How to talk yourself into trouble.

[guird]

I work as an advocate at our local University, and as I have a student card; I can join as many sports or pass time clubs as I like. It was at freshers week last week, and I joined the meet and greet session at the collage Ju Jitsu club. I walked into the Dojo and began to talk to some of the international students . I began a conversation with an American, he told me he was a veteran of the US Marine Corps. Ok, I thought he looked a little young, but there you go. He then told me that he was a black belt in Krav Maga. Now I know that in Krav Maga they don't award belts. He then told me that he had practiced Karate for ten years. I asked him what style of karate it was. "Karate you Dork, what other style is there?" Now this was rude and he was getting a little aggressive in his manner. Listening quietly to this conversation were two foreign looking karateka. I'd met them that afternoon, they were both Kaiokoshin Dan grades from Iran. I felt my heart start to beat faster, for the next five seconds these 3 guys stared at eachother. It was obvious that these two Arabs wanted a piece of the American. Thankfully, I could call over the Ju Jitsu Sempai and she led the Marine away. I spoke to the Iranians, I directed them to the Shotokan Sensei; I'll go and see how they will get along there next week. I wasn't expecting to be party to the start of WWIII in Bangor; I find it funny now, but I didn't at the time. I suppose it pays to keep your mouth shut in foreign Dojos.

Sorry Harkon, I forgot to mention earlier how much I love this story.

If the kid does anything else exceptionally silly or, hopefully, learns and matures, keep us posted.

I used to have a similar attitude as that kid. I didn't lie about my experience, but I was probably nonetheless infuriating. I hope he learns about humility and honesty soon.

No problem Patrick - it would have been much easier and more sensible for me to say something like annoyed... sometimes a nerve is touched so the fingers type quicker than the brain can think.

To answer Guird, this is only my opinion and based on my experience of Karate and what I've seen of Krav Magna, I have recognised several applications from Karate Kata used in their system but some I have seen is where they have marketed it as "theirs" when it is clearly taken from other systems.

There are only a certain amount of ways you can block/strike/arm lock someone so there will always be a crossover between styles. I have a few issues with their system where you would have to be fairly strong or of a similar height/strength to defeat the attacker - a lot of Martial Arts are based on a weaker or smaller person inflicting pain on an attacker. When you hear/see things like grab their arm and twist like this - even I've got larger students that I would struggle to do this against.

Only my experience, but limited experience. If it works then use it.

There are some KM moves that resemble karate bunkai yes, but every system borrows from predecessors. I don't think any system can claim any technique is "theirs". We all have the same anatomy, and like you said there are only so many ways we can move. I also have no problem with a system taking ideas from various sources and presenting the combination of those ideas as unique, because it is at least as unique as the systems it was taken from.

as for going up against larger opponents with krav maga, It's always difficult to fight someone larger regardless which style you use. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of krav maga's techniques and their approach either, but I don't see what problems KM has in this regard that any other art doesn't.

Edited October 8, 2014 by guird

[mal103]

Only what I've seen and a friend that thinks it's great, fine if he's happy. A lot of the principles I like to learn and to teach involve a shift in angles and 2 hands working against one, a lot of what I've seen on KM involve "simply" grabbing theirs arms... Absolutely no good if they are larger or stronger. Just my opinion.

I do have a thing about people saying to me "oh that looks like Judo/Aikido/TKD" etc, if most systems are trained to their fullest then most include grappling, ground fighting, throwing etc. most of the advanced Karate Kata are like looking at the tips of icebergs...