This is consistent with my own observations and what I've seen. And basically all of it comes back to one thing: lack of training (or bad training, in the case of going to the ground).

For the first-10-second thing, this I also believe. Which is why everyone's self-defense training has to include situational awareness. In other words, why is someone getting close enough to you to take that first swing?

Related to this. About a year ago now, my school implemented a rule: at no time can you put your hands on your hips or in your pockets (we wear normal pants). It originally started 'cause another guy's son plays college football, and their coach trained them never to bend over or do anything else that suggests they're tired. But it also jived with this idea of situational awareness. It comes down to this: why are you letting some random person walk up and come within hitting range without your hands being in the way?

Right around the time that we were talking about this, those stories about Hillary Clinton collapsing or whatever during the campaign started to make the rounds. Ignoring the political dog-and-pony show, I was struck by the pictures I started seeing of candidates and the Secret Service. Look at this picture and this one. Notice how the agents in every picture hold their hands? Police officers are trained similarly when they're talking to someone. And it's a habit everyone should have IMO (I now feel genuinely uncomfortable with my hands in my pockets since it's so against habit).