When To Quit

This is from my other blog Lance Wandering, but is relevant to Krav Maga. I decided to use what the head of KMG UK, Jon Bullock calls "the least creative option" in order to be safe. When I started out on this walk I had every intention of finishing, when I bailed I was 100% certain that continuing was not a safe option.

Safety before ego...as someone probably said.

One of many things to do for tourists in Sydney, Australia is a walk of just over 150 miles. It goes from Macquarie Place in Sydney all the way to Queens Wharf in Newcastle. It was purpose built from existing trails some years ago and officially consists of 6 separate chunks, that take from just under a day to several days to finish. The terrain ranges from piss-easy to bastard-hard and it is signposted at semi-regular intervals. There are camping spots and most of the time the trail is no more than 3 miles from civilisation at the very most, so you can always wander off to find water/ medical help/ a cold beer.

I had wanted to do this walk for a while now. It sounded awesome and was going to be a test of stamina, with a safety net just on the borders for an inexperienced novice like myself.

Now…

I’m not naive, nor am I foolhardy so I took what I thought would be adequate precautions before I set off. I made certain I had an appropriate amount of gear (first aid kit, TWO cell phones, tent, loads of sun tan lotion and dried food, etc.) and made certain that I had good shoes. I bought a floppy brimmed hat and a dry fit T-shirt. I worked out the various points on the walk and how long I thought I could walk each day. I even enclosed my passport in a waterproof bag and always carried it in my shorts pocket. I even bought an electronic mosquito repellant thingy to back up the spray stuff I’d got.

When I set off I had a streamlined backpack with only essentials plus a LOT of water (including a thermos of “emergency water” buried deep in the darkest recesses of the rucksack). I got a photo at Macquarie Place and set off to catch the ferry to Woolwich, getting off at Valentia Wharf and starting the two hour slog through the town of Hunters Hill before I got into the actual North Walk.

The first bit was tiring but OK. I only took a 5 minute break every hour and got a refill of water into one of my bottles from some guy hosing his front garden (who also was generous enough to spray my feet). I got into the Three Patriots Walk around 5pm and was happy to simply stroll along, not yet using my extendable walking pole (the model being a “Strider” no less) and marvelling at the scenery and the changing views as I moved along.

When I got to a place called Fairyland I was starting to get tired and the day was getting a little greyer. I found a clear spot near the river bank, pitched my tent, made some soup on my converted beer can stove, and watched the sun go down before drinking half a litre of water and crashing out.

I woke at 7am and the morning was beautiful. Peaceful and calm. I made a coffee and sat on the bank while the sun came up. About 7.45 a squad of canoeists paddled up the river and assembled near to where I was, getting into formation before setting off on a practice run (I know it was a practice because I asked the nearest guy to me) while a guy in a boat bellowed enthusiastic encouragement via a loud hailer.

I “broke camp” at around 8.15, packing up and setting off again, looking forward to a good day’s hiking. 

Problem…

The fatigue from the day before kicked in again pretty quickly. While the sleep had refreshed me, my body wasn’t used to this type of prolonged exercise and as I moved onwards the terrain became a little more difficult, with rocks to climb and twisting paths to navigate. My hourly 5 minute breaks began to become 40 minutes, then 20 and finally 15. I got to a rangers’ station and asked for directions and the guy was super helpful, giving me a free map that normally costs $10, and taking great care to show me the best way to go. He even gave me his mobile number in case I got lost or needed help.

I moved on again and then found that the walk was very rocky and involved climbing. While my feet weren’t hurting, my legs, hips and shoulders were now crying out in protest at carrying 30-ish kilos of weight in 32 degrees celsius sunshine. 

By the time I got to a place named Thornleigh Oval I was in constant pain, I’d used most of my water and my rest breaks were every 10 minutes. 

I threw in the towel at that moment and, to reaffirm my belief in guardian angels, a guy then came down the track on a mountain bike…even though the last time I’d seen another human being was at least three hours previously. He told me how to walk out and get to the nearest shops, where I strolled up, bought a can of soda and while glugging it, booked a room on AirBnB via my phone and caught a bus over to it. The lady driver took one look at me and went “You walking?”

