Krav Maga, for one, is a lousy martial art but AN EXCELLENT ZERO DISTANCE Fighting system.
What's the difference between a martial art and fighting/CQC system/self-defense system?
Training, teaching and approach to development
Krav Maga is based on natural reaction.
But unfortunately this is not the way it is practiced nowadays.
The excellent Zero Distance Fighting system has been watered-down by making the techniques and form the primary target, not the outcome in the given situation.
Once the focus of attention is put on do I do this movement correctly instead of did I get the result I needed, we are losing the core.
Attacking is primary, defenses are secondary
Once we are able to deliver good solid attacks and maintain our balance while doing so, the needed defenses will emerge when needed.
In Finland, we have the principle Move & Fire, familiar to any infantry soldier, which targets exactly this. Lions don't block, they hit and roar.
Keeping this in mind, in every situation we must start fighting and affect the attacker's mind and body balance as vigorously as possible. Grasping the initiative and keep it.
If we spend the training time focus on the form of defenses we should be making, we are training to lose. The defenses emerge naturally, we'll just have to know how to train them.
What to do and focus on
Treat every self-defense situation as a micro-fight, a round that should be handled in seconds.
The better you get, the more challenging rounds you'll need to do.
Look for your boundaries and then start working to push those further on.
Stop thinking about the form and esthetics, focus on delivering the outcome. "Do not get hurt", "Fastest way is the best way" (Imi Lichtenfeld, founder of krav maga self-defense).
Use representative practice design to get the fast-track results. Rehearsing the situations and variating the attacker's work all the time. "Repetitions without repetitions" (Nikolai Bernstein).
Train punching (boxing), train using your legs to kick (thai boxing, kick boxing, karate etc.), train grappling standing up and on the ground. Just focus your attention on few key elements:
- Distraction- always cover your intentions
- Deflect - move away and stay away from the line of fire
- Disable- we can't control the stronger opponents, we can disable them
- Disengage - the earliest possible time.
Set up constraints to variate the training. In the combat sports the rules are the constraints.
In self-defense, the environment and legal boundaries are the constraints.
If you're working in Police or security or even the military, the rules of engagement are the constraints we need to consider.
Summary
If you are more focused on "one correct technique" you are training martial art. That is ok.
Just don't call that Krav Maga (close contact), "zero distance".
If you want to learn more, just contact me.
The training system is simple, not easy. It requires high-class coaching and thus representative practice design.
Best of training!
Tommi Nystrom