We aim to be explosive in all of our movements, and there’s something about choke and grab defenses that lend them particularly well to demonstrating this. Since we’re in the choke and grab defense section of the Level 1 rotation, I will focus on those techniques. Know, however, that what follows can also be applied more generally.
It might be a forgone conclusion that bigger-stronger-faster is better, but there are some very legitimate reasons for why we should be explosive:
- “Techniques must be accessible to the average person, not just athletes.” — principle of Krav Maga
A choke is a show of power, a strength-based attack used by someone who is (or at least believes him- or herself to be) bigger and stronger than you. Thus, trying to pry some brute’s paws from around your larynx while your brain is rapidly losing oxygen is not an effective defense. Alternatively, our defense against a choke is predicated on turning our natural reaction to being grabbed around the neck into an explosive pluck at the immediate threat of the attack—the attacker’s thumbs. Among other reasons (including those below), this pluck must be explosive so that more force can be generated by a smaller person.
Let’s use some simple math to prove this. Force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration. So as not to get too geeked out, let’s disregard units of measure and just deal with hypothetical natural numbers.
Force
(against attacker’s thumbs)= mass
(your hands)● acceleration
(explosiveness of the pluck)10 = 2 ● 5 50 = 2 ● 25 For our simplified purposes in this scenario (and assuming all other factors are equal), force can be boosted by increasing the mass of the object or the acceleration of its movement. Your hands aren’t getting any bigger; therefore, the logical way to apply more force behind the pluck is to increase the acceleration of your hands. There are many other elements outside this basic equation that influence force (F), but simply put, the more explosively you perform the pluck, the more force you will apply against the attacker’s thumbs.
- An explosive initial movement subsequently “feeds” explosive combatives.
The pluck is a very effective initial defense, but its success is not guaranteed. (Remember, “all’s you have to do is _____” is not part of our working vocabulary.) You have one shot at a pluck, and whether it works or not the transition to combatives must be immediate (“Techniques must defend and counterattack simultaneously”). The truth is, a kick in the groin and an elbow in the nose are far more effective than a pluck at the thumbs in getting some creep’s hands off of you. We do the pluck, however, because your hands will instinctively go to where it hurts. So, rather than training to override that inevitable reaction, we train to make it the initial defense. That said, if your pluck is more of a labored “grab and pull”, not only has the effectiveness of the initial defense been compromised, but your subsequent combatives will most likely be much less sharp and less dynamic. By contrast, if you make an explosive pluck I guarantee that the combatives to follow will be much more crisp and powerful. - The physical and psychological effects on the attacker.
No, merely moving quickly might not be able to frighten some bloodthirsty degenerate into falling to the ground and weeping. But, if your explosive movements cause him or her even one second of hesitation, that just might be your opening to finish the fight and escape safely. In the Marine Corps, we often used the phrase violence of action, and it usually entailed blowing stuff up and screaming like an unhinged lunatic while advancing a position or clearing a room. In Krav Maga we can also use a vocal component, but our violence of action is mainly done through combatives. Combatives are used to overwhelm an attacker and smother any opportunity or will to launch a secondary attack. If combatives are not delivered explosively as a vicious and demoralizing deluge, a window is potentially opened for the attacker to throw a punch, shoot in for a takedown, pick up a rock, pull a knife… . Keep in mind one of our mnemonics for bearhug defenses: “thrash around like an animal; be difficult to hold”.
How can you become more explosive in your movements? Practice, of course. I’ve discussed practice methods in a previous post, but here are a couple pointers specific to explosiveness:
- Train slow and smooth.
The old “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” concept. By making your movements in training slow, smooth, and technically flawless you’re developing muscle memory, hardwiring the motor recruitment pattern of a skill. If a movement isn’t perfectly controlled when performed slowly, it tends to be a wild wreck when done in hyperdrive. This is especially important when learning brand new skills. - Train … uh … explosively.
Once a movement is encoded and can be performed almost unconsciously, you can then make it faster and more powerful. Practice as you want to perform. (I would recommend coming to an agreement with your training partner on just how explosive you plan to be!) - Explosive strength training.
I’ve also discussed augmenting Krav Maga with a strength program before. This is not a necessary step on the path to explosiveness, but explosive strength work would certainly develop a terrific power base to which to apply your Krav Maga skills. As Soviet sport biomechanist Vladimir Zatsiorsky defined it, explosive strength is “the ability to produce maximal forces in minimal time.” Plyometrics, Olympic lifting, kettlebells, and sandbags are just a few good ways to develop moving really heavy things really quickly.
How about another quote from a Russian sport scientist? Yuri Verkhoshansky, in Special Strength Training – A Practical Manual For Coaches, states:When effective methodology is used, exercises with resistance promote not only an increase in movement speed but also perfection of coordination, motor reaction, quickness and frequency of movements, the ability to relax muscles, development of local muscular endurance and an increase in maximal anaerobic capacity.
Or, if you’ve figured out the secret of Ryu’s hadoken as pictured above, please post to the comments.
Ryu image credit: Brian McGee
Ref: Ross Enamait, “Strength Training For Fighters”
Great post!