David Erath

Let me clarify a couple of things. First, I'm sure that the techniques and methods you use in practice, if they are effective and internalized, will be what you use in a fight. So, in that sense I do think you fight the way you practice. My statement was made regarding intesity, not techniques and methods, as the question was related to older people being hit hard. "and for those people that believe that we practice eye gouges and stuff are just covering up because they don't have a good ma." I also have no idea what this means. My point was that sparring critical, and that you can spar with any techniques, by either lowering the intensity, wearing protective gear, or modifying the dangerous technique, the eye gouge being one example. BJJ fighters can easily put eye gouges into their practice. There is no excuse for NOT sparring, regardless of the techniques you use. Back to the original subject...there are three critical components to self-defense training, drilling a technique, scenario training (learning to apply the technique to a particular situation), and sparring. The techniques you use with in this matrix must be efficient and effective. That's where style comes in. If you're punching from the hip, and moving from front stance to front stance, your going to get in trouble... David https://www.hertao.com

JerryLove, No, I don't believe "you fight how you practice" is a true statement. NHB fighters do not practice with near the intensity level they fight with. And, becuase you practice simulating eye gouges for instance, by thumbing the forehead, I don't think in a real situation you would resort to thumbing the forehead rather than gouging the eyes. With regards to being prepared to take a hit. In a street situation you're not going to feel pain. You're either going to be able to continue or not. So, I don't personally feel that learning to take a punch is going to do much more than damage your brain. I am for sparring, but not because it teaches you to take a punch. David https://www.hertao.com

Joe, I think the three elements you mentioned are crucial for self-defense training. Drilling will allow you to learn techniques in a consistent environment, scenario training will show you applications of the techniques against particular attacks, and sparring will give you the understanding of distance, position, timing, etc., necessary to apply them. I also think jiujitsu fighter makes an important point, that these three methods must be applied to stand up, clinch, and ground fighting. As for JerryLove's question...I have several clients who are in their 60's and they have no problem with sparring. It can be done at any level of intensity, to fit the practitioner. Eye strikes, groin grabs, throat strikes, etc., can be done in sparring with no difficulty. Either take it slow and easy, wear protective gear, or touch the forehead to simulate an eye gouge, slap the inside of the leg to simulate the groin grab, and so on. There is no good reason not to spar. After learning a technique through drilling, and learning an application through scenario based training, sparring will add the realistic element of resistance to the scenario. David https://www.hertao.com

TJS, I practiced and taught a system similar to KM, that included gun, stick, and knife defense, etc., for several years. I thought all of the techniques would work, and had tried them against larger and stronger people, after telling them to resist, etc. I later found out that they would not. Most people who are friends with you, or are practicing the same style, will have a hard time resisting like some lunatic on the street would. I think it is most important for anyone practicing martial arts, to try to find a week point in each defense or method. This is most important with regard to weapons defense, since one mistake can get you killed. As I said, I have tried many of the KM gun, stick, and knife defenses, and none have worked against a fully resisting opponent. Now, that is not to say that they will never work, or that they might work if you have the element of surprise on your side. But, I am certain that they can be improved upon. Take the gun strip I mentioned before for example...the strip occurs on the second beat, after moving offline. If you tell your partner to try to yank his arm back and away as soon as you begin your defense, you will see that he will be able to. I think an attacker on the street would certainly try to jerk out of your grip immidiately also. With regard to the knife defenses, give your partner a marker, put on an old T-shirt, and tell him to try to slice you up as best he can, and try the knife defenses. The last point I will mention, is that any style that is made up of a number of specific defenses against specific attacks, is practicing for the first instant of an attack. If your initial defense fails, of course it may not, what is the backup plan. I'm not trying to blast KM here. I think it's more effective for self-defense than the majority of what's out there. Just make sure you test everything you do, before trying to use it on the street. Good luck, David https://www.hertao.com

Hello, I teach self-defense full time in New Orleans and because most years we are ranked #1 for murders, armed robbery, etc., most of my clients are very interested in gun, stick, and knife defense. I have tested a large number of gun, stick, and knife defenses for more than 10 years, including many from Krav Maga. I have not found a single Krav Maga gun defense to work against a fully resisting opponent. I've tested them with paintball and gas-blowback airsoft guns. I have also found the stick and knife defenses to be ineffective against a moderately skilled, noncooperative opponent. One gun defense we use at my school is similar to the strip used in Krav Maga. The problem with the Krav Maga strip is that it is done on the second beat. The defender grabs the wrist and moves out of the way, then strips the gun. This will not work. Try it. The attacker will be able to yank his hand out of your grip before the strip begins. There is also a problem with this defense regarding the alignment of the week points in a grip. The hands grab the wrist and gun, thumb up, aligning the week point, and allowing the attacker to yank his wrist and gun out. The other primary gun defense in Krav Maga, involving wrapping the arm from underneath with a simultaneous elbow, is very weak. If the elbow is blocked, which it most likely will be, the wrap will not secure the attacker's limb if he is fully resisting. Although the style is geared more toward realistic self-defense than other TMA's, there are some serious flaws in many of the weapons defenses, and it lacks depth, concerning strategy and tactics if your first response fails. David https://www.hertao.com