[arohner]

We had techniques where we try to minimize the "telegraphing" of our own punch. You practice that with a partner, and try to hit the partener's open hand before they can react to it. If the partner notices you moving first, they drop their hand and they "win". Its an effective drill for the partner too, because they have to learn to read your body motion.

[Super_Jambo]

Yeah, they do this in Krav and Jitsu too, but it's not what I'm talking about. These techniques are about spotting the initiator as early as possible, then you're startled into re-action.

The article suggests that actions where you're primed to act and then startled into action are faster than ones where you act of your own volition.

So, could you (for example) condition yourself into being startled by say a raised eyebrow, at which point you would be able to carry out a pre-planned attack with the same speed as a reaction.