Martial Arts in Survival Situation

I'm not at all trained in any discipline of martial arts. I once considered aikido classes, but moved to a place too distant from the gym. I've also picked up some techniques by watching mixed martial art fighting, but never had to attempt them.

For those trained, skilled, and knowledgeable in one or more forms of martial arts, what are the particular strong-points of each discipline? What are its weaknesses? Are there some that are "stronger" or "superior" to others? Are there any which counter another? Why might one be better-suited for to learn discipline X, but not discipline Y?

For a good while, I took Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee's method of fighting), and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. These two styles of martial arts are some of the best to use "on the streets."

Jeet Kune Do is a mainly stand-up style of fighting, it focuses on a method divised by Bruce Lee called "broken rhythm" fighting. Basically, mixing up your attacks instead of a set repetition of certain combinations. It is a very effective stand-up style of fighting that worked very well for me.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was created for shorter people (i.e- Brazilians) to fight effectively against larger, stronger opponents. It focuses mainly on take-down techniques as well as submissions, joint locks, and chokes.

Please be advised though, that these two styles are VERY different from "traditional" martial arts. You will not be breaking boards, smashing bricks, or learning any katas. You will however, have to bust your ass in many sparring sessions in which you will most likely not win for a while. These two styles are very dangerous to practice, and should only be done with someone who knows what they are doing.

Here are some links that may help you out if you are considering studying any of these arts:

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: www.gracie.com/

Jeet Kune Do: www.geocities.com/jkdinstructor/

I hope that these help you out, just on a side-note; I am not an overly powerful person (I'm 6'1, 145lbs.), I was only in training six months with these styles at one time and I was able to beat any black belt in any "traditional" martial art that challenged me (I only had a white belt for most of my fights, but eventually got my blue belt.). I strongly recommend these two styles of fighting if you are looking to kick someone's ass severly or incapacitate your opponent.

Hopefully, this information will help you out, if you have any questions about this, please feel free to U2U me.

-SS

I practice hatha yoga and qigong/tai chi regularly for balance, strength and flexibility.

I also consider hacky sacking an element of "training" with a focus on various stalls. Another martial art oddity I deem important are "devil sticks" for learning swordsmanship.

Generally having a job where you work with hand tools will teach you a lot. Learn to mud walls, swing a hammer, operate a torch and welding rod at the same time, etc. Wax on wax off.

I recommend the the following books:

The Book of Five Rings
Sun Tzu
Hagekure
Bushido
The Principles of Effortless Power
The Power of Will

In the future I intend to include kempo or brazilian jiujitsu in my training to enhance submissive capabilities perhaps some judo.

I find one can learn quite a bit of the fighting arts via downloaded video clips of Masters giving instruction.

No one discipline is better than the next. Practice, knowledge, and the power of Will are everything.

I am,

Sri Oracle

For those trained, skilled, and knowledgeable in one or more forms of martial arts, what are the particular strong-points of each discipline?

That's a difficult question. Be careful, or you might end up having to read a mountain of replies, because there's almost no end to the length such a discussion could reach.



I'm not a master in any discipline, but I've been exposed to many of them. I'm not particularly fit or disciplined, but I am fairly clever and I learn quickly, so when it comes to martial arts knowledge, I'm more of a Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none kinda guy. Take my advice with a grain of salt, in light of all that.

My stand-alone favorites are Aikido and Judo - they are powerful and subtle, and they do not require theatrical displays or intense physical fitness. They're equalizers, to some extent, and allow a person to overcome shortcomings in the weight, age, size, and strength categories. A relatively small and physically weak individual, using either of the above, can overpower a much larger, stronger opponent with relative ease. (There are others that employ roughly the same principles, grappling and throwing, joint locks, and so on, but I have no real knowledge of them, so you'll have to search them out on your own.)

The minute I saw a short, obese man hurl a muscle-bound giant back and forth across a room, without breaking a sweat, I knew it was my kind of martial art. Being a bit of a giant myself, I knew I didn't want to be on the receiving end of that whupping.



I don't favor the martial arts that rely too much on punches and kicks. I also don't put a lot of stock in those that use pressure points extensively, because certain body-types (loads of fat or muscle) and mental states (high, drunk, or just really, really pissed) can reduce or eliminate their efficacy, and to use them requires an innordinate amount of skill.

Knowing some pressure points is one thing, hitting them hard on a moving target is another thing entirely. Maybe it's just me, but I don't have much use for most strikes, kicks, or pressure points. Some people swear by them, so I suppose it boils down to a difference of opinion that you'll have to sort out by yourself.

