I would define a vulnerable part of the body as somewhere that has high probability of changing the mindset of an attacker from one of aggression to self preservation through experiencing a high level of pain, loss of balance, disturbance of vision or breathing.

To all Instructors, if you see your trainees counter-attacking as described above, I would imagine that there is a probable chance that you do this yourself! Sorry to challenge the ego, but people learn by what they see, hear and then practice!

This blog will continue to discuss counter attacking, most notably why some who train in, or teach, Krav Maga struggle to deliver effective and proficient counter attacks.

In my view there are a number of reasons why people struggle with counter-attacking and the two most prominent are as follows:

1. They are not investing the time to train their individual fighting ‘skills’ to a standard that they become relatively comfortable and natural to perform.

2. They are counter-attacking without engaging the brain. They are simply putting their limbs/joints through a range of motion without due consideration for achieving speed, power and accuracy and are not training the mind.

A greater insight into these common problems could be provided by discussing a simply analogy, namely that of pistol shooting. If you had to fire a pistol at a target and needed to hit a specific area on the target would you fire blindly and hope? I would suggest that you would fine tune your aim through concentration and practice, as well as training with the pistol constantly so that the movements associated with its use felt as natural as possible!

Investing Time

Effective counter-attacker is developed through teaching the body to perform each attacking skill as efficiently and technically correct as possible, and learning to align that skill with the most appropriate vulnerable area of your attacker’s body based on the distance, time, availability and overall position of the given vulnerable point.

Ineffective counter-attacking is often the result of ‘running before you can walk’. In the early stages of training start working with attacking skills relevant to your ability, size, strength, and physical condition. Begin with those that work in a linear direction (straight punches, palms, hammer fist, elbow, straight kick, knee), becoming very proficient at these before attempting more complex movements.

Initially, train the skills that would be useful for you tomorrow should a conflict situation occur. When you begin to feel that these skills take less effort to carry out and are becoming more effective, start to progress to more complex movements.

Training the Mind

A good way to train the mind to improve counter attacking is through the use of the Krav Maga training exercise known as the ‘marking game’. This is whereby you are presented with a static human figure and continue to practice to send various counter attacks to vulnerable points of the body over and over again, in various combinations, from different angles. Practice actively commentating to yourself where you are delivering your counter attacks and with what part of your body, as an example ‘straight kick to the groin, palm to the jaw’.

Actively train the mind to realise what counter-attacks you are delivering and if they were technically correct and accurate. Once this becomes less difficult, progress on to a moving target due to the fact that a conflict situation is unlikely to remain static for any length of time.

Remember that if you ever have to justify your actions in self defence to the authorities, then you must be able to recall what you did, and why you didn’t do something else, so being able to accurately recall any self defence action you carried out is extremely important. I will cover self defence and the use of force in a future blog.

Conclusion

To conclude, being able to release yourself from a dangerous hold or grab or deflect an attack with a weapon is no use whatsoever if you are unable to counter-attack effectively to make your assailant unwilling or unable to continue.

Avoid living in the belief that because you touch the body of your training partner/attacker that this dictates effectiveness!

Invest time to train your counter-attacks, start with what you are initially physically capable of doing and become proficient. Then begin to challenge the body with more dynamic movements that require further training with flexibility, strength, balance and mobility whilst having a clear understanding of exactly what you are doing at all times.

See you all soon.

Jon Bullock

As always, these are purely my views!

KM for the Ground….

We should approach every physical confrontation with the ultimate aim of not being on the ground. Nevertheless, if we do find ourselves there we must take all necessary measures (when safe to do so) to return to our feet as soon as possible and take further action.

However, due to the growing awareness of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) it is common when training in Krav Maga on the ground that we often find ourselves remaining on the ground whilst trying to arm lock, leg lock or choke our partner to give up/submit (or tap out as it is known) rather than attempting to stand up as soon as possible. We also find ourselves ‘playing by rules’ and not using any means necessary to make the other person unwilling or unable to continue. Why does this happen? It happens for one simple reason, its fun! Due to that fact that by design Krav Maga has no competitive elements, this is type of training is ever more appealing when the opportunity arises as it gives us a chance to feel the sensation of winning, or success by dominating our training partner. I for one am guilty of this practice from time to time when my competitive emotions get the better of me.

