MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, and Fitness for the Boston / Watertown area
Brian’s Expert Series training partner, Richard Schott, will be a guest in our Level 2 class Monday, April 5. The theme for the night will be “fighting while inebriated* or disoriented”.
Richard is a Krav Maga black belt and the chief instructor at CORE Self-Defense in El Cajon, California. He is a very dynamic teacher, so this class should be both informative and a lot of fun!
The Simpsons went to Israel in last night’s new episode. At one point, Bart unsuccessfully engages with a little Israeli girl in a battle between karate and krav maga.
Bart: Quit goin’ for my groin!
Israeli girl: No groin, no krav maga! Hello, groin!
[She knees Bart repeatedly in the groin.]
And then, at the end of the episode as the tour is boarding the plane:
Bart: I want the window seat.
Lisa: Krav maga!
Bart: You can’t hurt what’s already dead.
[Lisa knees Bart in groin]
Bart: I guess you can…
http://www.addletters.com/bart-simpson-generator.htm
“What if I am walking down a dark alley with $20 bills hanging out of my pockets and I’m attacked by 27 Ninjas with Uzis? What do I do?”
I just read this and wanted to share:
“What-If-Monkeys” by Marc MacYoung
The article author says a lot and says it well, so I don’t want to add to the general topic. I do, however, have a few things to say regarding what-ifs as they specifically relate to Krav Maga:
One of the main reasons I believe in Krav Maga, as someone who both trains in it and teaches it, is that it applies as few techniques/solutions as possible to as many scenarios as possible. For example, we often make defenses based solely on the angle of an attack rather than the specifics of it (is it a fist, foot, weapon, etc.?). This speeds both the training time and the reaction time to a surprise attack by limiting the available options (see also Hick’s Law). That said, the system doesn’t “force” techniques to work in situations they clearly won’t. While the tools in the Krav Maga toolbox are both few and versatile by design, the system doesn’t claim to have a set of secret super moves that will work against any opponent in any circumstance. Maintaining situational awareness, training your reflexive responses, and training to see within the fight will aid you best in most scenarios.
As trainees in a “reality-based” system, we need to address both general and specific scenarios, and obviously train them as realistically as possible. So, I post this not to discourage anyone from asking any question. (Nor am I insinuating that too many 27-Ninjas-type questions are being asked in class!) We love exploring scenarios with students when appropriate, especially when we see them “get it”. It’s important to understand, though, that:
Violence is extremely mutable. Those mutations occur from situation to situation and second to second depending on circumstances. As such, attempting to micromanage and have exact pre-planned responses to every possible scenario is unrealistic. Such an attitude hinders mental flexibility and inhibits the responder’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances. This inability increases the danger to the would-be responder.
—Marc MacYoung
Here’s an interesting video from Rodney King of Crazy Monkey Defense that ties into the shirt grab question that came up at the end of Tuesday night’s class:
Overall, I think the Crazy Monkey Defense stuff compliments the “fighting” portion of Krav pretty nicely. I like a lot of the concepts that I’ve seen online and even experimented with incorporating pieces into the last sparring rotation. While taking the opponent’s back as Rodney does in the video is not necessarily something encouraged in Krav Maga, the opening certainly is. Some compliance-type techniques (i.e. joint locks and pressure points) from styles like Kenpo and Modern Arnis Jujitsu, while effective in certain circumstances, require much more time to train; rely on fine motor movements that can degrade under stress; and often require both your hands, leaving you more vulnerable to subsequent attacks. Striking, however, has a less steep learning curve because it is more instinctive; relies on gross motor movements that are less affected by stress; and, if you’re hands always return to your fighting stance, offers a better degree of protection against a flailing opponent. (Keep in mind, though, that use of force issues are more likely to arise with strikes.)
This video demonstrates three key Krav Maga concepts that apply to nearly every self-defense scenario:
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