For at least as long as I’ve been training, “The Stick Trick” has been used to show the importance of not telegraphing movements. It is a simple demonstration that has the potential to improve nearly every aspect of self-defense and fighting technique.
Surprise, Speed, and Violence of Action
We had a great class last night exploring some variations on the Krav Maga basic groundfighting curriculum. Many thanks to Dave for sharing his experience and insights with us.
Dave reminded me of something I had learned in another life as a Marine infantryman training MOUT in the late ’90s, and that perfectly encapsulates what we do as Krav Maga practitioners. Three essential elements in an ambush or room entry or—we’ll now say—even basic self-defense are:
Surprise
Speed
Violence of Action
I’ve written several articles that parallel this. Here are a couple of them:
Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos, on Flickr
Yet Another Thought on Practice
I’ve written before about the concept of “practice” in training (“The Repetitive Nature of Training Is *Not* Killing Me”, “GTG for Krav Maga”), and I’ve certainly yammered about it enough in classes over the years. Here is a very interesting viewpoint from champion BJJ competitor Kit Dale:
Ditch the 10,000 hour rule! Why Malcolm Gladwell’s famous advice falls short.
Here’s a video on the subject. Though Kit’s talking specifically about BJJ, the concept is no less valid for general skill development, and it is certainly adaptable to training Krav Maga.
There is no universal method for efficient and effective learning—or teaching, for the reverse perspective. I have personally had success with both styles of learning and teaching (“massed” and “non-massed”) at different stages of developing very different skills.
What’s your preference?
Does MMA Make You Stupid?
Check out this very thought-provoking (assuming you can still form thoughts) article from Stephan Kesting of Grapple Arts:
Lest you think this is a perfect excuse not to come to Fight class, here’s a key point:
“For the recreational MMA practitioner the danger probably isn’t that great. You’re not getting hit as often or as hard as the professionals. But PLEASE remember that you DON’T need to be in an all-out slugfest every time you train. There are ways to develop all the technical skills using drills and controlled, light-contact sparring. And if you crave the feeling of complete exhaustion and having been put through the wringer I’d suggest that you do it with grappling rather than kickboxing.”
See also “How Hard Should You Go During Sparring?”
Krav Maga Does Not Make You Invincible
Thanks to Steff for passing this along. Read this article from Krav Chicks; it’s really important.
Krav Maga Does Not Make You Invincible (How I Nearly Got Myself Killed)
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