In the totality of the world of fighting, anything can happen. We actually had someone come into our gym brandishing a samurai sword one time. He didn’t attack anyone, and was definitely mentally unwell, so I’m glad the situation didn’t escalate. It also means if someone in class asks, “What if they have a sword?” I have to take that question seriously, because it did actually happen! Unlikely things do happen. Some people do win the lottery, some people do become celebrities, and some people do get attacked by katanas. But those scenarios are not where we need to focus our limited training time. One, because it’s not a good use of our effort, and two, because (say it with me now): “It’s the same.” The short answer to “What if…?” In Krav is almost always, “It’s the same.” Krav Maga is a system based on a small number of principles that can be applied to many situations. The way we deflect a punch and the way we deflect a knife is the same. Sometimes the answer to “What if….?” is, “It’s the Same But Harder.” Our machete defense is basically the same as our stick defense, but the margin of error is much lower with a machete. Sometimes the answer is, “It depends.” The behavior of the attacker has a big influence in what we do. We minimize variables as much as possible, but we can’t control everything. At a base level, whether the attacker is moving towards us or away from us will affect what we do. The principles of Krav Maga are always the same, but the scenarios we apply them to are infinitely variable. Sometimes the answer is “You’re screwed.” For example, “What if someone comes up to you with a gun, but they’re out of reach, and also there’s a sniper 100 yards away shooting at you, and also you’re surrounded by bears?” Well…that’s a tough one. I’d say you’re pretty well hosed - although you can always try sprinting - but I’d also say you won’t find yourself in that position, so how about spending some more time working on your punch defenses? After all, those will help in a lot more “What if….?” situations.
