My in-store rumble

I was in a hardware store yesterday with my mother and sister (I'm not sure if there's some thing against saying store names, but anyway...) and I was at the self-checkout counter, scanning some little hangers to hang more weapons in my room. I also had with me a six foot long, 2x1 board that I was purchasing.

So, in any event, my sister and I were at one checkout thing, and my mom (who is a brown belt) was at another, when some guy behind me said, "Is this yours?"

I half-turned, saw him gesturing toward what I thought was the cart, said, "Yes," then turned back around to the checkout.

Suddenly, he goes, "Hey, no it isn't, this is mine!"

I kind of turned again, and he was holding some spiral-bound notebook I hadn't seen that must have been in my cart the whole time. I started to apologize, but he cut me off with a string of obscenities and threatened to "f-ing slap me upside my f-ing head."

My immediate thoughts were: I need to protect my sister, and make sure my mom doesn't get any crazy ideas. I kicked the board, which was laying horizontally across the counter, into my hand, spun and slid my left foot into a cat stance (loaded, for those who don't speak American Kenpo), with the makeshift staff in a relaxed, vertical position, from which I was planning to implant the bottom of the board in his chin.

My mother turned around and ordered, "Leave my son alone!"

The guy moved toward her, in front of me, with his back to me, and I said to myself, This is it: are you ready to do what's neccissary?

Luckily, he said a few obscenities more to my mother, then stormed out. My hands were shaking for an hour.

PS. We went straight from the hardware store to another store, and passed the same guy in the aisle!! Luckily, he either didn't remember me, or chose not to.

isn't it funny how adrenaline works? I mean, your training gets you so ready to defend yourself if need be, but you end up still shaking afterwords. I am glad that you were prepared, but even more glad that you did not have to use your self defense against him. Although what a scene it would be, you and your mom kicking this guys butt.

Good job of using your surroundings. You have to really get used to that adrenaline rush. I was just listening to some guys at the jail yesterday night get riled up about cell searches, and that got mine going.

Wow.

You were ready and it would have been over quickly. I'm sure we are all glad that it didn't happen.

Ah yes, the shaking hands thing...it takes a couple of minutes for those nerves to go away.

The adrenaline shakes are a side-effect too...no matter how afraid you are (or not afraid) we tend to have a few shakes. I'm glad you didn't have to fight.

People never cease to amaze me on how rude adn off teh wall they can be

The guy sounds like an obnoxious moron. Good reaction that you stood up for your family though.

The shakes are just an after effect of the sudden rush of adrenaline pumping through your body. Not much you can do to control/condition your body to stop shaking like that and get used to it unless you were continually putting yourself into situations which gets your adrenaline pumping that way. Not the best plan in the world. Better off just dealing with the shakes as rarely as possible.