Check out Jarret Waldman of Krav Maga Sherman Oaks demonstrating in the videos below:
Bearhug from Behind with Arms Caught:
Bearhug from Behind (Leverage on the Finger):
MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, and Fitness for the Boston / Watertown area
By Patrick
You’re probably familiar with Abraham Maslow’s maxim, “It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” It is actually a variation on a concept written by Abraham Kaplan two years earlier: “I call it the law of the instrument, and it may be formulated as follows: Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.”
You’ve likely also heard “Never box a boxer, never wrestle a wrestler,” an adage attributed to various martial arts figures, depending on whom you ask. Each of these fighting styles becomes its practitioner’s Golden Hammer: a boxer and a wrestler will each rely on his or her respective skill set, no matter the situation. I’m generalizing, of course, but this is a fighting reality and is especially evident in many MMA events. A fighter who is dominant in one aspect of the fight game (boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, BJJ) will try to keep the fight in that mode at all costs, even when his or her corner is screaming otherwise.
Our system of Krav Maga is designed with this in mind, so our techniques are well-rounded and cover both stand-up and groundfighting. Standing and trading blows with a boxer or groundfighting with a wrestler is not an effective means of finishing the fight and going home safe. However, even within our versatile training, we are no less subject to the Law of the Instrument. Our Golden Hammer? Almost without exception, it’s knee strikes. Early on in our Krav Maga training, most of us discover that knees are devastating close-range weapons; true fight-finishers. Knees become the go-to combative, and most of us throw them regardless of how our partner is reacting.
Does that mean that we should ease up on the knees? No! Just don’t try to force their application in a scenario where a more suitable tool could be used. Try to keep these important points in mind:
If knee strikes fit those criteria, then keep these points in mind (see also Knees in Review):
The November 2010 syllabus is subject to change. This post will be updated throughout the month.
Questions? Post to the comments!
By Patrick
Our instructors are highly trained and certified in their respective disciplines. Brian … Learn More
We're proud of our achievements as a school and in the community. Awards: We've been voted "Best of the Best" Martial Arts in Watertown - from 2003 through 2013! MSA and GKM are survey … Learn More
MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
6 Riverside St
Watertown, MA 02472 · USA
phone: 617.923.4248
Click here for directions and e-mail
Sign up for our newsletter!