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The Bees Knees

I had the distinct pleasure of working with one of the top Black Belt Instructors from Los Angeles - Kelli Campbell- this past weekend in San Antonio (If you were wondering where we all were this past Saturday). We covered material from Yellow Belt to Blue Belt - My short but enlightening training experience contributed a lot of inspiration for this post - Enjoy

Knees! Knees!! Knees!!!

We have all heard it, thought it, or shouted the word, or all of the above (guilty) and you will still hear it! Knees are fantastic weapons - showstoppers they are! Most of our self-defense ends up with us throwing knees! And why is this - why do we ALWAYS end up throwing knees after nearly every defense?!

Could a punch in the face cause an attacker choking you to stop choking you? Sure. Can a kick to the groin and a knee to the solar plexus stop the fight? It sure could. Many of our strikes could take the fight out of any attacker and allow us to go home safe. However, in Krav Maga we don't train for the best case scenario we train for the worst. We don't train for the threat that is eliminated in 1 strike - WE TRAIN for the attacker who takes 20 strikes to bring down.
However, act of delivering knees needs to be addressed - please read on!

The Grip
You all know the good ol' side grip - we use this position because, again, most of our self defense techniques allow to conveniently end up here, however, it also puts us in a position where I am only fighting HALF of my attackers body (unlike the Thai clinch). It also allows for a much faster disengagement if needed. Further, we are in a better position to move faster to the outside and behind our opponent. More on that in a bit. So now that you know why we use side grip, let's talk about what your arms are doing!

The Arms
You know where to grip - just above the elbow grabbing the tricep and the other hand drapes down their chest, arm at 90 degrees, elbow down, and your hand grabbing the shirt or skin (more painful) at the shoulder. The problem that I see the most and something that I have harped about in class for the past couple of months has been the collapsing or extension of the 90 degree bend in your arm that is against your attacker.
Look at Caleb in the picture below:

His elbow is down and he's keeping at 90 degrees. This is one of the utmost important parts of this combative. If the arm is to extended you are vulnerable for the attacker to shoot in and under your arms. If you collapse it, they can wrap you up. YOU ARE STRONG AT 90!

Pulling Down
I know we always emphasize pulling your attackers down into, but what if they are much larger than you - a problem for females and small guys like myself. Pulling them down may not work, you just may not be able to to do it which is where the hips come in. If your hips are engaged and traveling forward INTO your attacker (like we tell you to ^_^ ) then pulling them down onto your knee is not necessary to land the strike - pulling an attacker down onto your knee is a bonus and adds some impact to your knee but be aware, in Level 1 we are compliant attackers. In upper levels and in the streets, do not expect your attacker to be so accommodating to your knees ^_^

Moving Off Angle
We love moving off angle in Krav Maga. Let me repeat: We LOVE moving off angle in Krav Maga. If I am square with my attacker the fight odds are even. If I am in side grip, my advantage is better. If I am to his side? Even better. Behind him? The best! Let's be honest, knees are a very comfortable solution to ending a threat. When we can't think of what to do or we mess up, we burst in for knees! However, we can be a little bit too gratuitous with our knees. Again, the scumbag on the street won't be as compliant as your partners in level 1 are. Do you really think he is just going to allow you to pluck and then deliver non-stop knees?! Hell no! He's going to do whatever he can to stop such pain!

We can defend all day but striking ends the fight. However, we are more vulnerable when we are striking because in order to strike we must leave our defensive position for a split second.

When we deliver knees note the position of the attackers hands:

Nice knee! Now what do you think will happen the next couple of times? His hands will go to where the pain is, his mid-section, and after a couple more hits it is human instinct to stop the pain which would naturally be to wrap up the next knee and you literally give it to him on a silver platter! So we move off angle -

Caleb recoils the leg after the initial strikes:


He proceeds to take a slight step off angle - now note the orientation of the attacker to the defender - there is nothing but air directly in front of the attacker


Another angle:


Special Delivery!


Incorporate this movement into your training, please! It will make you a much more effective practitioner! Always be moving, don't throw knees to the mid section all day, not only is it boring, but it's a bad habit! And for those of you who think you're bored with some of the Level 1 defenses, now try incorporating this, it should make it more challenging! When you are counter attacking, strike to the groin, the face, the groin, the body, then back to the face! Just mix it up! What you strike with is up to you, your entire body is a weapon

Move! Move! Move! and MIX. IT. UP.


