I've been boxing for about a year now. I love it. I do ok at it I think, I've got some power and so its a great way of releasing any tensions or aggression. I love punching and kicking people - well, the pads they're holding - Its not in any kind of sadistic way. Although saying that, I would love to punch someone in the face just once - just to know what it feels like (is that sadistic?!)
But, I often wonder whether, with all the training and workouts, how I would do if god forbid I needed to try and defend myself and punch someone for real. Would those aggressive instincts kick in or would I just freeze with shock?
Last week I had the same thought while arms locked around my neck and a girl started choking me. It was just practise; I was in my first Krav Maga lesson. Krav Maga is a system of self-defence that was developed for the Israeli Defence Forces back in the 40's. It literally means "close combat" in Hebrew.
I'm surprised that I've never done any form of self-defence class before now, but I'd heard of Krav Maga many times and know that it is considered by many to be the ultimate form of self-defence. There are actually several schools in London but I was recommended to go to
London Krav Maga, which was the very first Krav Maga school to open in London back in 1996. They teach at four different locations around the city. I went to a 3 hour taster class in Tottenham Court Road.
A group of us sat and watched as two of our instructors engaged in some faux acts of violence for our benefit. One of them started brandishing a knife while the other calmly disengaged him, all the while chatting away to us. Of course it all looked punishingly easy and I suppose it might be when you know its coming. I'm reminded of a time when I lived in Argentina and my friend Anna and I were out walking one night. A man robbed Anna of her phone and I was so utterly incensed that I started furiously hitting him with an umbrella and screaming. It was only afterwards that Anna told me he had had a knife. Thankfully, I was lucky I didn't see it coming.
Before we all got a chance to wield our own plastic knives, we began the practical part of the class with the combat training so learning how to hit, punch and kick. My boxing lessons definitely came in handy in terms of how to punch, how to stand and how to turn my body. We got into partners and used something called a melon to hit, first with the palms of our hands and then with our fists. We also learnt about hammer punches and hitting with our elbows. All the while we were applying the three principals of Krav Maga which are: build on your natural reactions, use the nearest tool for the job and using the mechanics of movement.
We moved onto hits and kicks with the knees and feet using punching pads. I love kicking because I get a lot of power behind me but my knee strikes always feel a bit weak and piddly. Nevertheless, it still feels good. I wonder exactly what it is that I love about all this kicking and punching malarky. Thinking about it now, I suppose its because I feel so alive when I'm doing it, I'm creating and expelling so much energy in and around me, its impossible not to feel something with all that adrenaline rushing around. It was flowing furiously when we each had 60 seconds non-stop of all out war-waging on the pads, hitting, punching and kicking. I was dying by the end of it.
The second half of the class was more about the self-defence, looking at what to do if someone chokes you or gets you in a headlock or comes at you with a knife. Everything in Krav Maga is very simple, the rules are often the same in different scenarios to help you remember the techniques more easily and get you to adapt to your instincts. So for example, if someone starts choking you, the natural instinct is to grab the person's arms and try to pull them off you. This just creates more tension and their grip will only tighten. Instead, you have to grab their wrists, pull away with an outward punch and then knee them in the bollocks for good measure. Obviously.
Working through what to do when someone has you in a headlock a little more complicated. Just a turn of the head, stretch the arm out, step forward, punch in the nuts, poke the eyes, pull the head back and punch the chin. Simple. Its hard to describe in words obviously and I'm being deliberately facetious, but in practise it all makes sense.
Finally, we all got to play with knives and play a ridiculous game called the zombie game where you frivolously batter away hordes of zombie arms coming towards you. Its silly but it helps you to appreciate your instincts and exploit your reaction time.
I have to say I was slightly dreading a three hour class but it went by super fast and I spent the majority of it in a state of exhilaration, only wanting to continue practising hair-pulling, eye-gouging and groin-kicking. Not sadistic in the slightest.
2 Comments:
Good stuff Jo!
Personally I think boxing - western and Thai - can give a false sense of security. Whilst it is undoubtedly very good for exercise and a person’s confidence, if you have not conditioned your fists/wrists to striking without protective gloves and supportive wraps, there is a high likelihood of injuring yourself (spraining or even breaking the wrist or a finger). For ladies, who have finer wrists and digits, this is even more relevant.
Instruction in something like Krav Maga makes much more sense and I applaud you for doing it. I wanted my wife to attend Krav Maga, however in the Middle East they are not allowed to (legally) offer it. So I have been teaching her myself.
Striking with open palms allows a weaker opponent to make a much more forceful strike with a significantly reduced risk of personal injury. You also have the fingers open to immediately cause additional damage to the eyes. Elbows are an extremely effective weapon for when someone comes in close, and are particularly useful for ladies, in part for the same reason above, but also as you can generate substantial force with limited range of movement. Aim for the bridge of the nose or chin.
In a self defence situation the idea is to cause as much damage to the attacker whilst minimising the risk of harm to you. Kicking above shin height can be risky as it is easy for the kicker to become unbalanced and topple to the floor, making them potentially very vulnerable. Personally I would not advise beginners to do this.
Contrary to what you say, the knee is actually a very good weapon, even for beginners, as you can recover much more easily if knocked off balance. It is the perfect weapon to hit the groin - the most vulnerable part on a man’s body - where even a modest blow to a determined opponent will at the very least stop them in their tracks, and leave many others in a whimpering heap. And with practice and training, can become extremely lethal: the key is to drive the knee forward into the opponent by thrusting the hips forward and leaning the body back, as you can see in the second photo.
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