Krav Maga - Bad training habits

- Extracted from Facebook group
- Posting by Mr. Boaz Aviram
- 3rd in line Chief of Krav Maga IDF

Common weakness of many Krav Maga schools is like jujitsu schools. They really do not teach good skills of punching and kicking.
 
Kicking on a punching pad or punching bag only develops parts of the components, and if the correct techniques are not taught off hand, students will repeat their errors and instill bad habits.
 
If you get these skills right, you can continue after the defense and counter attack, to grab the opponents' weapon hand.
 
If you really learn it right, you learn to move forward, not necessarily in front of the weapon. If you move forward, you easily catch the retracting hand of your opponent limiting any possible attempts to stab again.
 
You would not do it when someone has a gun, so why would you if he has a knife.
 
Don’t assume that he is an idiot. He could kick you and stab you too. If you do not finish him, you give him a chance to learn and become better in the second attempt.
 
If you hit your opponent good in the first time, he would be on the floor and you would have nothing to grab.
 
However, the nature of the simultaneous defense and counter attack, does not always give you the option to concentrate your energy fully in the counter attack. Chances are that the counter attack only buys you time for another continuous move. The first attack is straight.


In close scenarios circular attacks get enough momentum. You actually lean back to get more distance and use leverage in a roundhouse for sufficient striking force.
 
You get into a habit of using your opponent's body as an obstacle for another opponent, and if you can, to take the weapon out of his hand.
 
This would be a matter of judgment, but it is nice to have.
 
I rather see defenses vs. straight stab where the stab is retracted quickly and not to see an instructor assuming the opponent would not retract, or the weak position about teaching only the common top down or bottom up knife stabs.
 
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*Self defense is a subset of Martial arts*

*Reality based self defense training cannot always be 100% real, because there may be no one left to train with! But do it real enough or else RBSD is just a bullshit term* - Me

*Train for what happens most and you will be able to handle most of what happens -- Marc "Animal" MacYoung*