We love the Martial

The idea behind being 'Combat Ready' is to be able to go from standstill to 100 mph at any given time. Now this could be good decision making, an altercation or de-escalation.  Your training needs to mirror this sort of thing, so if it doesn't then you need to add it in or find somewhere new to train.  In martial arts you have the art side which we rarely concentrate on unless we look at form.  Now I say form, not forms, and don't start quoting the Bruce Lee lines about form having no value as he said that decades ago and look at who he probably said it to - individuals bound by form as that was how arts were taught.  We are no longer bound by those constraints so don't get too hung up on what one guy said all those years ago.  What we do like to focus on is the martial side of things. The combatives and tactics involved in confrontations.  So take a bunch of strikes and practice these guys to death.  Get working them on the heavy bag, the focus mitts, a door frame or a training partner.  Think about single direct attacks, and then attack by combinations.  Need more information on this? Then a simple google search on Bruce Lee's fighting strategies will help you out.  Really this material is the stuff that will keep you safe far more than any of these bogus techniques you might be taught week after week in certain classes.  Remember, the strikes are where its at - the rest is simply frosting on the cake designed to keep you interested. 

Facebook article by Professor Kelly Worden

Have a read of what Professor Kelly Worden says regarding traditional and progressive in this short article.  Remember what we learn is not static and we must evolve our systems and make sure that rather than mimic we become our own innovator.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/nsi-natural-spirit-international/recently-i-was-approached-with-a-question-regarding-if-i-taught-authentic-modern/508934405852590

The jab or lead punch

No two people will tell you how to jab the same way.  Some will say you flick it out like a probe, others will say it’s a solid landing blow.  In our curriculum you find your own way, and again it depends on the situation.  In simple terms you clench your fist and project it straight out in front of you, aiming to strike with the two large big knuckles on your hand.  Once your hand has connected with the target you bring the hand back to guard on the same straight line that it went out on.  Imagine that you are punching down a tube. Think about the power driving up from the floor and twisting your hip and then your shoulder as the arm straightens out towards the target.  The power in all our strikes comes from the hips and you punch through the target.  Imagine the target is extremely hot so recoil the hand quickly.  Don't telegraph your strike by drawing the arm back simply move it forward from the guard.  If you want more power drop your weight through the front foot as you strike. Practice punching in place to begin with, then add movement.  Drive off the back leg as you strike and remember, only hit when you think you can land a strike. Don't waste energy.  

TONIGHT AT KRAV MAGA EDINBURGH

The class focussed on fighting this evening. We looked at ways to improve our defence and attack with the overall emphasis being that we wanted to be successful when it came to sparring after the class. We focussed mainly on stand up fighting however, sometimes we delved in to the clinch and also the ground. It was all at a good tempo and I could see everyone learning well. Big respect going out to everyone who came along put on gloves and took a shot. Easy to say you train Krav Maga, harder to man up and come along when it's just you and another guy with the mitts on. Now lets get back to training for this grading.

FREE SPARRING SESSION NEXT TUESDAY

I spoke with some of the guys last night and they were keen to have a sparring session. I suggested that whoever wants to spar should hang back after Krav Maga next Tuesday and we train. You need a groin guard and gum shield minimum. You should have suitable boxing gloves although there are spare sets in the box if you don't have any. We will work various drills to get us used to contact and how to avoid getting hit which is the whole idea! Hope to see you there. If you have any questions, just drop me an e-mail.

Marcus

TONIGHT AT TACTICAL EDGE EDINBURGH

The guys went outside for a quick mile run to warm up. When they got back it was straight into skill building using single stick and a flow drill. We took the tempo down so we could get a better understanding of the angles. Next we looked at a simple way to build a defensive matrix against incoming attacks and the fastets counters. We then looked at a few different scenarios and also the empty hand applications.

Marcus

LATEST NEWS @ KRAV MAGA EDINBURGH

Almost half way through March now the gym keeps growing and changing. We've included more strength and conditioning in the all the programmes and I can see the effect it is having when I see how much more athletically everyone is moving in the various classes.