(Got questions or comments? Leave them in the comments section or feel free to email me at: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))

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Putting Reality Back Into Reality Training

As much as the Krav Maga system is designed to help you train to defend yourself against real world, common threats such as chokes, bear hugs, knives, guns, etc - which it does extremely well - the Krav Maga system and it's instructors can only do and bring so much to the table, you have to contribute as well. But contribute what, you might ask? Realism.

Without realistic attacks (so much as safety and training allows) the entire system breaks down - let me rephrase - If you are not a good, realistic, attacker, YOU undermine THE ENTIRE SYSTEM for your training partner.

Would you run 3 miles a day to train for a Marathon (26.2 miles)? No. Would you study intensely for double-digit multiplication and long division if you had a calculus test? No. Why not? Because with the previous two examples, while the training or studying might hold SOME value, it is not nearly enough to support the goals mentioned...the training and the studying are NOT REALISTIC for the goals they aspire to achieve. This remains true for our Krav Maga training. Why then would I build my partner up to "think" they can defend against a shoulder massage when it should be a life taking choke? Or against a punch that is 12 inches to the side of their face when an attacker will very much be going for their face?

I know it can be uncomfortable to put your hands around someones throat and choke them - especially if you are a guy choking a female, you may feel you are being invasive and might want to hold back - bad idea. When we are in class, we are all in this together. We are not competing against each other, but rather, we are training each other to survive against those who wish to do us harm. If you guys hold back on the females you are setting them up to fail. You - inadvertently - are setting them up to fail at defending themselves in a rape situation, in a mugging situation, or in an abusive situation. It is more than acceptable, if you feel uncomfortable (ladies and gentlemen) to ask if its okay that you are about to choke them. After they give you the go ahead let loose! It is your responsibility to tell your partner or the instructor if something is uncomfortable. No one is there to read minds - we are adults, we need to speak up.

With that said when we are working on choke defenses it is important that when we choke our partners we do not make them feel like this:


Rather, we should make them feel like this!


Look at the face of the attacker, it is strained - he is really trying to choke his partner! And look at the defender, look at the agony on his face - he has no choice BUT to defend. You as a partner need to eliminate the idea of choice from your partner's head. Their only "choice" should be to defend, not laugh or smile, or joke while they are being choked.

When you are in class, check the "Nice Guy/Girl" at the door and bring in the attacker in you. You are responsible for the lives of everyone in that room just as much as we instructors are. Do not ever forget that.

Train hard. Train smart. Train to survive.

(If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments section or feel free to email me at: matt@fitandfearless)

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Wed - July 21 Level 1/2 @ 5:30

Recap of class - some new drills!

This was a fun class as we incorporated a new spin on a favorite determination drill! Non-stop punches while at least 3 people around you threw palm strikes with their bare hands! It makes it just that much more real when you have actual hands hitting you instead of punch shields or kick shields!
Don't worry, if you weren't there no-one got hurt, everyone had a blast, and we will definitely do this again.

We also made switching extremely fast (under 3 seconds) in our drill. Later we worked on Defensive Front Kick (one of my favorites) against a stationary target and an advancing target. Then we played around with the third party protection concept by incorporating someone next to you while the attacker was advancing. Remember, we step in front of our "friend" to protect them - after the defensive kick we can add additional combatives if the situation warrants it, but never forget about your friend!

We finished a notch down on the intensity level but not the pain level with inside defenses v. low straight punches! Things to remember:

- Your elbow leads the motion of the defense across your body, not down
- You may use the lead hand against any punch since it is the closest to the attacker
- This is a low punch, you'll have to meet the punch on it's level which will most likely require you to drop your weight (straight) down at your knees (as opposed to your waist)

See you next class!

(If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments section or email me at: matt@fitandfearless)

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July 19 Level 1/2 @ 5:30

Recap of the 5:30 class

What a great class! Good job 5:30, y'all are a hard working group!

We covered Palm Heel Strikes, a basic forward elbow, knees, and knees from our knees!

It is important to know that as Krav Maga practitioners that we can fight from any position whether it be standing up (preferred), our knees, or on our backs AND that we can deliver more than just hammerfists (as our popular drill loves to demonstrate) ^_^
Almost every combative we learn and practice in Krav Maga can be delivered when we aren't on both our feet and the circumstances for that will vary depending on the situation. The reality of it is, many many many fights end up going to the ground at some point or another, let's just hope WE can avoid that! Stick around in my class - we will play with other combatives from various positions on the ground, like round kicks, elbows, and head butts as well as some choke defenses! It won't be the main focus, but like I said, you should know that should the situation present itself, you can do what you know how to do from ANY position

For our self-defense today we practiced Choke from the Front, 1 Handed Pluck

Remember:

* The pluck and the strike are simultaneous
* Your weight should always be going forward
* Recoil your strikes!

