Well it also doesn't help that the previous person he learned melee combat from had a habit of pulling such maneuvers on him randomly on a regular basis. Even if it didn't happen anymore there was still that ingrained thought process.

Watching and feeling the motions at a slower rate certainly makes it easier to understand. The countermeasure made sense. "I think I realized that when I started going head first. Since we weren't actually fighting I wasn't thinking of following through. Definitely a good move on someone who isn't expecting it."