When I was training with the 75th Ranger Regiment on different shooting stances within multiple planes (standing, kneeling, prone), one of the cadre mentioned how he works on his kneeling stance every time he picks up an object off the floor in his home (typically children’s toys). He was so committed to the cause that he implemented it all the time, outside the range/training facilities. Why shut it off?
I find myself consciously working on tactics and techniques while conducting random activities throughout my typical daily routine. While walking on the incline treadmill sipping on water I find myself walking heel to toe softly with bends in the knees, head tall allowing myself to separate my upper and lower half which is conducive to shooting more effectively in motion. The cadre’s example was, “walk the walk you walk at an athletic event trying not to spill your nearly tipping beer.”
I joke with students that the movement of their same side hands and feet should be so connected that they would pivot while reaching for a shelved coffee mug.
Make it a game for yourself, and respect its application. Find ways to implement the little details where you can throughout your daily routine.
It’s those key details that may be the deciding factor between you being a victim, or a victor. Every time you assess your environment and adjust how you would approach engaging threats, you are using krav without ever having to go hands on.
Many folks like to walk on the mats and solely focus on the event itself. How do I defend myself against a knife placed on my back by an attacker? Yes. We will get to that; first let’s discuss pre-event. One evening while traveling with my family in Portugal, I found myself walking to a nearby ATM to collect some local cash. As I approached, I noticed a man standing 10 feet to the right of the ATM, which was located on a fairly deserted street adjacent to a busy street with restaurants galore. He was alone, leaned up against a wall, smoking a cigarette. Textbook posture to rob a tourist, I deduced. Once I felt my intuition kick in that night, I chose to go to the ATM the next morning in broad daylight when that street was crowded with people (rather than empty with a suspect individual within proximity of my destination). Would the circumstance have turned out to be nothing? Perhaps, but it was a risk I decided wasn’t worth the convenient reward at the time. Avoidance is self defense. That’s krav.
Stand tall and take ownership of your own safety, you are your own first responder.