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What’s that smell?

Get the stink outta those bags

It's no secret that Krav Maga training is quite a sweat inducing workout! We are happy to make you guys work hard but have you ever noticed a strange smell every know and then when holding for punches or kicks? It is most likely the bag you are holding!

Don't worry, we have new gym wipes to keep those bags smelling a little fresher!


So everyone, you gents especially, be mindful of your bag and yourself. If your bag has a slight stench to it, give it a quick wipe down. Are you sweating pretty profusely? No worries, keep up the hard work, just remember to wipe down your bag when you're done using it! We the instructors and the students around you all thank you!

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cOODA, shOODA, wOODA

Understanding the OODA loop and what it means for you and your training

Krav Maga training as most of you probably know is unparalleled in it's ability to provide practical, effective, fast and brutal, easy-to-learn self defense tactics against modern threats. Not to say that it couldn't happen, but fighting someone with a long sword is highly unlikely nowadays than fighting someone with a pocket knife who wants your money/possessions or worse, your life. The world is a scary place - there are a lot of bad people out there and if you think about it, what is stopping them from attacking you? Generally speaking, even the dumbest of criminals will attack those whom they perceive to be an easy target. The concept of opportunity cost is built into our DNA as humans.

For example - I like to go out on the town quite a bit and I have seen my share of fights and avoided others that I might have been a part of. On average, I am a pretty small guy - not tall and not stacked with an incredible amount of muscle. My friends are typically a little bigger than I am but one of my best friends in particular is nearly 7ft tall and has a presence about him. However, my friend has no fighting experience and not very good control of his movements when it comes to a self-defense/fighting aspect, but if confronting the two of us, who do you think is the first person to get antagonized? It's me! Only because most people out there looking for a fight perceive me to be an easy target! It would be their mistake! You should keep this mindset too!

When I am by myself, however, I hardly ever get bothered. Why is this? This is because, next to an individual much larger than myself, would be attackers don't see me, they see the size difference between myself and my friend. Ever heard of the term "sizing up and opponent" ? Generally speaking, when I am confronted by an individual with an aggressive attitude it's 98% of the time when I am with a friend or two and the other individual has a posse of his own. When walking by myself, I am aware of my surroundings, I walk deliberately, with purpose, and with my shoulders back - the way I carry myself tells predators that I will not be an easy target. I am trying to tell predators that if "you attack me, you're gonna regret it" by the way I carry myself - You should ask yourself "How do I carry myself? Do I make myself look like a victim?"
(BTW If you haven't read Rory Miller's book Meditations on Violence, I highly recommend it - it is very insightful on the psychology of violence)
Krav Maga training then is not only physical but also mental as well.

Let's take a look at a concept that you may or may not be familiar with: The OODA Loop also known as Boyd's Loop.


Developed by USAF Col. John Boyd as a decision making model used in combat situations (but could also be applied to many other aspects of life), the OODA Loop is an acronym:

Observe - Observation can be made with all available senses (sight, smell, and sound are the most common)
Orient - Understanding the meaning of what you have just observed and what it means for you
Decide - Weighing your available options and choosing one
Act - Executing your decision - "fight or flight"

This all happens in fractions of a second. Observing and Acting are both PHYSICAL phases of the loop, while the Orientation and Decision phases of the loop are MENTAL.

You must understand that as a student, many times (though certainly not all times) the mental processes of the OODA loop are taken out of the training. For example, if you are being taught inside defenses against straight punches and the instructor tells the respective partner to only throw the right cross, in a very short period of time you will be (subconsciously) jumping from the Observation stage to the Acting stage - you know whats coming (the punch) and you know what to do (inside defense). Not once do you have to orient yourself with whats happening and weigh options because in this instance of class, you only have one. And this handicap can be seen in much of training. If you are working on one choke, the same processes are skipped (orientation and decision). Of course, we as instructors break things down into steps and take certain things slow for teaching purposes but when we ask you to go all out for 1, 2, or 3 minutes, non-stop, full aggression and when we ask you to close your eyes or spin around and get dizzy or close your eyes in the dark while someone other than the person you have been comfortable working with all of class attacks you it is force you back into the mental phases of the OODA loop.