I must point out at this stage that I am a huge fan of MMA and I absolutely believe that anyone training in Krav Maga MUST still be familiar with the basics of more technical ground fighting (in fact they are included in some of the Krav Maga Graduate & Expert Levels) but from two very distinct perspectives:

1) As ‘tools in your box’ – regardless of how often you may use them, any tool could come in useful in an appropriate situation, better to have them than not – for example, having to control someone in a confined environment when there is no means of escape.

2) To ‘understand your enemy’ – realising that with the growth of MMA, knowledge can be gained quickly by others through watching TV and using the internet.

An Instructors Perspective….

When teaching Krav Maga defence on the ground, it is imperative that we first analyse the varying reasons why we may end up on the ground (for example, loss of balance, collision with inanimate objects or having been struck/pulled to the ground). To put a trainee on the ground without introducing their mind as to how they may end up there is, in my view, not preparing them to cope with this potentially extremely complicated situation, and is already putting them at a huge disadvantage. We should be educating what being on the ground represents…it represents limitation, vulnerability, the unknown, lack of mobility and a significantly increased chance of serious injury. Ideally, self defence on the ground in Krav Maga should ways be trained with the most amount of incentive to stand up as possible. Adding a 2nd attacker who approaches quickly, or by introducing a concealed weapon to the scenario are both good examples of training methods for keeping the trainee in the correct mindset, as they will immediately go to the mindset (see below) of survival, with the burning urge to stand up and get away to a feeling of safety.

The Trainee Mindset….

For all those training in Krav Maga, when practicing on the ground, do all that is necessary to return to your feet as soon as possible and when safe to do so. Adapt the mindset of wanting to be there as least time as possible and always, always finish each repetition of a situation by standing up. DO NOT be lazy and stay on the ground and say to yourself “in a real situation I would stand up”, ensure you complete the entire scenario, which includes standing up and taking some further action! This further action should be in the form of either running off, creating distance, or continuing to defend yourself. This could also include equipping yourself with an appropriate common object when necessary. At no point should you stand up from the ground and be inactive…do not do nothing, do something! Train the mindset to be active at all times, scanning for other potential dangers or seeking the best exit strategy and physically go through the motions of running off or continuing to engage with another problem. If we practice being inactive, when it matters, we will be inactive, as our mind is not trained to mentally make an immediate post-conflict decision and physically carry out the action associated with that decision (also known as a ‘finishing mode’) and therefore we may end up stopping (see previous blog DON’T STOP!) which may leave us vulnerable.

Case Study….

To put it in perspective, a few weeks ago I was teaching at one of classes within the Institute and we were covering a range of self defence scenarios on the ground. I emphasised that during all training scenarios the main principle was to deal with the immediate problem and to get to your feet as soon as possible. The majority of the class carried out these instructions however, sometimes the self defence scenarios migrated to a MMA style fight with the trainees trying their best to manoeuvre into ground fighting style joint locks and of course having fun whilst doing so.

During this period I also noticed knees, elbows and heads making contact with the nice soft mats that we were training on and it was at this point I realised that the mindset of the trainees had not remained focused on the task. Therefore, I (and with their agreement of course) suggested that we go outside to the concrete area and practice the scenarios in a more ‘real environment’. The immediately interesting thing was the reaction of the trainees as they realised they were leaving the soft confines of the training hall to the hard reality of the real world.

As we began to practice outside (relatively slowly I might add due to safety), the mindset of the trainees drastically shifted from ‘round 3 in the cage’ to that of severe self preservation! Elbows were no longer hitting the ground, the slight scuff of the knee caused concern and heads were being kept as far away as possible from the concrete surface. Even more interesting was that when each trainee was practicing their scenario, they could not stand up quick enough! As being on the ground in ‘the real world’ was not a nice experience (even though we were still in a controlled training environment) as it felt uncomfortable, with a sense of vulnerability. Not one of them practiced a scenario where they actively chose to remain on the ground, to attempt a joint lock or choke hold; they wanted to stand up as soon as they could, so the situation would be over. It was fascinating to watch. Naturally it is not always practical (or wise) to train outside all the time, therefore every effort should be made to remain in the correct mindset regardless of where you are training, unless directed otherwise!

Conclusion….

For those instructing Krav Maga….ensure you introduce training on the ground by setting the scene and explaining the correct mindset. By all means introduce technical ground fighting for fun, knowledge and understanding, but be clear on how remaining on the ground unnecessarily, attempting to restrain or disable an opponent through joint manipulation or restriction of breathing could, in at a real life situation, lead to a longer than necessary period of time in an vulnerable position and a more problematic situation.

