This week’s scenario will be…
Defenses Against Blindfolds, Hoods, & Garrottes
Saturday, 4/4, 8:30AM
Post requests for future scenarios to the comments below!
Photo credit: Lee Carson, on Flickr
MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, and Fitness for the Boston / Watertown area
This week’s scenario will be…
Defenses Against Blindfolds, Hoods, & Garrottes
Saturday, 4/4, 8:30AM
Post requests for future scenarios to the comments below!
Photo credit: Lee Carson, on Flickr
This week’s scenario will be…
Fighting with Your Hands Bound
Saturday, 3/28, 8:30AM
Post requests for future scenarios to the comments below!
Photo credit: Curious Expeditions, on Flickr
What’s the best way to escape an arm bar? Don’t get caught in one, of course! While avoidance and early defense are always preferred, sometimes stuff goes south and you find yourself in quite the rough spot. Below are the defenses we trained in Fight Class Wednesday night.
If we’re constantly training to get off the ground and back to our feet as quickly as possible, why is the straight arm bar from guard in the Krav Maga curriculum in the first place? You may never consciously decide to “hunt” for an arm bar while fighting on the ground (and realistic training would show that you shouldn’t), but you may find that an attacker happens to fall right into the perfect position for one, and this is one hell of a counterattack to neutralize the threat. More importantly, MMA, BJJ, and submission wrestling have practically become mainstream sports. Basic groundfighting techniques are being trained by average people, and even couch jockeys can call out submissions while watching a cage fight. This means that it is increasingly likely that the person attacking you might have even a cursory knowledge of very dangerous submissions. By being versed in them too, you can anticipate them and avoid putting yourself in a position of disadvantage. If you do get caught in one, you know the principles of how they work, which will aid in your escape.
Let’s first briefly address the attack itself. The straight arm bar from guard is a fundamental submission in all grappling styles. Setups vary from art to art and even from fighter to fighter, but the principles remain constant: the elbow joint is hyperextended by isolating the arm, placing a fulcrum on the elbow, and pulling the end of the lever (the wrist). Here’s basically what we’re talking about:
But seriously:
You won’t need an escape technique at all if you can nullify the attacker’s opportunity to break your arm. Here are the most basic positional defenses for those with little to no groundfighting experience. (There are nuances and exceptions to almost every point once you gain more experience.) When in an attacker’s guard:
And now the escapes?! Yes! These are not the only escape techniques in the world of grappling, and they are not part of the Krav Maga Worldwide curriculum. I believe they are an excellent starting point for further study and training. Get on the mat!
See also:
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
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