Senior Instructor Rick Blitstein
Senior Instructor Alan Feldman
Instructor Abel Kahn
Instructor/Photographer Rinaldo Rossi
About the Author
Resources
Books from YMAA
DVDs from YMAA
Letters of Commendations for Krav Maga Instruction
Acknowledgements
Training U.S. Marines. Photo courtesy of USMC Combat Camera.
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Before we explore specific defenses in the chapters, there are several principles to keep in mind.
Throughout Krav Maga Weapon Defenses, the following terms will appear frequently. Once you understand the language of krav maga (means contact combat in Hebrew), you can then better understand the method.
“Negative Five.” You are caught unaware and at a complete disadvantage. The attacker has the advantage of surprise and positioning.
Combative. Any manner of strike, takedown, throw, joint lock, choke, or other offensive fighting movement.
Retzev. A Hebrew word that means “continuous motion” in combat. Retzev, the backbone of modern Israeli krav maga, teaches you to move your body instinctively in combat motion without thinking about your next move. When in a dangerous situation, you will automatically call upon your physical and mental training to a launch seamless overwhelming counterattack, using strikes, takedowns, throws, joint locks, chokes or other offensive actions combined with evasive action. Retzev is quick and decisive movement merging all aspects of your krav maga training. Defensive movements transition automatically into offensive movements to neutralize the attack, affording your opponent little time to react.
Left outlet stance. Blades your body by turning your feet approximately 30 degrees to your right, with your left arm and left leg forward. (You can also turn 30 degrees to your right to come into a right regular outlet stance, so that your right leg and arm are forward.) You are resting on the ball of your rear foot in a comfortable and balanced position. Your feet should be parallel with about 55 percent of your weight distributed over your front leg. Your arms are positioned in front of your face and bent slightly forward at approximately a 60-degree angle between your forearms and your upper arms. From this stance, move forward, laterally, and backward, moving your feet in concert.
Liveside. When you are facing the front of your opponent and your opponent can both see you and use all four arms and legs against you, you are facing his or her liveside.
Deadside. Your opponent’s deadside, in contrast to his liveside, places you behind his near shoulder or facing his back. You are in an advantageous position to counterattack and control him because it is difficult for him to use his arm and leg farthest away from you to attack you. You should always move to the deadside when possible. This also places the opponent between you and any additional third-party threat.
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Sameside. Your sameside arm or leg faces your opponent when you are positioned opposite one another. For example, if you are directly facing your opponent and your right side is opposite your opponent’s left side, your sameside arm is your right arm (opposite his left arm).
Nearside. Your opponent’s limb closest to your torso.
Outside defense. An outside defense counters an outside attack, that is, an attack directed at you from the outside of your body to the inside. A slap to the face or hook punch are examples of outside attacks.
Inside defense. An inside defense defends against an inside or straight attack. This type of attack involves a thrusting motion, such as jabbing your finger into someone’s eye or punching someone in the nose.
Glicha. A Hebrew term meaning a sliding movement on the balls of your feet to carry your entire bodyweight forward and through a combative strike to maximize its impact.
Secoul. A Hebrew term meaning a larger step than glicha, covering more distance to carry your entire bodyweight forward and through a combative strike to maximize its impact.
Off-angle. An attack angle that is not face-to-face.
Stepping off the line. Use footwork and body movement to take evasive action against a linear attack, such as a straight punch or kick. Such movement is also referred to as “breaking the angle of attack.”
Tsai-bake. A Japanese term meaning a one-hundred-eighty-degree or semi-circle step by rotating one leg back to create torque on a joint to complete a takedown or control hold.
Cavalier. A wrist takedown forcing an adversary’s wrist to move against its natural range of motion usually combined with tsai-bake for added power.
Elbow kiss. When securing an edged weapon or firearm held by an assailant and pinning it against the his body, the defender moves to the assailant’s deadside creating an angle between the defender’s arm and assailant’s arm where the tips of their respective elbows touch or “kiss.” The defender’s forearm and assailant’s gun arm create a “V” by the underside of your forearm pressing against the topside of the assailant’s forearm
Trapping. Occurs when you pin or grab the opponent’s arms with one arm, leaving you with free to continue combatives with your other arm.
Figure Four. A control hold securing an opponent’s arm, torso, or ankle to exert pressure. The control hold is enabled by using both of your arms on the joint of the wrist, shoulder, or tendon of an opponent. For example, you have secured your opponent’s right wrist (his elbow is pointed toward the ground) with your right hand placed on the flat of his right hand, bending his wrist inward, with his elbow (tip toward the ground) pinned to your chest while you simultaneously slip your other arm over the top of his forearm to interlock his arm and grab your own forearm. This positional arm control may also be used to attack the Achilles tendon with the blade of your forearm or control an opponent’s torso from the rearmount. A Figure Four may also be applied to an opponent’s torso by hooking one leg across the torso and securing it in the crook of the other leg’s knee.
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Kravist. A term I coined to describe a smart and prepared krav maga fighter.
Cold Weapons. Blunt and edged weapons.
Hot Weapons. Firearms.
Kimura. Armlock named after its inventor, Masahiko Kimura.
Street violence is, by its nature, volatile and unpredictable. To be sure, there are no certainties, especially regarding the outcome of a life and death struggle. The last thing on many victims’ minds is that they will be battered, clubbed, stabbed, slashed, or shot. Oftentimes, you will find yourself in a “negative five” position or initially unprepared to fight for your life. An attacker will seek every