We ran a successful kettlebell workshop at the weekend and introduced more people into why the kettlebell is a useful tool for us at Combat Ready Gym. We recently held our first ever Kickboxing grading which was great. There is another one planned for May and a technical session where you can polish up your skills in April. There will be a Krav Maga Grading in mid April for people going to levels one, two and three. And I understand Lee is trying to fit in a Tactical Edge grading for the guys. I will also be holding a travel wrench seminar in early April where I will share the information I learned while training over in the US in January. The gym is going from strength to strength but without your support and attendance we wouldn't be where we are today. It seems a long time ago when I held that first KM class in the Judo Club. Some of the guys there that night are still training and look where they are now.

After the questionnaire that was carried out last year a lot of people indicated that they wanted to take part in an instructors programme. I am currently in the process of designing a Krav Maga ground fighting curriculum which will launch first and you can become an instructor in. Secondly, will be a close quarter combatives course. They will be presented as modules and will be supported by written and dvd material. More details to follow, however if you are interested drop me an email at enquiries@kravmagaedinburgh.com and I will give you more information as it becomes available.

Lee has also organised some KME hoodies and t-shirts which should be in the club this evening. There is just a short run of these so get them while you can.

That's all for now.

Marcus

LAST NIGHT AT KME

After Lee took the guys through the warm up we looked at developing our striking on the pads. We looked at moving off line and attacking but still being in that killzone. I stressed the need for good solid striking over everything else. We looked at how the body will defend anything that is thrown at it naturally and how if this happens we need to react quickly with counter strikes. We did various drills where we could only defend, where we defended as long as we could before switching mode and attacking. We looked at attacking right off the bat. I said that you had to look at where you are mentally and how you as a individual feel about causing harm to another human being regardless of the situation. We finished off with a knife drill to stress the point of just never giving up until you are dead. Fun class and everyone put in 100%.

LAST NIGHT AT TRAINING

Last night we focused on developing our kicking. From there we looked at working from long range range into medium range. We looked at various control points for pulling an opponent into our oncoming strike. We looked at the rear naked choke and also some other methods for striking into the neck. We discussed the consequences of such strikes and also of choking someone out - as in what situations would actually call for that. Good solid effort put in by everyone.

TONIGHT AT KICKBOXING EDINBURGH

Tonight after the warm up the guys started looking at outside attacks with the knife. We looked at body defence of getting the head out the way and hollowing out the stomach. We looked at evading the first line of attack and then shutting down the second line. We looked at barrier removal and tool and target development on the pads. I said to the guys that the class was full of concepts and tools that they could and should take away and work on with a friend and make them their own. There were defences against empty hand, impact and edged weapons all contained in the class. Sometimes it can be spoon fed and other times you have to extract the information presented and come up with your own way.

Marcus

TONIGHT AT TACTICAL EDGE TRAINING

Tonight after a warm up with the kettlebells the guys partnered up on the pads and start working pre-epmtives strikes on the high line and then dropping to the low line. We used the Heaven Six movement to take out a variety of guard positions and then flow into elbows and then into a takedown. We looked at a failure drill if we don't quite manage the head under. I stressed that just like locking we never force a takedown, it will be there and we will move into it naturally. We finished the class with the guys freelancing against various unarmed attacks. I said to the guys this evening how impressed with them I was especially after most have had a few weeks offs.

Marcus

LAST NIGHT AT KRAV MAGA EDINBURGH

Last night after the warm up we started on pad drills that focussed on the fighting system of Krav Maga. The earlier levels stress self defence whereas the later material concentrates on the fighting system. We looked at ways of intercepting kicks or using them as bridging techniques. We looked at defending straight and circular attacks and also intercepting with straight attacks. I quickly showed how we could use this small skill set against a variety of common attacks. The purpose behind last nights class was for the guys to get the movements and work out when best and how to use them. Instead of collecting techniques all the time why not use the fundamentals and see how many things you can use them for and be truely effective. Just think about a boxer and how he has limited tools and how he puts them to use with timing, rythmn and angles.

Marcus

KICKBOXING EDINBURGH

The guys went through a bodyweight and kettlebell warm up and then got cracking on the pads working through various punching and kicking combinations. Tonight we started doubling the kicks up. Everyone's overall skills are coming on excellently. See you all next week.