ALTERNATIVE MARKETING LESSONS
ACTION REACTION
Krav Maga learning interpretation 7
ACTION REACTION
This is the seventh in the series of alternative learning from Krav Maga.
I am Rita, and I love my grandfather. He spun so many stories and yarns that I fell asleep listening to them most of the days. I made him repeat my favourite stories. Every time, he used to add or delete elements making every telling unique. My Grumps. My personal raconteur! He was part of the Indian freedom struggle. As a part of the informal resistance, then the local army and then finally the Indian army. He used to tell me about his unit’s exploits, the valour of the generals, and fellow army men.
He particularly admired one leader, and whose stories and escapades inspired me to join the armed forces! “General Sir” is how my grandfather referred to him. Never by name and always with reverence and respect. Even after all these years. Some leaders leave a lasting impression that passes on across generations. That particular Friday night, my grandfather had organized a small campfire in the backyard. Only for the two of us. It was an autumn night, and the chills were just beginning. A warm crackling fire and cups of hot chai in our hands.
I knew when the moment is right. I always knew when this storyteller was primed and ready. He would start rocking while seated. His eyes would focus on an object a long way away as if peeping beyond the horizon. And a hum would touch his lips. He was ready. All it needed was a prod, and I would nudge him.
“Grumps, how about a story? What did General Sir do?”
And so he began: We knew the war was in the offing. We could feel it in our bones. Our subconscious knew we could come under attack anytime, from when and where, well, we never know. General Sir made sure that we were all ready while ensuring that we got our sleep and rest on a rotational basis. We were camped in the jungles but always on the move. I was part of the advance group, always out, scouting for a safe path ahead. The men were itching for a fight, but the General Sir was always composed. “Assess and Possess” was his mantra. He was a data man. He needed the right data to make the right decisions. Once taken, he wanted them executed real fast. Sodhi and I were two brave hearts, and General Sir loved us like his sons. This also meant that the two of us were always getting blasted by him. Well, that was his way of showing love and concern. Both of us were grinning every time we came out of his command tent.
He asked the two of us to reconnoiter and return with information about the enemy forces. We packed our rations and went our way. Our movement was in short bursts in the dead of night, hiding from the moonlight, trying to blend into the surroundings. This jungle was a snake country, and I was very, very scared. A few did slither their way onto our supine bodies and went their way. Moments when I resorted to silent prayers while Sodhi kept sniggering! If I call myself brave, he was foolhardy!
Our instructions were clear. Find out, and get out! It was the smell that hit us first. The scent of human camps that had not moved in days. We went around it, all around it, taking mental notes — also finding an additional campsite. Once we reported our findings back, General Sir asked two of his crack teams to pack up. They went beyond the main camp. One group stood guard while the other team attacked the additional camp. A silent attack, as they went in and placed dynamite and the charges. After regrouping and ensuring their escape route, the leader blew the charges. It was the second camp, storing supplies that was blown — no ammunition, no food, and no other supplies for the near future. The enemy had to pack up and leave — to return another day.
For now, though, General Sir was right in what he did. To avoid direct confrontation! There are several ways to victory, and this is one of them!
**
ONE MORE STORY PLEASE, I begged. Grumps conceded as I knew he would.
Rita, he started, this time, let me take you abroad. General Sir narrated this episode during our reunion.
It was the 1960s, and Vietnam was in the middle of a civil war. The two forces were fighting each other. Then the Americans entered the fray to support one faction.
You don’t go looking for a fight. When one comes your way, you finish it!
“In an internal fight, was there a need for external countries to participate?”, was a question posed by my grandfather.
The external forces did intervene, though. Commander Dan led the initiative of attacking whom they called were the rebel forces, the Viet Cong (VC). His job was to secure the area and, well, win. He was inclined to do that. He had assembled a crack team, and they set up their camps.
In the middle of the night, there a single shot. Loud enough to wake up the entire camp. They rushed into the tent to find Lieutenant Doug dead, shot in the chest. Who did it? Dan had set up sentries all around the perimeter. Solid security from trusted soldiers. The second night, they doubled up the security detail. Another night, another shot, another death!
How is that possible? Who was attacking, and from where did they attack?
Dan and his troops remained awake the third night, with guns across their chest, on the ready. Nothing happened. The following day, all of them were tired and were dozing, where they were seated or standing! Another shot, this time in the middle of the day, another death.
WHAT WAS GOING ON?
They searched the area to find small footprints. Somebody had come in , but how? It took a few more days for them to find out a camouflaged trap door. The trap door was small and only enough for the most diminutive sized soldier to ease into. That was Jack, and he went in with his submachine gun. He was inside a tunnel, and we heard a scream as soon as he entered the trapdoor. He was able to move but shouting as the devil possessed. With our flashlights, we noticed that he had triggered a booby trap. His leg was now impaled on sharp wooden nails. With great difficulty, they prised him loose.
There was total confusion in the ranks. These VC were coming in from tunnels and attacking. We were guarding the perimeter while they were right below us, underground. Confusion, lack of sleep, and the threat psychosis played a huge psychological game. Dan himself was paranoid, having never faced such a situation before.
