Krav Maga Scenarios 12.14.13
This week’s scenario will be the last in our chair series…
Using a Chair as a Shield or Weapon
Saturday, 12/14, 8:30AM
Post requests for future scenarios to the comments below!
Photo credit: practicalowl, on Flickr
Machete Defense?!
The usual question came up the other night at the end of a stick defense class: What if the object is not blunt? What if it’s a machete?!
My very brief thoughts:
- RUN!
- Grab anything you can to use as a shield and/or weapon.
- If you have to make a defense, it is most likely going to be a “stick” defense rather than a knife defense due to the size of the weapon and the hacking nature of the attack, which more closely resembles how a blunt object is typically used. When making the redirecting defense against an overhead or angled swing, we ideally make first contact with the wrist and avoid the weapon altogether. When making the blocking defense against a horizontal swing, we ideally burst in past the weapon and slam into the attacker’s arm. The key adverb here being “ideally.” Our stick defenses are designed to “work” (i.e. avoid fatal injury but not necessarily serious injury) even if we’re very late in our defense. Not so much with a machete, though. And, of course, I would not recommend using a stick disarm against a blade!
- For me, my ideal defense (if I were able to kindly request of my assailant) would be Knife Defense Against Backhand Slash: dodge a forehand slash and pounce in on the dead side before it comes back. You know, if I could choreograph it.
- We’re talking about a miscreant with a machete here, not a master swordsman. If you run afoul of these dudes, I cannot help you.
- Did I mention RUN?!
Colin sent this video. It is NOT Krav Maga, and I don’t agree with everything in it, but there are some interesting and useful points.
Krav Maga Scenarios 04.13.13
Back from Phase C with New Ways to Torture TEACH You
I completed Phase C (Level 3 instructor training) last week at the Krav Maga Worldwide National Training Center in West LA. I was privileged to train with incredible people and absorbed so much, as you must in seven full days of total immersion! I learned many new things and many new ways of doing old things. I think we did more weapons training than anything else, which was an unexpected treat. I’m excited to share with everyone—right after I take a little time to organize my notes, decompress, and heal some dings and dents!
Big thanks to my most excellent Phasemates. If you ever find yourself in their parts of the world, be sure to check out their schools:
- Jean-Francois Frenette and Kyle Glenn from MMA Academy in San Diego, CA
- Dustin Hoffman from Krav Maga Training Centre Waterloo in Ontario, Canada
- Richard Randquist Chung from Dojo 3 in Renton, WA
- Lisa Rivera from Budo Ryu in San Luis Obispo, CA
Also a big thank-you to our instructors Kelly Campbell, AJ Draven, and David Bluestein. With such a small, talented group [and me ;)] to work with, the best of the best practically gave us a week-long private lesson. They genuinely wanted to help us improve in all aspects as Krav Maga instructors, and I undoubtedly feel stronger in my technical and teaching skills. And despite the lingering soreness, I’m honored to have been their demo dummy for the week!
Thanks certainly need also go to all those at the Academy who helped me train, especially Brian, Marc, and—of course—Danelle, who had to deal with spinning back kicks and my obsessing over programming for months on end! Only 282 days until Expert Series I!
