Krav Maga Blog - Jan 2020

One of the first pieces of advice I remember receiving when I started working bar and club security was that you only think about the first punch/strike you throw – after that, you’re not really thinking, you’re just doing i.e. the only decision you make in a fight, is to fight. I don’t fully agree with this, but it comes close to recognizing that most of what you do in a fight isn’t about conscious processing or reasoning; there isn’t the time to engage in such thinking patterns, as everything will be moving far too fast. My elevator pitch, self-defense...

Violence is contextual. I find myself saying this repeatedly. Because of this, our training needs to be contextual. On a frequent/regular basis, I’m contacted by individuals who want military or law-enforcement training, but are not involved in military or law-enforcement work. Why? If you are not performing the duties, and/or have the responsibilities, that law-enforcement and military have, why do you require this type of training? As a civilian you shouldn’t need to be taught how to apprehend and cuff and restrain somebody, you should be primarily looking to disengage, and exit the situation. If you’re not military personnel, why...

One of the things that primarily attracted me to Krav Maga, was the system’s use of natural reflexive movements and responses; using our in-built defenses to deal with certain attacks e.g. if the airway is attacked the hands will automatically come up to try and pull the offending arm(s)/hand(s) away and clear it, etc. Whereas many martial arts and self-defense systems try to get the practitioner to conform their movements to an “artificially” created response, Krav Maga works from the basis of what you will do, rather than what you should do. However, just as I have a natural flinch...

Most child molesters don’t require physical force or even the threat of violence to compel their victims to engage in sexual acts with them. This is not to say that those they target are willing or wish to engage in such acts but rather that compliance is gained through a mix of psychological and emotional pressure – that may be so strong as to convince the child that they are actually the instigator of the relationship. Many predatory pedophiles are skilled social players who can convince both their victims, and their victims’ guardians, that the relationships between all parties are...