Most of us know that, when confronted by a bear, the last thing to do is turn and run. But that’s probably easier said that done.

Tigran Avakian, however, obeyed the rule perfectly when he and his family crossed paths with a bear on the Monrovia Falls Trail near Pasadena, California, on September 9.

Avakian’s video of the encounter shows him backing up slowly, and even keeping his cool as the bear charged. He told Storyful, “The bear was at about 10-15 meters away when it charged, and made the evasive turn at about three meters in front of me.” Avakian joked on Instagram, “When the bear charges, always stand your ground! Change pants later…”

The video shows the bear stopping and moving off a little, but Avakian told KABC that the bear followed him and his family round a corner, toward a “dead end.” He said that he and the rest of the group then starting shouting and waving their hands, convincing the bear to move off so they could pass. Credit: Tigran Avakian via Storyful