A little bit of knowledge goes a long way!
Perhaps some of you are feeling overwhelmed by the (seemingly) many techniques we have to learn.
Krav Maga must cover a huge amount of possible situations and outcomes. If only we could live long enough to cover it all!!
In, for example, an mma fight there are a limited number of possibilities which will occur (there will only be one opponent and no second attacker, no knife/stick/gun, no environmental limitations such as tables, chairs, walls).
In Krav Maga, we need to prepare for an enormous amount of possibilities including all of the above. For this, we must understand general principles far more than specific techniques. For example, simply being aware (situational awareness) can allow us to avoid the problem entirely or realize it early enough to limit the possibilities by de-escalating, running away, equipping ourselves with a weapon of opportunity etc.
When discussing the actual techniques of Krav Maga we must also never forget the intention of Imi Lichtenfeld and other World War Two pioneers such as Rex Applegate and William Fairbairn. These men realized that a complete understanding of a discipline (Judo, for example) is not nesessary to produce a formidable fighter, and also not realistic due to time and money constraints (don’t forget, these men were responsible for training armies). Applegate wrote in “Kill or Get Killed” that “the average man lacks the time … to become an expert in Judo. He does not need a complete course to be able to take care of his opponent in unarmed combat. His athletic background, physique and temperament are adaptable to a style of fighting based more on blows than finesse. …the average man can be quickly turned into a dangerous, offensive fighter by concentrating on a few basic principles. …”
American experiences in the Pacific during World War Two proved that a citizen soldier could quickly be transformed into a fighting machine, and American Marines often found themselves fighting hand-to-hand with much better trained Japanese and winning.
Again, understanding principles is more important than techniques. We should avoid if we can; if we can’t then we should finish the confrontation as fast and efficiently as possible by targeting the body’s most vulnerable points; we should use tools in our environment; we should always be aware of our surroundings.
With the techniques of Krav Maga, we must learn to rely on and fine tune our natural reactions. When we realize that three or four natural reactions can cover a variety of attacks both round and straight in 360 degrees and train these over and over we can cover an enormous amount of possibilities very quickly! We understand our basic reaction and the components we need (hand/body defense, counter quickly and efficiently), and how we can build a defensive wall around ourselves.
Ok, enough writing. Time for training. See you all later! – Heath