When I replied I’d just bailed on the Great North Walk she tutted and said “Good. It’s not the weather for it, better this way than they have to come and rescue you”.

I got to my lodgings an hour or so later and after a shower and chat with the owner, collapsed into bed, my shoulders and hips still hurting like hell.

Next morning I found out that I’d done the official first bit of the walk, a distance of around 20 miles from Macquarie Place to Thornleigh Oval. I’d done that in heat of up to 32 degrees while carrying a pack weighing 30 kilos and achieved it in a time of about 8 hours. I’d also done it alone.

As disappointing as it was to bail after what I later worked out was only 13% of the Great North Walk, I’m pleased to have at least tried it and to have spent such a lovely time (up until all I could focus on was the pain my body was in) in such beautiful country. Camping by the river in Fairyland was wonderful.

The record for completing the whole walk is apparently 54 hours. That gives me a sense of scale for how B.I.G the whole thing is as the two people who achieved that, couldn’t have stopped moving and just did it like an ultra marathon. While I never even dreamed of competing with that, I never once thought when setting out that a little thing like stamina would get in the way.

I’ll be back. Next time with a partner and a week or two to finish it all.

Junior Safe Krav Maga- Somethin' Good

Video I made for Junior Safe Krav Maga, a kiddy Krav club where I'm an assistant instructor.

KMM Pre-grading & Grading- P1 to P5

26th September and 3rd October 2015

Stratford upon Avon High School, UK

In the build up to the latest set of gradings KMM ran our usual pre-grading seminar. All the sweat and joy of a real grading and the Krav equivalent of a dress rehearsal. Instructors Al Natrins (G2) and Russell Brotherston (G5) who also work with kids at Junior Safe Krav Maga, had organised the whole thing, with Al leading the seminar on the day.

For the first time there was to be a grading in our neck of the woods. Usually the gradings are held down south (Bristol and London) and one in Cumbria. After double bookings at a grading in Birmingham in 2013 on two separate occasions, KMG UK had not used the venue again. Bartosz, the chief instructor of KMM had arranged for it in Stratford upon Avon, at our usual training ground at the High school. Good news for most of us that wanted to grade. Well, except me who was walking on crutches after a operation to repair the ACL in my left knee. Determined to remain 'in the spirit of things' I arranged to write this review of both events which would also enable me to get some intel on training and watch my peers grade for P5 on the big day.

At the pre grading was a familiar face. Peter Santha had trained at Leamington Spa with me about two years ago but I hadn't seen him in ages. He had now rejoined the Worcester branch with Al, and was training for P1. He said "I'm feeling good, pretty excited. I'm hopeful for the day itself."

I also spoke to Karl Dann who trains at Coventry and was prepping for P2. He told me "Looking forward to it. Been doing it for nine months, twice a week so yeah."

The seminar started with the usual warm ups and then the students split off into their relevant levels. As always, the main bunch were going for P1 and Darren Patrick from Leamington was the only P5 candidate in the room. Normally the P1 gradings are held in house and separately to the P2 to P5 exams. This time however, the venue was KMM's own, so the events were able to be run simultaneously.

As the students got stuck into their various drills and techniques, it was clear that some were nervous and most were determined to get it right. Al was walking round with a clipboard marking notes and giving feedback. Due to being on crutches I couldn't get too "up close and personal" so sat at the side watching. It was inspiring to see the level of effort people were giving and later on during a quick water break, I spoke to Al directly.

"It's going well so far. Everyone's looking at the level they should be, with some corrections here and there. For next week, people can judge you kindly or not so kindly. We shall see."

Grading Day

03/10/15

Felt a bit sheepish as I arrived at Stratford High School at 9.30am to find no one even remotely Kravvy there. Once I burned all my paranoid delusions over why (prime theory being that they had told ME it was here, and told everyone else the real venue) I rang Russell. Turned out the grading was midday and I'd got it wrong. Oops! Nipped home for a cup of coffee and then came back, reassured by the sight of Bartosz's KMM van parked right outside the training hall.

Most of the guys stood at the sides of the hall were from Krav Maga Midlands but there were a few others dotted about from other clubs including Total Krav Maga and Krav Maga South Wales. Everyone seemed nervous and I managed to grab a few words. P3 candidate Ewa seemed composed and calm and said to me "I'm feeling realistic. I know what I'm capable of and I'm going to give it my best".

