What started off as a grey, wet Sunday morning in an empty carpark at Harris Academy Purley quickly became a hub of excitement and energy. 28 committed Kravers gathered under a sheltered area of the carpark, first by warming up and then working on their striking skills in close distance from the side and back. Time flew by as we worked through solutions against being choked from the side and back, headlocks and knife threats from different angles. Before we knew it, the bus had arrived, and we were ready to pile in.
Unlike being in the training hall or outdoors where it is relatively easy to train running away, being on the upper deck of a bus and having to manoeuvre a crowd, blading your way out and off the bus is certainly different.
Once students familiarised themselves with how to get off the bus quickly, we settled upstairs with shields and our training partners as instructors demonstrated how to strike whilst sitting down and create distance depending on whether one was by the window or aisle.
As we progressed to solving problems like getting one’s head slammed against the window, being choked, headlocked and even threatened with the knife, the instructors were very impressed to see how well the students were able to demonstrate such high levels of aggression whilst keeping everyone safe.
The real test came with the summary drills at end when the driver took the bus on a drive around the block as groups worked on the lower and upper decks giving defenders all sorts of problems to solve. Not only did they have to deal with unknown attacks, respond accordingly but all the while on a moving bus.
By the end, our bus driver looked thoroughly shocked as I bet this was probably the best and most aggressive bus ride he’s ever had. All students were sweaty, smilingly and injury-free and went home with a little more knowledge on how to deal with some very realistic situations.
Big thanks to Wojtek and Dion for their support.
- Krav Maga London