Is learning Krav Maga too dangerous for yourself?

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I read with interest an article in a Australian magazine denouncing the learning of reality based self defense techniques. The main reason was that lethal force used during a confrontation could lead to legal and possible criminal proceedings against the victim.

In a way, I do agree with him. But in many ways, it is ridiculous to think that learning a reality based self defense system will do more harm than good.

His issues are:

1. Stomping on the head of an attacker.
I believe this is based on "normal" TKD or Karate training where you do NOT do a follow up when your opponent is down.

I don't understand WHY I should use courtesy when someone points a gun or knife at me. Following up with a stomp on the head is better than getting shot or knifed.

I do NOT know the "scientific" data on strength between a stomp and a karate kick to the head. Both delivers a knockout blow. Watch this:



2. Lethal force

You have a gun and knife pointing at you!! What the ....

3. Lack of control of strength

Well, if you are a big dude, it is very very unlikely you will be picked on to be mugged.

Most victims are picked on because of their size and an appearance of "easy picking".

So, due to your size disadvantage, it is BETTER to go full out, because you DO NOT know how strong the other guy is.

Lack of strength control is rubbish because most KM gyms will have "light" sparring and we DO NOT want to hurt our friends. Yes, the unintentional punches and kicks do land but it is never a knock out because we DO EXERCISE CONTROL!

Well, to all reality based self defense system practitioners, I encourage you to ignore such rubbish thinking and continue to arm yourself with knowledge that could save your life in the street!

Chili powder attack

www.vchooz.com

Woman's chain snatched A WOMAN in her late 50s lost her $2,000 necklace and pendants after she was robbed at Yishun Ring Road early on Friday morning. She was attacked by a man who threw chilli powder on her face while walking at the void deck of Block 109. He then grabbed the victim's necklace and fled towards Block 105. Police said that the man is in his mid-30s, 1.6m tall and plump. He was dark-complexioned and wore a blue and white t-shirt. He was also carrying a haversack. ******************************************* My opinion: It seems that even robbers are making sure they themselves are "safe" from retaliations from their victims. With this sort of premeditated attacks, it is getting more difficult to execute self-defense techniques. So, in this situation, what will work? 1. Awareness - Why would anyone want to wear jewellery worth $2,000 early in the morning? DON'T DO IT. 2. Awareness - The robber could have been stalking this lady as he KNEW when and where this lady will be AND he brought the "right" equipment with him. Make sure you vary your time schedule and avoid leaving home at wee hours in the morning. 3. Afterthought - The robber would most probably be a resident within the vicinity of the crime. He threw the chili powder to avoid recognition. The best form of self-defense in this situation? Awareness.

Real situation #1 - Do NOT engage unnecessarily

From the New Straits Times - http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/23mid8/Article/index_html

"I had finished work at a mobile phone shop in Low Yat Plaza and was waiting at the station for my brother as he was coming to pick me up in his car from his shop at Pertama Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

"Suddenly, three men in their 20s pushed me to the ground and demanded my valuables.

"They had a knife and threatened to slit my throat.

"That was when my brother arrived and shouted at them, scaring them off.

My opinion: " GOOD JOB!! Keep your distance and scare off danger. That's what hunters do when they meet with wild animals, shout, wave and use fire to scare the animal off.

Kee Huon said his brother chased after the robbers... My Opininon: BIG BIG MISTAKE! Why did he do that? One versus 3??? Was he insane? Did he think he could take down 3 guys even if they had no weapons?

but returned shortly after with a stab wound in his stomach. My Opininon: Wreckless behaviour that led to a loss of life unnecessarily!

An important element of self defence is ASSUMING that your enemy HAS A WEAPON! So, keep your distance always! If your enemy runs away, just LET IT GO! Your life is MORE IMPORTANT!

It is so sad that such tragedy had occurred.

fake and real fights

It is a shame that some people actually post up on youtube "fake" fights. Like the following:

They should NOT name it Aikido VERSUS Karate as it is a demo only. Perhaps TECHNIQUES against would be better. But then they probably won't get many hits.

But it does a dis-service to the aikido community.

Would you think this is actually gonna work in real life?

Aikido vs Karate

Or even this?

This is a real fight by an aikido guy (only from his get-up)

He is wasting a lot of energy and does not seem to do a lot of aikido. A combination of punches and wrestling or jujitsu.

Aikido versus MMA

The following clip is real and shows what brazilian or gracie jiujitsu does, it seems that their practitioners do what they preach.

Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ / GJJ) versus Karate

Comment by Chris Sylvan - Ground grappling will get you killed.

"In short, ground grappling in a survival situation can get you killed."
http://sportales.com/martial-arts/is-ufc-fighting-realistic/

Most arguments against ground fighting.


1st Argument - Ground grappling is only for 1 vs 1 and it is NOT realistic.