For those training in the Krav Maga system….keep in the correct mindset, do whatever is necessary to return to your feet as soon as possible, and ensure you take some further ACTION! NEVER BE INACTIVE! But ultimately always treat the ground, in any situation, as the last place you want to be!

Please let me take this opportunity to stay thank you for all the fantastic feedback on these blogs, it is very much appreciated.

See you all soon.

Jon Bullock

(NOTE: Any outdoor training carried out by Krav Maga Global is done so with a full assessment of risk, with the consent of the trainees and is conducted in a safe manner at all times).

One word that I would be very keen to remove from the vocabulary of any Krav Maga Instructor is the word ‘mistake’. The first online dictionary I ‘Googled’ defined the word mistake as “an error or blunder during action”.

The word mistake is often used by many Instructors to define the performance of a defensive action by a trainee, or indeed another Instructor. It is a horrible word to say the least, that suggests that the performance of the action was ‘wrong’, my belief is that there is no such thing as a ‘mistake’, or a perfect performance for that matter…there are simply RESULTS! Results that are deemed as meeting a certain standard or results that need improvement.

Therefore, when describing a performance of an action by someone, it either followed the Krav Maga principles of the action or, may have been lacking some of the principles which means they simply need to improve certain areas, but it is by no means completely wrong! If I am teaching someone a defensive action and they perform it with the opposite hand, or opposite leg to the one requested, but they still end up not getting kicked/punched/grabbed then how can that be a mistake? They still managed to defend themselves and reduce the impact of the attack. It is therefore my role as Instructor to highlight how they could improve the action through applying the principles more effectively, or doing exactly as requested, rather than saying it was ‘a mistake’.

In a situation of imminent danger, whether alone or with a loved one, when it may be cold, wet and dark – the influence of increased adrenalin in the body may encourage a less than ideal defensive action. But if that defensive action reduces the impact of the situation, prevents you from being hurt and you are able to continue to actively defend yourself or another, and head to a place of safety, how can the less than ideal defensive action be a mistake?

Which brings me (eventually!) to the point of this blog. When you are training in Krav Maga and you start to make a defensive action that, within in the first split second, you realise was not as good as it could have been…DON’T STOP! Continue on to complete the action as best possible, adjust yourself to make the best of the situation and complete the scenario. Then review your results! Go back to your training partner, say that you want to carry out the action again, slow it down, review how you performed, take it step by step and analyse it point by point. Better still, if it is not completely clear, call the Instructor over for clarification, which is what they are there for!

Stopping during mid-action, having a ‘hissy fit’, stamping the floor, looking up at the ceiling and saying “that was SH**T” is an extremely bad habit to get into, unfortunately, I see it alot.

Why does it happen? It happens for a multitude of reasons, one of which may be that the trainee is embarrassed (possibly because the Instructor was watching, as it never goes to plan when your Instructor is watching, right!) that they did not perform the action as best possible and are therefore being judged…let me tell you now, that in the Institute of Krav Maga UK, this is never the case, our Instructors are there to improve you as much as they possibly can.

In the Expert Levels of the Krav Maga system, we have a process of learning and training called ‘Warrior Capabilities’ (A warrior is defined as one who is engaged in or experienced in battle). In this method of learning, we are actively training to deal with a situation that does not go to plan. What happens if the assailant reacts quickly to your defensive action? What if they move back? What if they pull the weapon away as you try and control it?

What do we do in this situation? Say, “Excuse me; I didn’t perform my defensive action correctly, could I have another go? I would suggest that the hissy fit, stamping of the feet and looking to the ceiling may not be the best practice in a real time situation. And remember, more often than not, how we act in training is how we will act in real situation as our mind and our muscles recall a response that is carried out again and again.

(But what about during an examination for a grading I hear your ask…I will cover performance during grading in a later blog)

Training is exactly what it says; it is training, defined as the action of teaching a person a particular skill or type of behaviour. This is the time for us to practice, to test and measure our performance, to review our results and improve them. This is the time to understand what situations or defensive actions we find more difficult than others, and what we need to focus on.

Remember…in training you are never being judged, simply assisted and guided to be as good as you possibility can. So when required, ASK for more guidance.

