defense offense krav maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

May 21, 2019, Israel 

General Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre 

I "love" common knowledge.  People like to say, what makes Krav Maga special is that each defense is also an offense. Or, the defense is immediately followed by an offensive attack; this is the distinguishing trait of Krav Maga.  

Really? Well not only is that nonsense, and certainly does not apply to our style, IKI Krav Maga, but it defies logic. People are not parrots and should not be "cutting and pasting" mindlessly. Stop and think!

Let us think of some of the more famous withdrawals in military history,  and let us also remember when stubborn leaders like Hitler and Stalin refused to withdraw and paid for it with the lives of hundreds of thousands of ordinary men.

In 1914 at the beginning of World War 1 (The Great War), French general Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre withdrew from the German border to the Marne leading to an eventual great victory known as the "First Battle of the Marne".

There was the Allied withdrawal from Gallipoli vs the Turks.

There was the famous withdrawal during World War Two at Dunkirk (1940) which saved the British army. 

On the other hand the German failure to retreat from Stalingrad (1942-43) caused the loss of 300,000 German troops and was a turning point against the Germans in the war.

There is a time to hit and run. There is a time to realize that the odds are against you. The British, Australia, and New Zealand forces tried their best against the Turks in Gallipoli but eventually realized the task was impossible. After huge losses they retreated, they would eventually win the war elsewhere.

In self-defense we use the concept of APC; Ability, Purpose, Circumstances, to determine what to do after the initial defensive move. Sometimes we strike at the opponent just enough to create a window of opportunity. A counter-attack, or poorly time offensive, might lead to disaster.

Thus the Krav Maga "Gospel" parroted by many, that "every defense is followed by an immediate offense" is nonsense and illogical. This is just another fallacy of the "Bible of Krav Maga" as taught by some instructors who have not given the matter enough, or any, thought.  Don't be a parrot.

Do not be part of the "Cut and Paste" generation. There is simply too much at stake. At IKI Krav Maga we are thinkers and innovators .   

Never imitators, always innovators and leaders. 

Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in.
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