Ok, let's see:

a. You enter a lift and a robber tries to rob you. Well, that is 1 v 1 right? Or, robbers always ONLY work in pairs?

b. You are a taxi driver, your passenger is drunk and suddenly get aggressive and doesn't want to pay the fare. That's also 1 v 1 rite?

c. You are a girl on a date, your date decides to rape you... that is also 1 v 1. Or dates occur with TWO guys and 1 girl only?

d. You are at a soccer practice and your son tackles his opponent. The father doesn't take too kindly to it and tries to accost your son. You intervene, he tries to throw a punch at you... that's 1 v 1 too right? Or the fathers will SUDDENLY gang up and kick you too?

e. Your friend gets too drunk and you KNOW he holds the hots for your girl. He tries to touch your woman... that's a 1 v 1 situation too rite? (Now, would you go Krav Maga on him? Gorge his eyes, break his nose, arms and stomp on his head??)

Many detractors just want to say that ALL fights are NOT 1 v 1. What kind of bullshit is that??

Now, you can TRAIN for multiple attackers, but can you SERIOUSLY fight off multiple attackers in real life? I doubt it. Unless your attackers are kinda slow and has some shortage of physical / mental intelligence.


Argument 2 - All grounds are filled with glasses or rough surfaces, ground fighting is useless.

a. Date rape - On a very soft bed?

b. You do a take down, throwing the bad guy down and mount him immediately. HE IS ON THE GROUND not you!

c. Fights can occur on beaches, grass, mud... not all fights occur in the bar. By the way, if you DO WANT to fight in a bar, think twice, the bouncers will get you for sure.

d. You are surrounded with glass on the floor, you can fight for dominant position and throw the other guy to the floor. Or better yet, just walk away.

e. You are on a concrete floor, the other guy takes you down, what do you do? Struggle? Or try to remount with your BJJ/GJJ technique?

Why do detractors always think WE will end up on our backs and NOT the other way around? Are you saying Judo DOES NOT work in real life?

Argument 3 - "emphasis should then be on escaping from such situations as quickly as they occur." instead of escaping.

Well, maybe this person should watch the very FIRST lesson of the Gracie combatives where three escapes are taught immediately.

You CANNOT escape in the octagon, therefore you DO NOT see that. You will see fighters going for the remount.

Argument 4 - " Making any attempt to "win" with an opponent on the ground is foolhardy at best and fatal at worst."

Well, in the UFC, you can TAP OUT and WE LET GO.

In real life, we can just break your arm, put you to sleep, break your foot, joints... just ask the jujitsu fighters who did that because they were fighting against fully armoured men.

So, there is a reason to LEARN ALL TYPES of martial arts. Ground and stand up, empty hand and weapon based. ALL ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT!!!

Controversial - JKD martial artists should do Krav Maga

This is a controversial issue and some people may be offended. But I think that are a lot of similarities in their philosophies (Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga).

Krav Maga

http://www.j-grit.com/athletes-imi-lichtenfeld-krav-maga-founder.php

In developing the self-defense system, survival in any situation was foremost in Imi's mind. Accordingly, krav maga relies on a person's natural instincts and reflexes for self-defense. Awareness and mental conditioning are integral to krav maga training. Krav maga's philosophy is never to do more than necessary, but to react with speed, economy of motion, and the appropriate measure of force. Speed is paramount and one is taught to strike instinctively at the human body's vulnerable parts. Krav maga is dynamic and constantly evolves as situations require. The system is battle-tested and street-proven.

Jeet Kune Do

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeet_Kune_Do
I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.
– Bruce Lee

I would even suggest that those who practices Krav Maga IS practicing Jeet Kune Do!

Krav Maga is many things to many men. Some take it as a means to learn simple effective self-defence techniques.

Some wants to learn the art of dirty fighting.

Some like the andrenaline pumping routine of Krav Maga classes.

Some like to learn the different elements:

a. Judo
b. Jujitsu
c. Close combat
d. Karate/Tae Kwon Do/ Hapkido
e. Street fighting

All evolve in a "single" artform.

The danger of practicing Krav Maga is to think that you are all things and therefore can take on anyone at any time. Many instructors like to let their students "enjoy" this fallacy.

Judo, Jujitsu, Karate... have survived and is practiced by so many due to their effectiveness and their ability to hone a certain skill.

An expert in Judo and Jujitsu practitioner if he decides to take up Krav Maga is a devastating Krav Maga exponent.

But you CANNOT say it the OTHER way around. A KM practitioner will never kick or throw as well as the Judo or Jujitsu person. Even without rules, the Judo or Karate guy will and can ditch his ethical stance and be dirty too!

Therefore, unlike JKD where Bruce Lee is directly expounding martial arts truth, Krav Maga exponents can delude themselves into thinking they are the "ultimate" fighter!

There are some who even say, KM is for those without prior fitness levels. Bruce Lee says, you MUST be fit and outlast your opponent.

But look at how those Israelists train? Full out, mind blowing, lung busting routines to be effective Krav Maga fighters.

My point is, KM practitioners can / should embrace some basic JKD principles (after all Bruce Lee is regarded as the father of MMA), such as fitness levels and evolvement of an art.

While JKD practitioners now can mesh all their different skills and use it under the Krav Maga category, because Krav Maga is really an art that takes the most dangerous elements of all the other arts.

I love and practice Krav Maga for its all round effectiveness, I practice gracie jiujitsu for more purity in ground fighting techniques and I keep fit so that i can ACTUALLY do all that without being winded easily!

Cheers all!

P.S. There is NO bad martial art, only bad martial artists!

Brazilian Jiujitsu - Stand up defence techniques

There are stand up defence techniques!!