Martial Arts Information

Many martial arts try to portray their "practicality" on the streets.

Recently, Krav Marga came into prominence as the de facto "self-defence" technique. Their motto, hit hard and run!

From: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-02-24-krav-maga_x.htm

<<"There are no rules except for one," Pasquini says after thwarting the staged assault by one of his students at MAI Karate in Canton. "If you attack me, I'm going to rip your face off. And I'm not going to stop until you're down."

It's a violent rule designed with violence in mind. Krav Maga (pronounced KRAHV muh-GAH), Hebrew for "contact combat," is the creation of Imi Lichtenfeld, a who fought with a paramilitary organization during Israel's 1948 war for independence. He wound up teaching self-defense to members of the Israeli army, and he developed a system based on the instincts and reactions he honed as a street fighter warding off anti-Semitic attacks while growing up. >>

With this Krav Marga training objective, it certainly seems to be "the one"! HOWEVER...

The cons of using "fixed" styles like Karate, Kung Fu...etc, is the problem of "remembering" the techniques. Most times, people are caught in a situation unawares, unlike the many demos that we see where the attacker is prepared to retreat and the victim all ready to react.

Krav Marga or not, how many hours of training does a person need to "ingrain" the techniques needed to fend off a unwarranted attack?

Even with training, physical fitness is a big obstacle, weight class too plays a huge difference. If it did not, then there wouldn't be weight classes in professional fighting matches.

How about youtube videos and write ups about how a woman or man can just suddenly become a champion fighter when suddenly accosted on the street? Well, it is fine in a classroom situation where the "attacker" stands like a dummy waiting to become the victim!

Do NOT FORGET, the attacker has probably been waiting for hours just to get you! I doubt a few "karate chops" will send him reeling, he would have probably prepared for such a reaction too!

In the following links, I will discuss what is seen in the videos as demos of self defence.