As far as I'm concerned, boxing, kick boxing, taekwondo, karate and kung fu are right out. There are some techniques and principles from those that can be very useful in certain situations though, so it pays to have some understanding of them. Keep in mind that there are practically endless variations, regional versions, modifications and hybrids of the arts I just listed, there isn't just one 'karate' (or kung fu) any more than there's just one butterfly or just one tiger. So, different incarnations of those arts might have more to offer than others, and I just wouldn't know because my range of experience isn't that broad.

Eskrima is another good (and practical) one to explore, especially if you like knives and sticks (which I do), but it might not be ideal if you've got bad knees. I liked a lot of the techniques, but some of the stances were not suited to my body-type (I'm six and a half feet tall and weigh upwards of 300 lbs), so I took what I could, adapted it to my needs, and discarded the rest. Same goes for Karate and boxing.

The whole body approach of Muay Thai (using the large muscles in the torso and thighs to drive the attacks, instead of the small muscles alone), as well as the use of shins and forearms in close quarters, is very attractive to me because it makes sense.

I also learned a lot fencing, so there's something you might want to try.

I suppose they all have value, and it depends entirely on the dedication of the artist to bring them alive and realize them fully. My personal preference has always been for Japanese martial arts, they just feel right, but others feel differently, for various reasons. To each his own.

I also happen to think that mixing and matching them to suit your needs is the way to go, but I'm sure there are many people who would disagree. In my opinion, everyone needs a toolbox, and you put what you need in the toolbox, not a bunch of crap you're never going to use. You can learn something from most, if not all the martial arts.

What are its weaknesses?

I dislike any fighting style that appears theatrical and flamboyant, lots of kicking and jumping around. Try that stuff in a serious street fight and you're likely to wind up getting hurt. Many martial artists overestimate their own ability and assume that because they can break a brick or kick over their head that they can win a fight. Maybe they can, but I've seen enough black belts on the ground outside bars, picking up their own teeth, to be skeptical of that attitude.

One of the nastiest fights I ever witnessed was between a completely untrained, but mean-as-Hell kid, and a black belt who ran his mouth endlessly about how dangerous he was. Needless to say, the black belt spent half the night lying in the street outside his house, recuperating, after executing a technically-perfect roundhouse kick (that missed). He got pushed to the ground and beaten senseless by someone with no formal martial arts training.

That was one example, but there have been others. Working in a bar in NY, I once saw a little Mexican guy who couldn't have been more than 5'2", stomp the hell out of a tough-talking guy nearly my size who claimed to be a Marine.

Another time I saw an effeminate black gay man lay out this scrappy-lookin', drunken racist prick who was way too eager for a fight to be any good in one.

I played pool with the gay guy for almost two years in the same bar, and I had some idea of how hardcore he was by the way he conducted himself - very confident, unafraid. He was a nice guy, but he wasn't about to take any crap from anyone. We got along great.

He probably had to kick a lot of ass in school to protect himself, and he made up in experience and balls what he lacked in formal training.

Another example: this kid I knew in High School who trained for years, from the time he was very young (some form of Karate I think) and was very fit and strong, had his skull crushed by an untrained, but very angry kid wielding a freeweight.

Point being, there's more to self defense than martial arts training. Arguably, the best defense is avoid pissing people off needlessly. If you don't go around insulting people, making an ass out of yourself, and being generally unpleasant, you're less likely to wind up in a fight in the first place, nevermind on the losing end.

If you're nice to people, and still wind up in a fight, at least nobody can say you had it coming.

Anyway, I digress...

Are there some that are "stronger" or "superior" to others?

In my (somewhat) limited experience, Aikido is superior to most (if not all) other martial arts, in the sense that the principles that form its foundation work equally well against most attackers. I think the same could probably be said about Hapkido, but I don't have much knowledge of that one - I've watched it, and I know it exists, and I've read a bit about it, but that's it.

By the same token, I'm sure there's some Capoeira guy out there who thinks he can win any fight (and maybe he can), and the same goes for all the others. If you ask me, Aikido is superior, but I'm sure there are as many opinions on the subject as there are martial arts.

Why might one be better-suited for to learn discipline X, but not discipline Y?

Well, kung fu may not be right for you if you're heavy - all of the styles I've seen favor a lean, muscular build that emphasizes speed to achieve striking power. I could be mistaken, but all of the kung fu masters I've seen were lean and wirey - not really heavily muscled either, I guess that there's a tipping point where more muscle just adds more weight, and doesn't contribute meaningfully.

Apart from that, I don't know.

Hope I answered some of your questions. Anyway, there are a ton of good resources on the web, so you can read more about the different styles. Wiki has got the basics covered on the main styles, in terms of an overview. If you want a more in-depth understanding, there's no option but to approach someone who's skilled and knowledgable, and ask them to teach you.



Here are some links.

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

Well my bro and I have been practicing (IIN) Tae-kwon-do for three years. I dont know much about other martial arts so, I will just say the plusses for this one. Please do not get this IIN style mixed up with ITF or WTF styles. ITF and WTF are very different Tae-kwon-do styles. I have seen the other two, and I personally recomend this one(IIN) but, ITF is great too (I personally do not recomend WTF, out of all the WTF students I have seen, this style tends to be very slack compared to the others.)

(IIN) Tae-kwond-do fucuses on kicks. Kicks are faster, stronger, and have more range then punches. I see this as an advantage. Most mixed martial art clips I have seen, when a hand style martial art goes against tae-kwon-do, they get there asses kicked. They oppenet goes to punch then gets a foot in the face. There is hand technequies and take downs too. I personaly like tae-kwon-do because, it is fast and allows you to keep your distance from your opponent.

The two biggest things to concider while picking a martial art is not neasasierly the art its self. Point one is to get a good instructor/sensei/master ect. A good teacher can make all the difference. Point two, your skill is mainly based on your own dedication and effort. You have to be able to train your self, and be dedicated if you want any real results. So, make sure you pick an art that fits you; one that you can see your self practicing too.

Well that's my two cents, hope it helps.

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I'm surprised no one mentioned Krav Maga. It's gettign pretty popular in police and military circles. I've seen a few demonstrations, it's pretty decent.

www.kravmaga.com...

It's all about real-world situations, and getting the hell out of them.

DE

The best kind of fighting is the kind you will never get in a dojo, or any martial arts class. The kind of fighting used by guirilla fighters and street fighters. They do not have names, but are darn effective, and very deadly. The reason I refuse to take martial arts classes is they all teach something that gets you killed: set rules. In sparring matches you know your opponent is not trying to kill or maime you. Go on the street, it is the opposite, you will face guns, knives, and more than one opponent who will be fighting in unison with others. I learn at home, train with no one but the wall and other objects that are rather un-orthodox but get the job done. If you want to learn how to fight really well, watch several videos of black belts fighting with different styles and then think of how to counter all of them then practice.
Muay Thai is one I kind of fancy when it comes to learning better leg movements but I swear by no one martial arts style. If anything, I watch movies and read books (with pictures) on various forms of martial arts, when you do this you will know their strengths and weakneses. If one focuses on hand movement alone, take out their stability, if they focus on leg movements like Muay Thai, learn to throw and displace if not break legs. This is how you find weakeses, just watch how people fight.
I prefer learning techinques that will bring your opponent down for good, because should I ever get in a fight it will be a "one man left standing" situation. Learn to break arms, legs, take out eyes, groin hits, break knees, break feet, headbutt and if need be, snapping of necks. Also learn how to hit someone once and crush their esophogus thus blocking the free flow of air causing them to suffocate to death unless you want them to live.
On a side note, watching a movie such as "Commando" or "Chuck Norris" is NOT a way to learn martial arts, they fake it all and are NEVER using anything affective on the street level. Some movies do use actual and effective combat manuvers but are far and few in between and are usualy one move out of a thousand. Is it not amusing how people learn martial arts in order to be like the people in a movie? To show off? Then like Wyrdeone said, get into a real fight, and drop like a stone. Here is something that will help all of you, see below.

My greatest bit of wisdom for you: NEVER FIGHT WITH RULES UNLESS YOU WANT TO DIE!

DE
I'm Level P1 in Krava Maga (meaning that officially i know the basics), but i've trained on it in the army. It's the most effective combat martial art, not pretty, but straight forward and effective. It reliaes on simple powerfull moves and natural stress reactions.

Rule no.1:Kick the opponents balls
Rule no.2: Punch the opponent to face so long that his no longer a threat
and that's about all you need

Before I get into my post I partly agree with Vekar "NEVER FIGHT WITH RULES". However, it helps ALOT to have a STRATEGY and to know what a good position is and what a bad position is. That sounds simple but it isn't. Is it worse to have guy on your back or for him to be mounted on you and how do you escape each situation....when that arm cuts across your throat, just how tight does it have to be until you are in real danger?

Training helps for good techniques to strike, choke etc. For example, my kick is probably at least twice as powerful as when I started Muay Thai not because I am stronger but because of technique. You cannot learn how to fight by training by yourself! But I agree you should not be dogmatic about one style either--each has strengths and weaknesses...and of course "cheating" will always happen in a real fight. But by definition training is PREPARING for a real fight, and that can be done by crosstraining in various styles, contact sparring and being aware that the opponent may use non-standard attacks.

I recommend crosstraining for survival in *all* of the following (highest priority first):

Most important:
1. Muay Thai (MT)
2. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
Important, but mainly to complement the MT and BJJ:
3. Boxing
4. Krav Maga.
Also, yoga (for flexibility) and weight training.

Why the above systems?

Four main combat zones of H2H fighting:
1. Upper body striking zone (hands, arms, elbows). Boxing/MT specialty.
2. Lower body striking zone (legs,knees). MT specialty.
3. Clenching/takedown zone. The area too close to strike effectively,"tangled up". BJJ/MT specialty
4. Grappling zone (ground fighting,wrestling). Rolling on the ground, head locks etc. BJJ specialty.

1. Muay Thai: the world's best system for integrating upper/lower striking and clenches (and corresponding defenses). Note that a good kick can be at least 2-3x more powerful than a hand strike...so learn how to kick! (and defend).

2. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: the best grappling system. I have ranked BJJ lower priority than Muay Thai only because injuries in practice are more common. However you should do both. Usually you are expected to "roll" (spar groundfighting like wrestling) each session and this is full contact (no striking just grappling). Arms are twisted, necks are choked, until you "tap out". It can be brutal with bruises and muscle soreness--that's both an advantage and disadvantage. It's the most "real" training but because it is the most real training it carries a greater risk of injury. btw, I prefer no-gi.

3. Boxing complements Muay Thai for upper body striking. Take a day off MT every once in while for the boxing perspective to focus on hand strikes and speed.

4. Krav Maga combines some aspects of the systems above but unlike them puts more attention on defense against weapons and multiple attackers. Krav Maga is used by the Israeli army and is often taught at local Jewish centers. Usually outsiders can sign up without being a member (or Jewish), it may just cost a few more bucks for non-members. Also they have unusual training like defending yourself at night or in crowd/riot situations. Some grappling is taught as well.

Other lower-priority recommended systems:
1. Wrestling, Pancrase, Judo. Various wrestling styles are a good foundation for BJJ and groundfighting skills.
2. Eskrima. Stick and knife fighting training. Good for learning improvised weapon fighting.
3. Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee). The forerunner to modern MMA crosstraining.

For *survival*, I do *not* recommend traditional martial arts styles that mainly focus on kata (repetition of movements) and very little sparring.

The problem is not that's so bad, but that it is too incomplete. How many black belt Kempo bad asses are there in Vale Tudo or No Holds Barred? Same goes with Aikido, Hapkido, Kung Fu etc.

I am NOT saying those systems are worthless, but they are less worthy for survival.

northwolf
I know they have very strong gun disarms - but that's the extent of what I know. I've seen some takedowns using that style, and I wasn't very impressed. What am I missing, that makes this style so superior? Can anyone fill in the blanks?

I know only one (1) gun disarm, and I don't really feel the need to know more. The one I know is useful if someone has just raised up their pistol and has it pointed it at my head, making like they're going to execute me. Most other times I'll just give up forty bucks, or whatever is in my 'robbery pocket', keep the rest of my money, take little risk, and go on about my business.

I've been robbed at gunpoint twice, both times on Chicago's West Side, and I never felt the need to fight. From my perspective it's obvious that I made the right decision, because here I am, alive and well.

Forty or fifty bucks isn't worth a bullet in the stomach. A bullet anywhere is more expensive than the few dollars it would have cost you to dispense with the gunman peacefully. Risk vs. Reward tells me to pay the man and go on about my business.

If someone looks like they're going to shoot you regardless of what you do, then yeah, try to take the gun - give yourself a fighting chance. If someone is using the gun while trying to tie you up or put you in their vehicle, by all means try to take that gun.

I know we're talking about martial arts in a survival situation, but most times if you've got a gun pointed at you, it's because some drug addict wants a little money. So give it to them and end the confrontation peacefully. Just remember to never keep all your money in one place, so you can attempt to cut your losses. That's my advice, for what it's worth.

DayWatch

How many black belt Kempo bad asses are there in Vale Tudo or No Holds Barred? Same goes with Aikido, Hapkido, Kung Fu etc.

Maybe the reason there are no Aikido 'badasses' prancing around the ring and fighting for the amusement of the crowd is because Aikidoka don't 'fight'. You know that old saying, it takes two to tango? Yeah, well, go start a fight with someone who is well-versed in Aikido, and you will only be fighting yourself, not the Aikidoka.

I have a hard time imagining any true student of Aikido getting in a ring for money or fame. It would be a corruption of the fundamental principles of the art, I should think.

Even if someone did abandon their principles, and engaged in that sort of activity using what they had learned, I suspect that they would lose any real power they might have had.

I encourage you to learn more about the philosophy of Aikido before you dismiss it.

[edit on 21-12-2006 by WyrdeOne]

Kicks are faster, stronger, and have more range then punches. I see this as an advantage. Most mixed martial art clips I have seen, when a hand style martial art goes against tae-kwon-do, they get there asses kicked.

Your legs/feet are not faster than your arms/hands....sorrry.

Your legs are larger, heavier and have to resist more gravity to be lifted even to waist level. By the time you get there, my fist will have reached its target multiple times.

Legs/feet are very powerful and can be conditioned to be VERY fast but they will never be faster than a conditioned punch.

While you may have watched some video clips, I have witnessed first person, kicking specialists get wiped out by skilled pugilists and brazillian style martial artists.

But to answer the original authors post.....IMO the best combo is some martial arts training that incorporates strikes, kicks, and locks. American Kenpo incorporates these aspects in a neat package. Its kind of a melting pot of styles while not commiting to one set aspect.

Combine your training with playing Hockey or Rugby for a couple of years. Some of the best true street fighters are hockey/rugby guys. They have been kicked punched and checked and know what its like to get hit...which is one of the key things most martial arts schools cant and dont teach. How you react after getting your nose busted is a key to any survival situation

How you react after getting your nose busted is a key to any survival situation

Very true. Of course it's nice when it doesn't come to that, but if you can't take a beating you're not much good in real fight.

The first time you get punched in the face it's a shock, you think it's going to hurt so bad and you get really scared, like OMG, this is going to be the worst pain ever. Of course it doesn't hurt that bad, it's more disorienting than anything else.

Live and learn.

(I'm not saying you should go around trying to get people to punch you in the face, but it's a fact that the only way to get good at real fighting is to get in a lot of real fights. But please, don't go looking for them.)

Ive reaches a second degree belt in Judo when I was very young. I do enjoy Judo and Karate. Judo is very subtle and focuses on the obvious combined with some old japanese sweeps and throws. I use to remember the Japanese names, . Karate focuses on abrupt, straight movements of your legs and punches. It is taught primarily as a defensive style in the United States. In japan, a very aggressive version of it is taught.

Tae Kwon Do is a korean martial art that, as others have said, focuses on feet and kicking. I think the name "Tae Kwon Do" rougly translates to "the way of the fist and the foot".

Kung Fu is an ancient chinese martial art that has its origins, as mentioned in popular culture, from early buddhist monks. If I remember correctly, Kung fu(gong fu or wushu) orignated as a method of excercise to help restless monks meditate.

I personally consider the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean martial arts to be superior to other styles.

(I'm not saying you should go around trying to get people to punch you in the face, but it's a fact that the only way to get good at real fighting is to get in a lot of real fights. But please, don't go looking for them.)

BINGO. This is exactly what I was getting at with the Hockey/Rugby thing. Those activities put you in situations where you can learn what its like to get hit...for real..and yet know that you wont get beaten to death due to people like referees stepping in.

Mix that with a good martial art (Kenpo, Juijitsu,Krav Magra) and you will have a very good basis for defending yourself in extreme situations.

Aikido is a very effective discipline. Awami style is very spiritual and beautiful to watch, but not as effective as Yoshenki which is more of a street style. The latter is taught in the U.S. as well as the former. Aikido is a non-aggressive art, but I have been able to take down grecco wrestlers with it, and I am by no means a muscular woman. It can be stepped up to the demands of the attack.

Aikido is a good starting place to learn defensive techniques. I've seen many martial arts in action, but I always go back to Aikido. You don't have to be a strong or especially fit person to practice this art. You learn to use body mechanics and the attackers aggression against them.

Sadly, no martial art can stop a bullet.

There is a very lethal martial arts which you can find in the Philippines. (origin)

This is called:YAW YAN (Dance of Death)

For more information, here is the official website:www.yawyan.com...

