seemed like I was deer in headlights but also guarded aware, capible and ready for both attack and defense beca

I've used the challenging freeze before where it seemed like I was deer in headlights but also guarded aware, capible and ready for both attack and defense because my unconscious saw sometbi g which triggered my alarms and so I was preparing mentally for the altercation real time as I absorbed more and more details of the altercation, sort of like slowing time. This subtle preparation of mind and body in location of space and time. You move between the attacker and your loved ones. You gaurd up, and prepare to deal with the matter at hand in the now, trying your best not to let emotions play into further escalations but knowing shit is about to go down. Seeing a person or animal go into offensive or defensive manuvering as if a switch was turned on is always an intimidating observation and thus you could disarm an attacker's momentum and allow for potential descalations. That said I've took a punch to the face sober from a slightly older drunk man because I was young and didn't understand he was in a different realm. Be careful with your freeze response and know yourself and your enemy. Freezing is a good response when a weapon is pulled because it gives a chance to descalation. Freezing yeild advantage to the attacker so keep in mind: you may be ambushed on a whim so minimize your time spent freezing. Think and perceive just enough to allow your mature conscious egoic mind to choose a path, for example: instead of taking a punch to the face, disarm the drunk before he has a chance by a quick shove and entering a defensive position you have practiced and rehearsed since a child. Shout, "what the fuck do you think you are doing", make noise and draw attention. You have to put into action your training during these situations so you don't get anyone killed, but you also have to be ready to kill.