Her club mate Goz said, "Ready to switch the aggression mode on. I give it everything I've got. I'm with Ewa who's my grading partner extraordinaire, so we'll help each other and do what we can."

Rich Coulthard from Krav Maga South Wales was there for P3 and said "I'm a bit nervous with the adrenaline, just want to get on with it. Feel confident with the instruction I've had but always a few nerves before you start." 

There was also Edmund Sobszak in the hall, a G3 instructor from Nick Maison's Total Krav Maga, there for his own students going for P4.

Text messages were coming in from people who hadn't got to the venue yet. There had been a bad accident on one of the major arterial roads leading into Stratford and a few candidates were stuck. Fortunately, whatever it was was cleared quite quickly as the students arrived flustered but only slightly later than the scheduled start time and we had yet to get things moving.

Once Jon Bullock, the head of Krav Maga Global UK and Alan Dennis an E1 instructor arrived, the students began to register. As they queued up I spoke to Rhiannon Williams, a P1 student from the Worcester club who was there with her friend Ellen Vogel to offer support to their club mates. They trained with Al Natrins who had also come to fly the flag. She said "It's going to be quite interesting I think. It's going to be good to actually see it happen, the P1. Last time we graded in July we were in the thick of it so it will be good to see the P1 and also what the P2 will be like."

Ellen said "Be good to get an outsider's perspective and see what's coming up in the gradings."

Once everyone had registered they sat in a huddle in front of the examiners. Jon Bullock addressed them and asked who was nervous. After establishing that ALL were nervous and getting a ripple of laughter, he established a few truths about the grading. He asked if Krav Maga was the ultimate system and after a pause added "No, of course not. Does it give you a fighting chance? Yes." He then said something that I could personally relate to, having failed P5 last March. "The higher people go the more they focus on stuff only from their own level. By P5 you're out of luck if that's what you do."

He went on to say that the primary concern in the grading was to keep your partner safe and that if he saw anyone going too hard during the sparring he would fail them on the spot. The secondary concern was to pass the exam. Bartosz then repeated that the most important thing was not to injure each other and then the warm up began. After getting everyone good and sweaty they split into their various levels with P1 at the far end and 2 to 5 at the other. There were only three candidates for P5, all KMM students with four going for P4, two from Total Krav Maga. Once everyone was lined up Bartosz reminded the P1s to keep the positions they were in now as they needed to remember where they were standing as they marked the score sheets. On bigger gradings your place will be noted with number that you are issued with that you pin to the back of your T-shirt. On smaller gradings they rely on numbers and A and B (sometimes C if there's a group of 3).

People got stuck in pretty quickly and as the day progressed you could see the guts and determination on everyone's faces. P1 by its nature is not the gruel fest that P4 and 5 are, but the students were still giving it 100%. As I moved up the lines it was fascinating to see all the levels like this, something I'd glimpsed briefly at the P&G weekend last December but not with such an uninterrupted view. There's a certain change in facial expression that you can see as you move from P1 to P5. The determination and grit are always there but when you reach the summit of the practitioner grades, you have a certain steel in your eyes because you know JUST how hard your grading is going to be.

P1 were being overseen by Russell and Bartosz while P2 and P3 had Alan Dennis. Alan called them into a huddle on a few occasions and explained what was lacking in a technique that he felt needed correction. Jon Bullock had the P4s and 5s and all seemed to be giving it a good show, despite the obvious tiredness that was creeping up on them like vapour on a bathroom mirror.

Me, Ellen and Rhiannon stepped out for coffees and when we got back the P1s and 2s were setting out mats for forwards and backwards rolls. This has always been a bone of contention for me as it took me a while to crack them properly. By the time of P4 you are required to learn "forwards to backwards" which sounds OK until you find out you can't stop or stand up between them. Thankfully, all the candidates had the rolls more or less down properly. An addition thrown in by Alan Dennis on P2 had the students rolling, then being immediately attacked by whoever was behind them. This was a novel twist as it meant you had to keep sharp and act on instinct for the most part.

