| ga is designed to provide the most effective response | | | | and allowing you to escape or neutralise him. |
| for an individual across the whole range of situations in | | | | 3) Three hundred percent defense. There are |
| which one's safety is in danger. Here is a brief | | | | numerous methods of blocking any physical attack to |
| discussion on four key areas that I've picked up on in | | | | your person. In krav maga you are trained to deal with |
| the time I have been training in krav maga. These are | | | | attacks using three simultaneous strategies if possible. |
| not exhaustive of the principles behind krav maga but | | | | The first would be the hand or foot defense, which |
| do give a good overview of some important | | | | would involve blocking or deflecting a strike or maybe |
| considerations that go into training: | | | | plucking or otherwise breaking a choke or similar |
| 1) Attack vulnerable areas of the body. Consider that | | | | attack. The second is the body defense and this |
| when someone attacks you and you are able to fight | | | | simply involves turning or moving your body to remove |
| back, any action that you take can be said to have an | | | | it from where the attacker is attacking to. So for |
| 'opportunity cost', that is the cost of the action you | | | | instance against a straight punch to your head you |
| didn't take weighed up against the one you did. Given | | | | move your head and upper body to the side. The third |
| that when your life is in danger your aim is to survive it | | | | principle is 'moving off the line of attack' and simply |
| makes sense to ensure that your efforts in defending | | | | involves moving round your opponent so that the line |
| yourself are focused on inflicting as much damage on | | | | of attack, that is the direction in which he is or can |
| your attacker as possible so that they are neutralised | | | | attack you is no longer going through you. This is |
| and no longer a threat to you. As such krav maga | | | | important for numerous reasons. As stated above an |
| encourages attacking the most vulnerable areas of the | | | | attack will rarely make one discrete attack, there are |
| body. The groin strike for instance is a staple of many | | | | likely to be several planned. Blocking or deflecting the |
| techniques as are eye gouges, kicks to the knees and | | | | initial attack and then swiftly moving to the attackers |
| all manner of strikes to the face targetting the nose, | | | | side and rear is a good way to avoid further danger |
| ears, temples and so on. When making combative | | | | and place your self in a prime position to neutralise the |
| moves such as punches, kicks, elbows etc the | | | | attacker, flee and also scan for further attacks in the |
| emphasis is not placed on set patterns or routines but | | | | blind spot that you previously had as he attacked you. |
| on a continuous flurry of vicious and sustained attacks | | | | 4) Situational awareness/scanning. A typical fight in a |
| at the body's weakest points to quickly overwhelm the | | | | movie often involves two people facing each other |
| opponent. | | | | and essentially slugging it out as if they were |
| 2) Go from defending to attacking ASAP. Again | | | | characters in Street Fighter. Numerous blows are |
| consider a situation where your life is threatened by an | | | | thrown, blocked, taken and so on until a victor |
| attacker. The ideal way to escape such a situation is | | | | emerges. Being attacked in real life is rarely this simple. |
| to avoid as detailed below, or to escape from it quickly. | | | | Attacks are made without warning, from all different |
| Krav maga teaches numerous blocks and ways of | | | | angles and by single or multiple opponents. As such it's |
| coping with all the kinds of physical attack one can | | | | very important to be continually aware of your |
| encounter. However the system teaches that we | | | | surroundings and to be able to recognise danger signs |
| should block and attack simultaneously if possible, and | | | | and react instinctively. Krav maga teaches situation |
| if that is not possible then to counter attack as soon | | | | awareness with various kinds of drill and training. All |
| as possible and then make our escape. Why is this the | | | | students are also taught when attacked to move off |
| case? Well to put it bluntly unless you are Neo you | | | | the line of attack so that you can see into what was |
| can't stand and block a continuous flurry of attacks | | | | your blind spot and then to scan for further attackers, |
| without getting hurt. Many knife attacks in particular | | | | methods of escape, common objects to use as |
| involve not one, but numerous attacks in quick | | | | makeshift weapons etc. The importance of this cannot |
| succession. As such counter attacking represents your | | | | be stressed enough! |
| best bet of blocking the attackers thought processes | | | | |