These tunnels were built over 25 years and were now repurposed for the war. These tunnels had command stations, supplies, and communication systems. The purpose was to use shock and awe guerrilla warfare tactics. The VC struck at will and vanished, leaving the US forces wondering.
Wondering what happened and where the next attack would come from.
When the US forces sent people down the tunnels, those who could fit it, they got stuck in traps, blind alleys, and dead-ends. The rest picked off one by one by the VC, as was Dan!
Every method that the US could think of, there were several counter methods. The VC could live off the land, with limited supplies. They made the booby traps and impediments with locally available material. They knew this area, above and below the ground.
The VC decided when, where, who and how to attack.
Over time, they won the battles and then the war; using confusion, surprise and guerrilla warfare as the tools.
**
OK, LAST STORY and then I will go to bed, I promised.
A story from South India. He said, “I don’t remember too many particulars or the names, but this is what happened.” The timing was between the 7th and 9th centuries. South India had lots of kingdoms, large and small. Each was fighting with each other for pride, place, or provisions. There were moments of peace followed by war and consolidation.
Cheras, Chozhas and Pandyas were the three main lineages in the region. Chozha king Sundara Parantaka was at war with the Pandyas. Weren’t they always? This time though, the Pandyas, lead by Vira Pandya were stronger. The Chozha kingdom now, after decades of rule, had been reduced to a small principality.
Vira Pandya though wanted to stamp his authority and claim to the Pandya throne, by defeating Sundara and killing him and his clan!
This was the time the plague hit South India decimating a lot of people. Sundara’s army had shrunk. They were holding strong within a fort. The fort had immense walls, and a moat surrounded it. Vira Pandya’s spies found out all details and encamped themselves in the hills around the fort. Sundara had positioned the fort very strategically. With few ways in and out through the hills and the jungle, they could observe any enemy.
Sundara Parantaka Chozhan may have a small army, but he was smart. All through the jungle and the paths, he had spies settle in. News reached him that Vira Pandya is on his way to attack. When and where they did not know yet. Nor did they know the level of support the Pandya army had received from the Sri Lankan King Mahinda the 4th, with whom they had an alliance. A war alliance and a marriage alliance!
Sundara could wait it out or do something different. Sundara opened the fort’s gates and asked his villagers to go about work in their way. He had already sent his army out through the secret tunnels. To the average viewer this was quite confusing.
Wasn’t Sundara supposed to protect us? Why is he opening it all out? Was he surrendering?
The same confusion hit Vira Pandya’s ranks. They approached the fort slowly and observed. They noticed Sundara Parantaka walking the ramparts, laughing, and talking to the soldiers as if he didn’t have a single worry! Not one.
Vira Pandya’s antennae went up. Something was afoot. It was as if Sundara was inviting him to enter the fort. He smelled trickery in the air. And Vira Pandya laughed. He was not going to fall for it. Sundara expected us to attack from the front. Well, we will go around the fort and attack from the back, said Vira Pandya.
So, Vira Pandya’s army skirted around the fort, clearing a path in the jungle. His army had to move in a single file, always with one eye on the jungle floor to keep a steady footing in the slush. Vira Pandya’s army walked right into the ambush laid by Sundara’s general and army — right there in the jungle. It was as if Sundara triple-guessed Vira Pandya’s moves and positioned the trap perfectly. Sundara’s soldiers had moved out earlier using a secret tunnel. Vira Pandya suffered a humiliating defeat and barely managed to escape with his life.
Sundara then slowly further strengthened his position. Slowly the Chozha kingdom had its significant second breath. Rajaraja Chozhan would soon take their domain to great heights.
Then, Grumps asked me, what is common in the three stories?
Advance knowledge!
What you know and what you don’t know, decide your tactics.
Your action depends on the position of the enemy. How close he is, determines which move you make.
- Who is the enemy?
- Who are you and what do you want?
- By when do you want it?
- What do you have and more so, what do you NOT have?
- NOW, where is this enemy?
**
That is the KEY Krav Maga lesson that Sreeram taught. You can learn all the moves for attack and defense. Which move to use when depends on who is attacking, how many people, and from where. What move to use based on where the enemy is located: at a distance, when he is two feet away or when he is really close?
The thought process is the same in business when you are coming out with a new product. When you want to gain market share, you need to assess and decide which move to make. Should it be a direct frontal attack, a side move, a guerrilla attack, or carving out your niche and making that unassailable?
The same is true for your career. What’s the capital you are building? What are you known as? What’s your field of play? What do you want to defend, or capture?
RESEARCH SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandya_dynasty
Chinese War strategies, various sources online.
This is the seventh in the series of learning from Krav Maga.
Pravin Shekar is an outlier marketer, parallel entrepreneur and a raconteur.
mic @ PravinShekar.com .
For creative collusions, join: http://bit.ly/JoinMyOutlierTribe
Pravin is the author of seven books: Devil Does Care, Marketing lessons from Mythology, Getting paid to speak, a Virtual Summit Playbook, Climb your way out of hell & a collection of travel pics/romantic poems, and stories from the heart!
http://tiny.cc/PravinShekarBooks
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