MacDonald Academy of Martial Arts
Kenpo Karate, Krav Maga, and Fitness for the Boston / Watertown area
Groin strikes are a bit of a running gag about Krav Maga. It may seem we have a fixation, and, admittedly, there are few things funnier than seeing someone biffed in the crotch.
Juvenile giggling aside, there’s a reason why groin strikes are barred from combat sports: they’re fight enders. Even with protection, a strike to the groin can completely incapacitate the strongest of fighters. Doubt it? Seen this?
Click here for cringe inducement »
In the post on headlocks, I posed a question regarding the overwhelming number of submissions available to a skilled grappler in that position:
Should we learn unique techniques to counter each attack?
At first glance, this might seem appropriate. Chokes, elbow locks, shoulder locks, knee locks… Surely these all require different responses, right? Many self-defense and grappling systems do just this and have very, very large catalogs of techniques to address very specific possibilities. There may even be multiple techniques for each nuanced scenario.
While there are certainly many not-to-be-named systems and instructors that teach laughable techniques that could get you killed if you attempted them, there are a greater number of martial arts that—if taught and trained well—are technically sound and proven effective. However, most all of these arts require years to develop proficiency. Even then, there’s the risk of “analysis paralysis” because you have too many techniques to choose from when you must react without hesitation under stress. [Read more…]
When we introduce Defense against Headlock from the Side in Level 1, we explain that there is not an immediate life-threatening danger as there is with chokes. The headlock is not a choke; rather, the attacker’s goal may be to:
Assuming you either don’t know the Level 5 Defense against Headlock from the Side: Being Spun Inward or weren’t able to pull it off, it’s Attacker Goal #4 that leads to our Level 3 headlock on the ground defenses. These defenses address the basic position and the minor variations of it.
Just a reminder to everyone attending the Krav Maga Advanced class that you should always bring all your fight gear. Even when we are not running the sparring curriculum specifically, we will often include fighting in skills training and drills. If you do not have your gear, you cannot participate in class.
If you are new to the Advanced class and have not yet purchased the required gear, please do so before attending.
At the end of a BJJ class the other day, I played a game called “Group Fight” that, to me, underscored the inherent risks of fighting on the ground. I wanted to share some observations as they apply to our system of Krav Maga.
A brief background first: When I started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, my intention was to go to classes for a couple months to learn some good fundamentals to augment my Krav Maga training. Five years later… I won’t be invited to Abu Dhabi anytime soon, but my BJJ skills are competent. As Krav Maga practitioners we never want to fight on the ground if we can help it, but being acclimated to that type of fighting can only improve our odds of going home safe.
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
