The Academy will be closed for summer break Monday July 4 through Saturday July 9. Classes will resume Monday July 11. These dates are marked on the Class Schedule.
***THERE WILL BE A KRAV MAGA CLASS SATURDAY, JULY 2***
Have a safe and fun break!
MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, and Fitness for the Boston / Watertown area
News and articles for Krav Maga students
The Academy will be closed for summer break Monday July 4 through Saturday July 9. Classes will resume Monday July 11. These dates are marked on the Class Schedule.
***THERE WILL BE A KRAV MAGA CLASS SATURDAY, JULY 2***
Have a safe and fun break!
Yes, it is once again [almost] summer and time for us to gently remind you that we will continue having Krav Maga classes on Saturday mornings so long as attendance doesn’t drop below current levels. We know too well that it’s tempting to skip class as the weather gets nicer, but please keep in mind that we will have to consider canceling Saturday mornings for the summer if no one shows up.
If you like the Saturday morning option… come train!
This goes against everything I believe in as a Krav Maga instructor and a nitpicking technician, but I’m going to teach you how to throw a good sloppy punch.
Why?
When we introduce 360° Defense in Level 1 classes, we typically begin by illustrating its efficacy for defending against an overwhelmingly common attack: the bar room haymaker. This is that wide, arcing swing typically thrown by an untrained person aiming to knock the head off the object of his or her ire. Make no mistake, this attack may be ugly on a technical level, but it is very powerful and very dangerous. But it is also very telegraphed and therefore much easier to defend than, say, a straight punch or a tight hook punch.
Enter 360.
In order to properly train the defense, though, we must be able to replicate the attack. The what-I-hesitate-to-call-technique should come naturally. The only cue I have to give most students is “throw a ball”, and a tight swing of the arm becomes a gloriously wild, full-body bell-ringer. A little experience playing catch and the aforementioned ire are all you need to throw a proper hooligan punch. But, being a slave to detail, I will now break down the sloppy punch into far more detail than it deserves…
This is not Krav Maga, but there are very strong parallels, particularly with the elbow down, forearm in the neck clinch position we all love so dearly. As a reflexive defense and within the context of a “grabby” attacker, Tony Blauer’s Outside 90 is perfectly compatible with our training. Keep in mind, however, that Krav Maga takes a different tactic to defend against round punches. Because our punch defenses translate directly to defenses against edged weapons, we ideally don’t want the attacker’s arm glancing off in an uncontrolled manner. We want a strict 90° at the elbow because we don’t want the attacker’s hand being redirected down into the body. This also puts us in a better position to control and disarm the weapon. (Not being versed in the S.P.E.A.R. System, I don’t offer this as a critique, just a note of the differences evident in the short video.)
Disclaimers:
“Outside 90” with Tony Blauer – video [wmv] [mov]
via CrossFit.com
Brian MacDonald is now certified under the Krav Maga Force Training Division. To begin the new Law Enforcement Only Program, he will be conducting a law enforcement seminar on Saturday, June 18, from 10am-12pm. This seminar is free and will cover basic combatives, self-defense, and weapons retention techniques as they apply to law enforcement use of force.
***Due to the classified nature of the training, this seminar is open to sworn law enforcement officers only***
If you are in law enforcement or know someone who is, please pass this information along.
Please contact us for more information and to sign up.
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
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