Remember…DON’T STOP…complete the action through to the end of the scenario, then review the results of how you performed, if you believe it needs improvement (and we all do!) go back and do it again, and again, and again!

And a final point to all Instructors who may decide to read this, studies have shown that a greater level of improvement is a by-product of compliments. Therefore, consider refraining from using the word ‘mistake’, it is negative, deconstructive and demoralising and does not help your trainee improve whatsoever!

See you all soon.

Jon Bullock

The aim of this blog is to share my experiences, opinions, ideas and theories on Krav Maga (KM) in the hope it may assist you in achieving your training goals.

This first ‘blog post’, entitled Why We Train, and was inspired by a conversation I had with Israeli Instructor Tal Kvores at the last UK grading. We were discussing the importance of recognising that all KM techniques and tactics hold equal levels of importance, regardless of where they appear in the syllabus. Unfortunately, at times some people training in KM tend to measure the importance of a technique or tactic, and whether they should practice it or not, based on where it appears in the syllabus. For example…“I am an experienced trainee, why should I practice XY & Z techniques as they are in the early grades of the system and I know them!”

Here is my opinion….

We all begin Krav Maga training for a variety of reasons, such as, an alternative to the gym, to learn effective self defence, to grow in confidence, as progression from a more traditional system or to protect loved ones. Of course it is common that our desires to begin learning KM are a combination of these.

My personal journey in KM began after spending many years in a sport based system that was portrayed as being self defence. However, knowing what I know now, this was in no way the case.

This is not to say that all sporting systems are not useful from a self defence perspective, after all KM was created from sports. However, I firmly believe that learning a system governed by rules, training by those rules and then attempting to directly transfer those skills to a self defence perspective leaves gaps and produces mental limitations that may leave us vulnerable in unpredictable or uncontrolled ‘street situations’.

I did not begin KM to attain a grade or to attain an Instructor status, however due to discovering a passion for KM I migrated in this direction. I began because I wanted to develop skills and a mindset that would assist me (and possibly my loved ones) to be as safe as possible in a difficult situation.

Without going into too much detail, my own personal journey in KM began when my years of training in the previously mentioned sport based system let me down in a difficult ‘street situation’. This is not to say that it was only the fault of the system, the environment of course played a large part, but my lack of understanding of how people behave in uncontrolled environments was something that seriously affected my ability to react.

After this situation, I discovered KM and began training as it met the 3 core needs of what I was looking for:

1. Belief in what the Instructor was telling me

2. Enjoyment, and

3. Knowledge that the skills would still be there for me when it mattered in an uncontrolled environment.

This brings me to why I continue to train. I train for survival – to be able to protect myself and others when we have been unable to avoid, deter or prevent a situation of serious danger. In addition, I believe in what I am training in to the point where I took the decision to teach others.

With this in mind, I train in a way that does not place some techniques or training methods as more important than others. They all hold very equal value regardless of when they were learnt in my KM ‘career’, what grade they are within, and for what situation they could be applied.

A professional boxer lives and breathes training with 4 punching techniques. They repeat those techniques when they are moving forwards, moving backwards, when tired and when being hit, over and over again. They are continuously trying to improve, striving towards the unachievable goal of perfection, or to be as close to it as possible. But why? It is so those punching techniques do not let them down when it matters during an important match.

Similarly, every KM technique should be practiced from all angles, in all directions, in varying environments and with differing limiting factors such as darkness, confined spaces, with multiple assailants, on the ground, sitting down, using the ‘non dominant hand/leg’ and when having to protect another…this list is by no means exhaustive!

Therefore, my advice is train with the same mindset as the pro-boxer. Of course be proud of your grade, work hard to achieve your next grade to measure your progression and retention of skills, but do not bring an ego with the new badge…bring humility. Train for that moment in time when it matters, when you need the skills to be there for you, that skill could be a basic punch, a release from a dangerous hold, a defensive technique against a weapon. We can never predict which technique we might need, we can only analyse what types of situations are occurring more frequently and include this within our training. But that is by no means a prediction as to what technique or tactics we might need one day!

To conclude, consider training every technique in its own merit, with its own benefits and treat each one as an individual tool, with the same level of importance as the next. If we allow some of those tools to become rusty, and we do not keep them sharp and well oiled they will never work as well as they used to, and may let us down when we really need them!

I hope that was not too painful for a first post!

See you all soon!

Jon Bullock