basics

Krav Maga Ten Months Progress Video

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Concise video outlining the progress of one of Kravmaguy’s students over the course of ten months.

In this 60 second student progression video, we see the transformation of a student. Krav maga, i.e. contact fight, becomes more natural to him. Moreover,  striking becomes more fluid, and freezing before and after strikes occurs less often.

 

Click Here for Spanish Version

Summary of Monday Class 8/1/2016

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Tonight’s class was led by assistant instructor Keith; he started with a warm up of squats, push-ups, and the plank, which works on the core strength of the abdominal and back muscles. Afterwards, we learned the technique where instead of the jab-cross with fists or open hand, we formed a C with our Jab hand going for the throat/Adam’s apple area where in a real situation, it would be used to strike the throat. The follow up is a head clinch and knees to the face, or groin.

We then practiced some ground techniques where the defender is on his back and needs to protect against an attacker trying to apply a headlock. We practiced first blocking the headlock attempt, using framing, and then by allowing the headlock to fully take place, and trying to escape using framing and other techniques. There was a student who didn’t feel like participating in the ground technique, so we took turns showing him how to do proper squats, jabs, crosses and foot movement.

The class ended with a nice round of stretching.

Newaza – Escape from the Mount

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Short video explaining one way to escape from the mount.

Strike from the bottom to offset the mounted person’s balance. Trap one side of the opponents base, bridging and rolling by bringing the legs close to the hips, bucking up the hips and pelvis as high as possible, and rolling over to one side. Furthermore, after the sweep, establish a good base while striking and controlling the assailant, breaking his/her guard and escaping.

 

Body Dynamics #2 with Detailed Content

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This is the most fundamental of concepts and the essence of striking and generating power. However, I find that it still takes many years to master. This is the secret to Bruce Lee’s one inch punch. In terms of striking, I believe that this concept takes precedence over all others. The ability to use one’s entire body weight and momentum to optimally drive one’s mass through efficient body dynamics creates tremendous force, allowing even for a much smaller man/woman to crush a larger one in a single blow.

Let me preface by saying that while the jab cross is shown in this video, any strike in any martial art is amplified when this concept is employed. Jab explanation:  start from the bladed fighting stance, both knees bent, with center of gravity not ahead or behind the lower body, but equally balanced, by pushing off a bent rear leg, flexing the toes one lunges forward. (Not shown in the video: the lead hand extends and the shoulder moves anteriorly and medially connecting with one’s own chin, creating a seal, the wrist pronates at the end of the punch). The footwork of the cross is followed off the momentum of the jab, for there is a wide space left over in the spacing of the legs after the initial lunge and the turning of the body that must be used to throw the cross/follow-up strike.

 

Imagine the jab, if you will, as a fencer would strike with an epee: he is lurching forward and extending himself. Naturally, after he lands, he brings his back foot forward a bit after the strike to compensate for the large distance covered and his now wider stance. However, imagine if he were to instead swing a blow with a mace or another heavier sword utilizing all the continuing momentum that he created from the initial jab. That second more powerful blow is the cross.

 

 

The student I was training in this video was, for many months, throwing a jab followed by a straight right. The difference between a cross and a straight right is that the straight right is thrown from a steady and fixed position. The back foot rotates inward, followed by adduction of the rear hip and the dropping of the weight and the rear knee moves downward. This is all fine and well, but it does not generate even a fraction of the power that the cross generates. This cross (whether it be an open handed strike to the nose, or a closed fist) is more dynamic: it actually moves across the body. It comes forward at an angle created by advancing the back foot after the initial jab and throwing the body weight down heavily at the hip. Do not make the same mistake as the aforementioned student who was advancing his rear foot too much after the jab, bringing his back foot into contact with the lead foot. This is an overcompensation, and will cause one’s base/stance to be less stable. The rear foot needs to advance following the jab, but not actually meet the lead foot: it may be only a few centimeters or a few inches, depending on the distance covered by the lunge as well as the tempo of the strikes.

Multiple Attacker Strategies #2

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This video only shows a taste of what goes on in class.

 

The main thing when faced with multiple attackers is to never end up caught between two or more people; one must attack and escape, constantly attacking and evading. He/She should attack the closest target, and use strafing and the necessary footwork, even backpedaling when necessary, so that the person he is fighting acts as a barrier to impede the other attackers because it becomes increasingly more difficult to defend against more than one person at a time. One will take your back or blindside you.

It is important to note that when faced with many people trying to reach you, one will inevitably end up caught between them. At this point, you must use bursting to get out of this scenario, running out of the crowd, so that you will be on better ground to fight them as individuals. This is similar to the Krav Maga training scenario where one individual is surrounded by many attackers who are punching and trying to grab him from all sides, and he must use any means necessary to burst through to the other side.

 

Another thing that is crucial to remember is that street fighting is not a game, and can have deadly consequences. You should avoid it at all costs but when you must fight, do not fight fair, use a weapon, or whatever else you may have on hand as a force multiplier, and fight as if your life depends on it. Do not initiate Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques or take-downs, only use defensive wrestling to avoid getting taken down at all costs. For when you lose your footing, you will get kicked from all sides, and have the life stomped out of you. They will not stop after you are unconscious!

 

Beginners should practice by boxing 2 people at a time in a confined space. They can then add the element of boxing one or two people while another is trying to grab or pull them down. The Israeli Krav maga drill of bursting through a group of attackers to the other side while the attackers are trying to pin you and hitting you should also be practiced regularly. The key is to use hands, elbows, and head-butts, and constantly move, no kicking as this takes away one of your points of contact with the ground, and places you at a disadvantage to be dragged to the floor. This is different than a schoolyard fight or a mixed martial arts match, or even a bareknuckle street fight where there is honor involved.