Finally the P2s and 3s finished and shortly after the P1s made their way to the side. All were sweating and red faced but looking like they'd enjoyed it. I spoke to Dan Robinson from KMM who'd just completed P2. He said "I'm feeling strong but it was very tough, we'll see how I get on".

I spoke again to Ewa who said "I'm absolutely and utterly shattered. Should be OK. Never say never".

Goz wearily told me, "I feel exhausted, challenged mentally. To be honest I'm not at all very confident at this moment but what will be will be".

While Ps 1 to 3 took a well deserved rest and had something to eat and drink, the P4s and 5s were gearing up for the sparring. Having lost a piece of a tooth on my P4 grading and about two litres of sweat on the P5 one, I was well aware of what the guys were about to face. Alan Dennis oversaw them and as there was an odd number he had them in pairs fighting, with a 'rogue element' roaming the floor and randomly picking on one person in an existing couple. Whoever they attacked would then have to break off and become the new rogue element. They went at it for about six rounds before Alan called them to a huddle, briefed them on what they'd seen and then said. "You all OK? Good, because you've got one more round to go". They went at it again, everyone giving it their full commitment and then had to face the joys of two against one. The whole point of this is to see if you can remain focussed despite the utter exhaustion you are experiencing. Adrenaline and pride were the only things that kept me going last time in March and it was clear just how much some of the fighters were now hurting as they drew up reserves of energy to finish what they'd started.

Finally the fighting was done but the grading wasn't over. Alan got them all into push up position and after conferring with Jon Bullock they got the P4s to do forty push up while P5 had the added bonus of going up to 50. They moved on to burpies and sit ups before finally the end was in sight and they finished.

After a quick wipe down and gulping some water the students split back up into their requisite grades and sat on the floor around the examiners who'd tested them. Bartosz and Russell got down and demonstrated a few techniques that people had found hard and as I moved further up the hall, Alan and Jon were doing the same. Jon used Al Natrins as a partner to demonstrate what he thought needed work while telling the students their grades. Most had passed but not all and Jon gave constructive feedback to those who hadn't made it. I was surprised when he said "If you tell me now that you disagree with me and that you believe you've done enough to pass then I will sign your certificate and give you your patch but do you want that?" The offer was declined and it made it clear that commitment is one thing but an open mind and an acceptance of criticism are also fundamental. I can't deny that I'd have been tempted to take the offer but ultimately, as Jon said to my grading group way back when I took P3, "From this point it's no longer about collecting patches."

As people moved back to get a fresh T-shirt or chat to family and friends things began to wind down. Everyone lined up for a final photo and the awarding of certificates while the steam slowly evaporated from the sports hall windows.

Once again a fantastic day, bonus for me being that I got to see it from the point of view of a spectator to get some hints for March 2016 when I'm fit to grade once more.

Adrenaline level 3: Room 101

MY review of FAST Reality UK's Adrenaline 3 event with Krav Maga Global UK, from the KMG UK website. (click the photo)

The Investment

In late 2001 I snapped the anterior crusciate ligament in my left knee. I was sparring with a kickboxing instructor named Bertram who was basically kicking my ass. When I tried a roundhouse kick,  I kept my entire left foot on the floor instead of balancing on the ball of it, and the strain snapped the ACL. There was a "crunch" noise and I signalled to Bertram to stop beating me, then hobbled off the mat in order to soothe my sore appendage.

Next day the knee was horrendously tender and swollen to the size of a small grapefruit. I didn't know what was wrong and simply waited for the swelling to go down and then strapped the leg up and carried on. Months later I was told that I had almost certainly snapped the ACL and while I didn't think much of it, as the knee was 'manageable' and the pain almost non-existent, I found out in 2004 that this was a much bigger deal than I'd imagined.

I applied for the City of London police Special Constabulary (volunteer cops) and was rejected on medical grounds due to declaring the knee injury. The force medical officer was polite and to the point, and said that if I'd waited to apply in 2005 it wouldn't matter as new laws were coming in that would make it wrong for them to reject me on these grounds. However...now the old rules applied and she reluctantly had to say no to my application. I asked if I could be allowed an appeal, if I could get the knee repaired. She said yes.

