It was a beautiful day, Sunny Santa Cruz, perhaps one of the most relaxing places I have ever been. I was driving my highly over-priced rented car, enjoying some classic rock on the radio, when I noticed I was being surrounded by a motorcycle gang.
My self defense instincts kicked in. I shut off the radio and began to assess my situation. How many were there in the gang? What did they look like? Did it appear that they were after me specifically? Could I maneuver my car to avoid them? If I had to face them on foot outside the car, how would I react?
Of course it turned out that they were a bunch of grey haired, middle aged, overweight types out for a little ride, nothing more. However the fact remains that it could have been different and it was a good opportunity to evaluate the possibilities.
My body and mind's initial reaction was to become tense. I knew right away that if I had to fight back I would have only relied upon a handful of techniques. These would have been the most basic and simple techniques based on gross motor moves. My body and mind were not capable of anything else. I knew that only techniques that I had tried, tested and practiced thousands of times would come into play that day. Being tense and nervous I could not risk using any technique that had not yet become an instinctive part of my being.
I also made a mental note that I must keep practicing all my basic techniques, even those I knew I had already "mastered".
When facing a real life situation, or even a possible situation, you never regret all those extra "wasted" hours reviewing the basics. Note to self: train, practice, review.
I like my classes and seminars to be fun and lighthearted. People should have a good time training. Ye we must never forget what Krav Maga is all about; protecting ourselves and others. Even in peaceful Santa Cruz, on a beautiful sunny day, one might face a motorcycle gang, and it might have played out differently.