I actually deal with situations, assaultive situations, at work. Often times I don't know who is at fault or what led up to the situation. If you goal is to stop the violence, which mine is...I give a loud shout, something to distract the attacker, they maybe focused on the other person, I want them to know I'm coming. You give them something else to think about...maybe the other person gets a second or two reprieve and may try to get away. I also want the individual to know that there are going to be repercussions...meaning they will be dealing with me and it no longer becomes a one on one situation.
Secondly, I move at them with haste, I want to pressure them into making a decision...usually its to refocus their attention to me. Become another threat to them or potential adversary, I don't want to be that...but it allows me to separate the combatants. I've learned that at times, I can actually herd someone away from their victim by circling them, especially if they know you're moving directly behind them. I'm a bigger man, my size may or may not be enough to make the attacker reconsider, it will buy me some time to begin to engage them in conversation. To try to diffuse it. Be brief, they train us to use 8 words or less, someone worked up will only hear a few words...I try to use 2 or 3 words, What's going on? or Stop it! or Hey!!! If none of that works...which is possible, but rare, I move right in to engage.
"if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang
"I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake
"Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost