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Famous Martial Artists
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
December 19, 2024, Israel
Multiple Attacker situations are very challenging.
In our training we are currently working on Multiple Attacker situations. This was triggered by the attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Europe last month. I have researched that incident as much as I could, but I also searched for footage of other multiple attacker situations that might have been caught on camera. I did not find much that was of use, but I did come across many videos teaching how to deal with this challenging situation. There is not much out there that I found useful, or new, but I am always open to experimenting and trying to learn something from other instructors, especially if they are "legendary".
So, I came across a tutorial from a famous female martial artist, known more for her kickboxing than her self-defense, but I was intrigued. On the surface it looked interesting, promising. I of course will not mention names as I never intend to disrespect any martial artists, or any style, just to learn from observation and practice. She faced two attackers, she hit one in the groin and then moved around him, striking him in the neck with a forearm. She then preceded to swivel him around, get him in a hold and control him by his eyes. She used him as a buffer against the other attacker whom she said would be intimidated by this show of skill and force and would now hesitate to attack.
This woman is incredibly fit, a model of fitness and flexibility. Her experience is mostly in sports fighting and acting. The tutorial looked interesting, and we decided to try it out. I actually thought it looked good and that we could incorporate it into our new Multiple Attacker program. But sadly, it failed our test. I personally have more than 40 years' experience, the guys I tested it with both have 3rd dan black belts in Krav Maga and kickboxing. They are strong, and more than 10 years younger than me. We gave it a try. Alas, we immediately saw that, in the face of resistance, strong opponents, realistic conditions, it has no chance whatsoever of succeeding.
We were not trying to prove that it did not work; on the contrary. As I was being pushed by a guy taller than me, going backwards I could not really move my arms as he was pinning them and preventing me any real range of motion. I could not reach his groin area; his arms were too long. So I thought, OK, but what if I were pushed against the wall, and his arms were bent, perhaps then I could make this technique work. But I could not, my arms were too crammed, and I could not generate any force. In addition, I have always felt that the groin strike was a bit overrated as it is difficult to perform. The defender can easily adjust his legs, an instinctive move, and block your attempted strike or grab.
But then I thought, OK, let's assume I did manage to get the groin strike, let me push him and move to his side where I can get the forearm strike to his neck, but that too failed. I could not get the correct angle; his body did not respond like the guy in the tutorial did. As I have preached for years, many martial arts techniques depend on the opponent's body responding in a specific predetermined way. But what if he does not? (The technique will fail, and you will be in a more vulnerable situation than you were before).
Then we said again, OK, let's assume I did get the forearm strike to the neck, let me swivel him around, spin him around, and get him in the lock as demonstrated in the video and then control him with an eye gouge from behind thus achieving the double purpose of controlling one attaker while scarring off another. But this too did not work, I was not able to make the swivel work. And while I was attempting this the other guy had ample time to attack.
Total score: 0.
However, not all was lost, at least this presented us with a new situation, one we had not thought of before, as follows: We always teach to get your arms up (Universal Block), but what if you got caught off-guard and now you are being pushed back with your arms down by your side? This is our new situation. We found a nice solution that fit the reality of the situation, without cooperation from the attackers and without relying upon any specific predetermined body reaction to make the technique workable. (You can find this on our Online program)
We pressure tested it and it worked for students of all sizes against students of all sizes. But there are some important principles here and this is the point of the blog. This is not about putting anyone down, and this is not about "our style is the best". There is something deeper I want to share.
Something Deeper
1. Theory vs. Practice - There is a vast difference between theoretical self-defense and real self-defense. All our techniques are developed under pressure; time and force. We don't try and make our techniques fit reality, we allow reality to determine, to form, our techniques. That is why when I am asked a question about a particular situation I always respond with, "Let me FEEL it first", I need to feel the situation, I need to experience it.
2. Fame - If does not matter if the person teaching the technique looks great, has a great body. It does not matter if they are a famous martial artist. Their fame instills in us a belief that if they are that famous, they must be great. If they were on the cover of Black Belt magazine, or Inside Kung Fu, they must be good. Their techniques must work.
But that is not true. That is a myth. I speak not from arrogance but from experience. Years ago I knew only my own community, my own neighborhood, and I lived vicariously from videos and magazines. But then I went out to the world, first as a student spending large amounts of money on travel and seminars, and then as an instructor. Currently I have students in 40 - 45 countries worldwide. My point, I have seen that fame does not mean your techniques work. I have met many martial arts celebreties, some had some good material, many did not. And yet I met some who were lesser known, such as Prof. Arthur Cohen, and I found that he had breakthrough ideas and concepts. I became his student. I flew to the USA yearly to train with him. I corresponded with him weekly, and this is after having spent 18 years earning my instructor certifications. When you find a good teacher - you make every effort to be with him/her as much as possible.
Summary of this point: Being on the cover of a magazine, being famous, being in movies, does not guarantee that your self-defense techniques have any value.
3. Confidence - Anyone in marketing will teach you that you must project confidence. Confidence is infectious, confidence sells. If you project a lack of confidence people will detect this and not purchase your product. I have seen self-defense instructors with Huge, Enormous, amounts of confidence. You, the viewer, feel "they have to be good". But that is another myth, another falsehood, it is an acting skill. This great confidence, just like fame, or the "look", does not in any way mean that the techniques have value.
4. Desire to believe - There is a desire to believe that what you see is true. I spent many years in Los Angeles, California, USA and I felt that experience. I must admit, there is something infectious, you want to be like the good-looking successful people. You want to be part of "it". You want to be part of "the scene", the music, the acting, the screen writers, Hollywood! the glamour, it is intoxicating. You just want to be near it all, connected, but it is all a lie, an illusion. Fake, fake, fake.
From the fake blond hair to the plastic surgery, the fancy cars, the "dress to impress", none of it is real. It is acting, and that is what LA is known for, acting, in more ways than one. I held a training session in the park, right near us was another training session and it looked similar to what I was teaching. I approached them and asked if they were Krav Maga students, they were not. They were actors, training in ...I forgot the term, but it was knife fighting and defense for movies. They were all aspiring actors.
That is all fine and good as long as we understand that one course is for real self-defense and another is for entertainment. I have great respect for actors, writers, stunt men/women, it is all great. But my field is survival, and here we must remove the masks, the facade, and face the truth. Let not your vision be blinded by fantasy and beauty.
Make sure your friends are real, make sure your self-defense techniques are real. In the moment of truth that will make all the difference.
Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.
Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz
What is the cultural background of Krav Maga? What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?
What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?
What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?
How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?
All that and more in this unique book.
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