So I went back to the doctor and began the long process of consultation, MRI scan and visits to a specialist. After several months I was booked in for an operation and spent the night in a hospital bed, in preparation for my early morning op, kept awake by two old men squabbling in the adjacent beds. Morning came and the anaesthetist arrived to prep me for my time under the scalpel. Then he told me to put on a backless gown and wait. An hour or so later the consultant surgeon arrived (a man I had only glimpsed from afar up to this point and had always been seen by his underlings). He breezily asked me to swing my legs up on the bed. I'd had the foresight to keep my undies on, despite being told not to, which was a good job as he was with two junior, female doctors. To make matters worse, one was very pretty. He then proceeded to twist and manipulate my lower leg, regularly asking "Does this hurt?" When he realised it didn't he then said "Leg's healthy. You don't need the operation. You can go home."

Overjoyed, I sped home and sent the forms off to the COLP medical officer who then accepted me as healthy, I got interviewed, accepted and joined in October 2004

However....

It turned out that far from what I naively believed had been a case of 'self healing', the leg muscles around my knees had simply grown bigger due to the amount of cycling I was regularly doing in London. The ACL was still broken but, like having a strong set of core muscles in your belly, all that exercise meant that the knees were now having the majority of the strain on the surviving ligament, dealt with by the increase in muscle.

Years later and the knee still twinged. Like tectonic plates grinding into each other, the knee cap would rub into other bits and acidic, sharp pain would shoot up my leg. I was rejected by both the Territorial Army and the RAF Reservists on my paper applications, without even being seen, solely due to the ACL damage. Both said "Get it repaired, then reapply after 18 months."

In Krav training I would have to wear not one but two knee supports on that leg and also take a shit load of painkillers after gradings, due to the soreness and swelling after 4 hours of beasting, with at least 30 minutes of full on sparring to top it all off. I couldn't sit on my heels when I knelt down. I was advised in the strongest possible terms by a knee specialist that I NOT go jogging. The impact would cause inflammation to the knee and put me back. Cycling was fine but running, which I love, was out.

This year I decided what I really want to do is be fully fit again. I want to run, jump and twist without fear of having to open the Ibuprofen. I want to grade in Krav Maga without fearing that someone will boot me in the kneecap and send me howling to the floor. I want above all to be a Fast Defence instructor with Wayne Hubball in 2016.

I went for another MRI scan on my knee a few months ago after referral from my local doctor. I then got to Warwick Hospital to see a consultant. They put me on a waiting list and last week told me that my operation to repair the ACL will happen on the 25th of August 2015. Convalescence time is 6 months, meaning no Krav for that entire time.

This dictates that I will miss both chances to retest my P5 exam in October and December. I will miss shit loads of training and also the seminars run nationally and by my own club Krav MagaMidlands. Guys who are currently P3 will be probably taking their P5 the same time as me. Guys who are currently P4 could well be taking G1.

But....the light at the end of the tunnel is that I will come back fitter, healthier and with more endurance. Things I cannot do now without pain and physical instability will be much easier to perform. I will be able to fight without the paranoia of wondering if my knee will get hurt during the kicks and punches, takedowns and ground work.

It's an investment and one I wish I'd taken a long time ago

Short term gain gives short term pleasure. One thing Krav Maga has taught me is that sometimes you need to be patient and put your ego and desires to one side in order to be all you can be.

Review of Adrenaline Level 2

Krav Maga Global & FAST Defence UK

Harlow Leisurezone, Essex, UK

Saturday 6th June 2015

By Lance Manley

"Let Us Prey!"

Fast Defence UK has been around for about 30 years. Considered by many to be the "missing link" between self defence and martial arts training, FAST stands for "Fear, Adrenaline and Stress Training."

Their website states "FAST training empowers people by teaching how to manage the adrenaline release – no matter what the perceived threat and no matter what the context – and use it to create the most appropriate win." Most importantly it also says that training teaches people to "avoid, defuse and, if absolutely necessary, stop violence directed at them."

I had a taste of what this involves in June 2014 at the Krav Maga Global World Tour with Eyal Yanilov (KMG Chief Instructor). Me and 9 others got chosen by Master Eyal to fight what are known as the "predators". These are aggressive, violent and ferocious attackers who come out with verbal as well as physical assaults. The basis of the scenarios we entered can be boiled down to this:

"One or more guys are in your face. What are you going to do?"

Predator armour is unique in design in that it allows full freedom of movement for the person inside the "suit" but also allows their opponent/ victim to strike to the face, chest and groin as hard as they can.

Adrenaline level 1 is based on one attacker and encourages the use of "tunnel vision" to retain focus on what is directly in front of you.

On Adrenaline 2, the game is changed in that you have multiple predators and have to deal with varying scenarios with between 2 and 5 attackers.

I'd been looking forward to this for several months and arrived early at Harlow Leisurezone. I met Andras Millward, Director of Instructor Development for FAST in the canteen. I asked him about FAST's recent surge in popularity and he said:

"There's been a big change, big upheaval in the FAST defence world. WE knew it worked but we weren't very good at telling the world it worked. A LOT of new people have come on board now. It's a lot stronger. Our relationship with Krav Maga Global is really helping our profile as well. We're like one of the best kept secrets in the world. Today we've got 50 to 55 students booked in. On Adrenaline 1 we had people coming here from abroad, countries like Switzerland, France and Norway. Our purpose today is to give you all more information about the adrenal release and response and then put you back in it again."

We kicked off just after 10.30am and Andras plus the head of Krav Maga Global UK, Jon Bullock spoke to us about what the day had in store. Then we had a lecture from Dr Kirsty Hunter, about the scientific aspects of the body's response to threat. We were told about the importance of correct breathing (inhale to belly, then chest through the nose, exhale through the mouth) and the different reactions to fear. She also told us about FAST's "A,B,C's" which stands for Awareness, Boundaries and Conflict Resolution (or Combatives).

Awareness means the ability to observe and accurately interpret stimuli within our environment and then identify and manage our own internal state. Boundaries means knowing how and when to establish recognisable physical and/or emotional boundaries, and is considered essential to what FAST teaches. Combatives covers situations that require physical self-defence and provides simple and effective techniques that can be learnt and applied successfully by all, irrespective of age or sex.

After Dr Hunter had spoken to us we then moved into the preliminary phase of the training, the "woofing."

Woofing refers to where people are threatening or verbally aggressive in order to test boundaries. Like a dog barking, the expression describes how people can behave when trying to intimidate or even attack others. We were told that body language is VERY important for us in these scenarios. You are taught to stand with your feet steady but NOT to assume a "fighting stance" (which comes so easily to those who train in martial arts). You start with your hands held loosely together below your waist and only raise them if you feel your boundaries are threatened. Even then you are told categorically not to point or look like you are pointing, so you keep your hands with the palms facing forwards. Language is crucial and swearing a BIG no-no. The question "What do you want?" is designed to make an aggressor actually think of a response involving what is known as higher brain function as they have to consider their response. We were encouraged to utilise the phrases "You need to leave!" and "Back away!" or Back off!" when dealing with threatening or intimidating behaviour.

There were two groups with a coach and several "woofers" on designated areas of the sports hall. One at a time we went out onto the mats and had to deal with them. The guys we were facing wore sunglasses so you couldn't see their eyes, further upping the adrenaline factor and their behaviour towards us ranged from mildly obnoxious to criminally aggressive. In order to enhance the realism of the role plays, the actors would pick up on personal traits or clothing choices. I wear bandanas to keep my hair out of my face in training and that day was wearing a camouflage patterned one. Sure enough, the opening line as they pounded towards me was "You in the army or something?!!" When I replied "Sorry mate, I can't hear you" the guy snarled and went "What you deaf as well?!! And I'm not your f***ing mate!!!" Heart hammering in my chest I stuck to the game plan, while coach Caroline Braxton stood behind me observing what was going on. I shouted "BACK AWAY!!! JUST GO!!! LEAVE!!!" and various combinations while the actors continued to make fun of me but did back off. Anatoli Krassavine from my club Krav Maga Midlands was there and it was good to have a team mate on board.

As the others went up it was clear that the actors wouldn't back away unless we ticked certain boxes with regard to etiquette on our own behalf. Anyone pointing (a gesture infuriatingly easy to make when your hands are outstretched) would have the actors yelling indignantly at them and coming back. Anyone who walked towards them (again, an easy mistake to make) would be perceived as "wanting some". Finally we all went through the drills and during a short lunch break I spoke to FAST UK Director Wayne Hubball and Caroline Braxton.

Wayne said, "It's gone very well. Everyone seems to have picked up all the learning points. It's great to see how people have advanced from Adrenaline 1."

Caroline is also a specialist in Neuro Linguistic Programming and incorporating FAST into corporate business. She said, "I think it's going really, really well. The training's embedded in them and while you all might not remember what you did in Adrenaline 1, it's all coming back. It's a nice recap."

After lunch Jon Bullock then took us for what could euphemistically be called a "warm up". We worked on trying to get our partners to the floor; punching to the body; groups of 3 with two vs one and several variations. Jon told us on several occasions not to "pretend" about what we were doing and to deal with our movements realistically. This went on for about 40 minutes and was about as gruelling as my last Krav Maga grading. Afterwards Jon stated that while we might hate him at that moment he had done us a favour by "inoculating" us to what we were about to do and also getting us used to being in close quarters brawling. He also pointed out that the biggest fear we really had was not of getting hurt but of failing, or looking foolish in front of our friends and peers.

Then it came time to meet the predators again. The last time I faced these guys I was beyond nervous. This time I was enthusiastic but there was no way of denying that the nerves were jangling once more. We split into two groups of roughly 25 people, with a coach and several predators per group. The students lined up facing each other either side of the squares, and each line took turns. The worst part about this is the initial phase, where you stand, usually with your back to the predators and close your eyes. You inform the coach of any niggling injuries (in my case a dodgy left knee) and she will signal to them which bit of your body they should try to avoid hurting. Then the game's on.

The first time I was up, I got violently shoved forwards and whirled to find a guy stood behind me, shouting incoherent threats and trying to slap and push me. His mates were also marching up and then I was retaliating. You have no chance to try and remember what techniques you may have learned in Krav or any other discipline, you are operating solely on instinct and muscle memory. The whole thing was a blur that retrospectively seemed to last about 2 seconds. I remember using an elbow strike to knock one opponent on his back and that was about it. Before I knew it the whistle was blowing and it was all over, people clapping, and me trying to get my breath back.

It was interesting to see how different people handled the situations. Some of the better fighters really made their punches and kicks count while the most aggressive fighters in these situations appeared to be the women. After a short break for the predators to breathe, we went up once more. The second time I had a rougher deal with one guy pinning my arms. I was screaming a lot of abuse and dropping clusters of C-bombs while Caroline encouraged me to yell at them. One or two of the other guys who went up had opportunities to use verbal "persuasion" rather than just punching, proving the point that if you are trained to handle adrenaline you can react appropriately. Another thing that happened four or five times was guys losing their T-shirts while grappling. The predators would take advantage of this and try and keep it over the practitioner's face unless they managed to wriggle free.

Our side of the room finished before the other and we joined the remaining group to give them some encouragement. Amusingly, the predators from our side then joined in, meaning some guys had to fight up to five at a time.

Finally we stopped and Andras Millward gave a closing talk followed by Jon Bullock who asked us how we felt the day had gone and got us to give a round of applause to the "crazy guys" who donned the Predator armour. We then got our attendance certificates and shook Andras's hand before changing into fresh T-shirts and anticipating a good meal and a shower.

Afterwards I spoke to Krav practitioner Barry Macinnes.

"Thoroughly enjoyed it, very good. Even better than the first one and it's spurred me into becoming a FAST instructor."

I also spoke to Andras Millward who said, "I love doing these events with KMG. You guys come in with full commitment and honesty and it makes our job a lot easier. You really bring your heart and soul into every fight. In the grey areas of verbal assertion you guys are really good. A lot of you handled some very, very complex scenarios."

Jon Bullock was also very pleased with how things had gone.

"The idea was obviously to give them the adrenaline experience again. What we did this time was change the dynamic. So there's pressure but there's more things to think about such as movement, positioning, dealing with more than one person. It is likely that in general a self defence situation would involve more than one person."

I asked him to sum up the day in three words and he replied, "Experience, learning, and review."

A great day for everyone involved. The predators, coaches, instructors and students all had a great time and I cannot speak highly enough of this event. Adrenaline is just what I needed. I am now, like Barry Macinness, looking forward to getting more involved in this world and the future is bright.