krav maga

When fighting an assailant who is armed, there is always a degree of randomness, even if you are highly trained in various fighting styles. Your opponent is not likely to just be standing there waiting for you to take your turn to strike. He will be in near-constant motion. When you do strike, then, or block, this randomness means that the path of the weapon could alter just enough to cut you, for instance. Even if you execute a perfect technique, it does not guarantee a specific outcome, and you need to know this and prepare for it both physically and mentally. I totally agree with DG that Krav Maga is a good place for someone to start their martial arts training, but I obviously wouldn't suggest stopping there. No matter what art you study thereafter, make sure it is suitable to your body type (or change your body type) and is taught by a reputable instructor who you are comfortable with.

! wrote:

i guess it just depends on your goals as a RLSH. One thing that worries me is the way everyone gets sued for anything. Ive literally heard of robbers suing the owners of the homes they robbed and winning. If a guy pulls a knife on me and i sprain his wrist or drop him, is he gonna try to sue me? Will he win? It really could happen, and me being dressed like a super-hero, or in tactical gear, will not at all help my case. This is one reason why i chose the path of least resistance and just try to restrain him.

Another is that I always try to think about how my actions uphold the values that I see as being a part of our community (The RLSH Creed). Its ok in some cases for me to injure a criminal, but if i do it first rather than as a last resort, then am I being a good example? A Role model? Am I upholding the law?

These are questions we all have to answer individually, (your choice of martial art may be affected by your body type, life philosophy, crime fighting style, local laws, etc) so I dont blame you for choosing differently than me, but I hope at least I hope you understand where im comin from...

...Plus I honestly do believe grappling is just as effective

Oh, I do agree that grappling arts are effective, especially when needing to restrain someone. I've done wrestling (like, actual wrestling) and some other grappling training. I'm just saying that an art like Krav Maga is good for getting out of really bad situations. I think the key here is to apply any martial art you learn properly. You don't want to use excessive force when defending yourself or other, whether you're grappling, using tae kwon do, krav maga or ANYTHING for that matter.

I think ultimately we're all on the same page here. I personally wouldn't condone injuring an assailant who is unarmed, or armed with a stick or something and I think most of us would agree that would be over the top. But I think we can all agree that if you're in a last ditch kind of situation where the guy is holding a gun and likely going to pull the trigger, injuring him is the least of your worries.

And that is why thinking about the ramifications of your actions is quite important. "Hurt" or pain you can shake off while injury keeps you down. I've been hurt while wrestling many a time. I shake it off, get back up, continue with the match. My brother, however, had the leg of a folding chair hit him in the soft of his knee. He had to stop the match because he was injured. That's where the line between hurt and injury lies. So you have to take into account "Is my life in danger enough to possibly do damage to this person?" If the answer is yes, then you act accordingly to make the situation safe for yourself and anyone around you.

It pretty much boils down to common sense. I believe that that is reenforced through training and study. That's why I say, whatever system you use, just get trained in it and use common sense when applying it in a real world situation. If you can stop someone without injuring them, then usually it is best to do so and I can agree with that wholly, but I think Krav Maga is misunderstood in that regard since most people equate the word "hurt" to injury.

By the way, I apologize if I come off as being upset or overly aggressive or anything. I'm not. I just get REALLY into discussions like this. lol.

me too. trust me, i used to be a philosophy major. I know how friendly discussions can still be heated