the reasoning

( process mistakes adrenaline for fear, often
freezing victims into immobility). The threats are repeated
with escalating aggression causing the victim to experience
multiple adrenal release, grossly heightening the supposed
feeling of fear and adding to the 'freeze'. The threats of
course are married with demands for money/credit cards etc.
Often the attacker threatens to hurt the victim if they are not
compliant, or, not to hurt the victim in exchange for
compliance. It is not uncommon for attackers to use a
physical attack, creating compliance via disablement, others
initiate an attack to disable the victim, before robbing them.
Sometimes the attack will be minimal, used only to add to
'freeze', on other occasions, the attack will be frenzied and
severe. Any chance of a physical defence, other than actually
attacking back with the same degree (or greater) of ferocity,
is unlikely to be effective. The concepts of 'blocking' an
assailant's blows or using hypothesised release techniques
are unsound. If the situation has got this far, only the very
strong will survive.
If you know how the bad guys work it stands to reason that
you can avoid him like the plague. These people mainly rely
on deception, not so easy now that you know how the
blighters work. Avoid at all costs, escape as soon as you see
their ritual in play, if that doesn't work, or the option has
been spent .then use verbal dissuasion.