More on Blocking in Self Defense / Commando Krav MAGA
"The first principle is 'The point of
origin'. Make sure every strike comes
from where your hands are. ERADICATE
telegraphing by not pulling back your
punches.
Second up is 'orbits'. So many martial
artists simply punch in direct lines.
Fluidly join punches into orbits.
Next is what I call 'Body bouncing'
Use your own body as a springboard.
Bounce off yourself to help generate
speed and POWER.
Finally we have 'Leverage'. Pull your
opponent into your a roll of strikes
DESTROYING there balance and adding
power to your strikes.
ABout Blocking the Attacker..
Blocks that are taught by most traditional martial arts
(excluding some of the Chinese styles) are not really
very effective on the street.
Most of them start from the shoulder or chamber and take
way too long to really be used in combat. Also the starting
positions leave you wide open for attack.
For self defense I teach that the hands should be held
vertically, and fairly close to the body. Most blocks
should be done horizontally as opposed to up and down.
Use body rotation and some slight bending to deflect and
avoid direct contact if possible.
Try using your hands and upper arms to deflect and block
the face attacks and the forearms and elbows to defend
the lower body attacks.
Only dropping the hands quickly to deflect or block a low
kick or an uppercut punch and then immediately bring them
back up to the basic defensive position.
Never reach when blocking. Try to keep the hands fairly
close to the body and centered. This way you will be in
position to block again or for an immediate strike.
I don't believe in focusing too much on blocking in
self defense. Obviously the initial attack must be
blocked, parried or evaded but after that you should
be attacking.
If you don't immediately conter attack
(and keep attacking) you will stay defensive and
eventually get hit. No matter how good you are at
blocking skills if your attacker is not concerned or
worried about getting hit himself, you will evenually
get clocked.
Your mind set should not be on defending (after the
initial assault) but on attacking and moving forward.
The old saying 'a good offense is the best defense'
holds true in a self defense situation.
Weaponless Weapons
I use the term weaponless weapon to mean anything
that we can use as an effective weapon in a self
defense situation that is actually not a weapon.
For example car keys.
While working on our new multiple attackers video
I wanted to cover just a glim of the concept of
using whatever is within reach as a weapon of self
defense. We didn't choose to use car keys as I think
they are losing their effectiveness as the great weapon
they once were.
Here's why...
Typically most self defense instructors use car keys
to teach this principle. And, while car keys do make
good weapons if used properly, they are becoming so
well know for that purpose that I think it is common
knowledge. Therein, lies the problem.
For an ordinary object to be used effectively, it is
important for it not to be seen as a weapon. Here is
an example.
Let's say someone breaks into your home while you in
the kitchen (probably not the best example, but stick
with me here). You are holding a soup ladle. You charge
the guy with the soup ladle held in hand like a club
(with the scoop up). It is instantly recognized as a
weapon and can easily be blocked or evaded.
Now take that same soup ladle and hold it so that only
about an inch or less is protruding from your thumb and
fore finger with the ladle part resting against your
forearm. It is not recognized (maybe not even seen) as
a weapon. But...
It is a much more effective weapon that can be quickly
thrust into your attackers throat, face or eyes.
An attack with such a weapon can be devastating. But
the real key is the element of surprise.
So one important factor in using weaponless weapons
is that they can quickly be thrust into vital targets
because they are either unseen or not a concern of the
attacker because they are not what they appear to be.
"The first principle is 'The point of
origin'. Make sure every strike comes
from where your hands are. ERADICATE
telegraphing by not pulling back your
punches.
Second up is 'orbits'. So many martial
artists simply punch in direct lines.
Fluidly join punches into orbits.
Next is what I call 'Body bouncing'
Use your own body as a springboard.
Bounce off yourself to help generate
speed and POWER.
Finally we have 'Leverage'. Pull your
opponent into your a roll of strikes
DESTROYING there balance and adding
power to your strikes.
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