When we create stress drills we are trying our best to make you as off-guard as possible and force you Observe, ORIENT yourself, DECIDE what you are going to do, and then ACT with 100% aggression and power. We are trying to condition your mind to get through the OODA loop faster and fight through unexpected circumstances that may cause you to 'freeze' somewhere in the OODA cycle.

It is important as students to understand where flaws exist and to avoid giving ourselves a false sense of security (which can lead to your demise). Understand what is missing from your training and so long as you are aware of it, you can make your stress/aggression training much more effective.

How can you use the OODA loop to your advantage?
As I said before, people will challenge others when they think they can beat and predators attack those they perceive to be weaker. The OODA loop occurs in both you and an attacker at the exact same time and action always beats reaction so its in your best interest to be as aware of your surroundings as possible. With that said, if your predator is assuming that they can victimize you and you start to defend and punch and kick and attack them, they must re-orient themselves and decide what to do, but if you keep attacking them you could very easily freeze them in the mental phases of the OODA loop and prevent them from acting on you! (read Meditations on Violence for a more in depth analysis of this process). But to put it into perspective - Have you ever done gun from the front? Redirect, Control, Attack, Takeway - when you redirect and control, then attack, then take away you are forcing the attacker to think "oh no my gun! - oh no my face! - oh no my gun!" You freeze your opponent in the mental phases before they have a chance to act. If you are ever practicing self-defense in any level of classes you need to train yourself to vary your combatives targets - groin, face, groin, body, face, body, groin - when your opponent thinks he has a chance to react, give him something else to think about!

Think about this sequence when you train and think consciously about what parts of the OODA loop you are using or skipping. Like I said, instructors break things down for a reason but be aware of your mindset when training. Be aware of the mental aspects of a fight or a life/death situation, after all, you are training here for such an encounter so train your mind while you're at it as it is your mind that will get your body to do things your body didn't think it could!

Walk with purpose - Walk with confidence - Always believe that you will prevail

The fighter's spirit is everything - When the body says "stop!" the spirit cries, "NEVER!"



If you have any questions, always feel free to contact me at: Matt@fitandfearless

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Jack Dempsey talkin’ Krav

"All the time he was boxing, he was thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him."
-Jack Dempsey

(Remember this when you train!)

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A Few of My Favorite Things

The only thing truly necessary to have a successful training session today is a willingness to push yourself beyond what you could do yesterday. That being said, I have a fond affection for stuff, and over the years have found several things that make my training sessions more efficient, more pleasant, or just plain better.

The 10 glowing reviews below are not necessarily the views of the other staff or owners of Fit and Fearless – I just happen to like them personally and thought you might like them, too.

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Level 4!

This week in Level 4, Heath and I had Jennie and Kelli perfect gun from behind, gun from behind at a distance, hostage, and gun from behind on the ground.

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Drills, Drills, and More Drills!

This week in the noon class, we focused on one type of combative. We then did drills for the rest of class using groups of three.

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KO Bag

Bag class tonight focused on upper body exercises and punching combinations (great for people with a broken toe). What a great way to start the week....thanks Linda!!

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Its Never Too Early To Punch Something

The 6:15 a.m. Combatives & Conditioning class is growing! Come join us & you, too, can have fun while punching things and yelling at people. Improve your skills while you improve your chances of having an awesome day! Here you see Jason M., who tried to hide because he didn't want to do the drill. No, wait...that was the drill! That was the morning we dug ourselves out from a sheet & hostage hood, combat crawled to BOB the dummy & beat his face in while we ourselves were attacked, avoided being attacked with the medicine ball, ran to a pad & kicked it like crazy, then ran to another pad & destroyed it with knees. All in under 47 seconds! Come get exhausted with us every Monday and Wednesday morning!

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Off to a Great Summer!

Today we had a great time during the 12:30 class. We worked on offensive and defensive front kicks, and then we finished with back kicks. For a change of pace and to make your day more interesting, come check out the the noon KM Level 1/2.

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Seminar

Saturday June 26th 10am-12pm. If you haven’t taken one of our BJJ classes with Ernesto now is your chance to take an introductional seminar to see what it is all about! $10 for Fit and Fearless members and $20 for non-members. More information and sign-up forms.

Ernesto will be covering a lot of information during this 2hr. seminar for men and women.

BJJ Exercises & Warm Up
Bear Hug/Take Down Defense
Recovery From The Ground
Fighting From Your Back
Basic Submissions

Look forward to seeing new and familiar faces alike!

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