My advice is let him bite you once. Being bitten was the best thing that happened to me. They strike so fast that by the time you figure out what happened, it doesn't hurt anymore. Now that I've been bitten, I know exactly what to expect, and I've never been more confident in handling my snakes. I have to stick my hands in the cage all the time to change water, mist, etc. and I'm no longer nervous and jumpy. Hence, she's no longer responds negatively to my jerky hands. Seriously though, if you can avoid being bitten, do, but unless your snake is extremely aggressive, you don't have too much to worry about.