I used to be an offensive lineman who regularly squared up against people twice my size. I have some ideas about withstanding bull rushes.

First of all, they're coming at you hot. They want to take you down. We know arrests are no longer their main goal, for the most part, so brutalizing you is the MO.

I think if you're gonna stand on the frontline, you have to be willing to deal with this. But that's just me. I'm press, after all, so theoretically they're not coming for me. However, as I described earlier, they totally do.

Something you've probably heard before that really sucks, (and, again, you have to know this going in) is you shouldn't turn your back to them. From my vantage point, the more you're "complying," the more likely you are to fall and get hurt. So that sucky advice is pretty solid.

Let's say you're trying to protect a quarterback from a blitzing linebacker: you've gotta keep your feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the knee, not the back. Stagger your stance, preferably with your weak foot forward but whatever the stagger is key.

Remember you have more power from your legs (specifically your thighs) than you do your upper body. Unless you're some jacked gym rat who always skips leg day (I've seen you, you're not that), you have so much more explosiveness from your lower body.

As long as you understand that your power is coming from your lower body, you can use your hands and arms accordingly. More than likely, you've got a shield. That's great, and I need you to know you can use that for more than just defense against projectiles.

This is very basic information that, again, from my privileged vantage point, a lot of people don't seem privy to. What you do with your frontline presence, or your shield wall, is totally up to you. I'm just passing these thoughts along.

However, while the cops have a head start (and momentum), you've gotta know they're coming for you. They're very top heavy with all that riot gear on. If they slam into you, you could theoretically show them the ground with a simple side step.

You can also dig in. If your goal is to stay together and stay tight, you can essentially block them by staying low (but not on your knees) and pushing through with your thighs.

If you don't have a shield, you've got shoulders. Presumably you're wearing a helmet (and hopefully some kind of armor). Your shoulders can absorb a blow and distribute it through your legs (if you're standing properly), and you can use your hands to do...you know, whatever.

Whatever you're gonna do is up to you. But you don't have to be super jacked to withstand the rushes from top heavy riot cops. That being said, if your instinct is to drop your shit and run, you should probably be farther back on the line.

I just want y'all to stay safe. I'm tired of filming people getting bodied and slammed into the pavement. I want my footage to be more boring.