I studied this for six years, I started 1991. This is where I saw how a Yaw Yan fighter massacred a Thai boxer in a bout for a full contact fight. (bloody!)

Yaw Yan is not just a plain martial arts. It is somethign like a religion or a brotherhood. There isd a sealing ritual where you will be sealed on the chest by a flaming iron as part of its tradition.

This is basically an offensive martial arts. This includes intense street fighting techniques. You will also learn how to use swords, nunchaku & Arnis.

It is very well known for its deadly kicks.
Due to its lethal techniques, Tae kwon do was officially replaced by Yaw Yan as the offical martial atrs of the National Police

YAW-YAN KICKS
Yaw-Yan has 40 fundamental kicks, divided into 3 categories - front, side, and back. There are 3 types of Yaw-Yan kicks - Snap, Thrust, and Snap-Thrust. As of early to mid-1980's advanced disciples were required to be able to execute 55 kicks, which include advanced complex kicks. Here are the 55 kicks of Yaw-Yan categorically taught as follows:

I. Front Kicks (the groups of leg muscles utilized here are that of Front muscles of the kicking leg)
1) Snap
2) Thrust
3) Snap thrust
4) Heel Snap
5) Downward Thrust
6) Outside Scooping
7) Inside Scooping
8) Forward Scooping
9) Outward Slash
10) Inside Slash
11) Upward Slash
12) Downward Chop
13) Forward Chop
14) Vertical Chop
15) Horizontal
16) Roundhouse Heel
17) Roundhouse Shin
18) Roundhouse Snap Thrust
19) Side Snap
20) Inside Leg Scooping
21) Outside Leg Scooping
22) Forward Roundhouse

II. Side Kicks (the groups of leg muscles utilized here are that of Side muscles of the kicking leg)
1) Side Thrust
2) Side Stomp
3) Hooking
4) Ridge
5) Ridge Snap
6) Side Ridge
7) Leg Scooping Outside
8) Ridge Instep
9) Ridge Ball
10) Outside Slash
11) Inside Slash
12) Roundhouse Shin
13) Roundhouse Heel
14) Roundhouse Snap Thrust
15) Reversed Roundhouse Instep
16) Reversed Roundhouse Ball
17) Reversed Roundhouse Heel
18) Reversed Roundhouse Slash

III. Back Kicks (the groups of leg muscles utilized here are that of Back muscles of the kicking leg)
1) Reversed Back Kick Snap
2) Reversed Back Kick Thrust
3) Reversed Back Kick Chop
4) Mountain Storm Shin
5) Mountain Storm Ball
6) Mountain Storm Heel
7) Mountain Storm Slash
8) Scorpion
9) Scorpion Chop
10) Circular
11) Straight Back Kick
12) Rear Upward Chop
13) Rear Snap
14) Rear Downward Slash
15) Back Chop

Demonstrations of these Yaw-Yan kicks were always crowd pleasers, not to mention that most of the Yaw-Yan kicks are not commonly seen in other Martial Arts style. Other styles claimed to have originated some of these kicks but had only employed them after seeing a Yaw-Yan practitioner execute them (if "Stealing from Yaw-Yan" is not the proper choice of words).

Some possible Kicking Combinations (Offensive Techniques):
1) Right mountain storm, continue turning and execute left Circular kick.
2) Right mountain storm, right scorpion kick.
3) Sliding lead left frontal thrust, right mountain storm
4) Automatic Roundhouse - Left and Right
5) Left Side Snap, Right Side Thrust, Left Straight Back Kick.
6) Right mountain storm, slide right stomping, left straight back kick.
7) Right Roundhouse, left Yaw-Yan back kick, right outside slicer.
8) Left Yaw-Yan frontal side snap, turn left Yaw-Yan back kick.
9) Left outside slicer snap, right forward scooping, left Yaw-Yan back kick.
10) Automatic Scorpion left and right.
11) Triple Kick (same leg) side slash snap, scooping or hooking roundhouse.
12) Right frontal thrust, left straight back kick, right circular kick.
13) Left hooking, right circular, left roundhouse.

When engaged in hand-to-hand combat, your life is always at stake.
There is only one purpose in combat, and that is to kill your enemy.
Never face an enemy with the idea of knocking him out.
The chances are extremely good that he will kill YOU instead.
When a weapon is not available, one must resort to the full
use of his natural weapons. The natural weapons are:
1. The knife edge of your hands.
2. Fingers folded at the second joint or knuckle.
3. The protruding knuckle of your second finger.
4. The heel of your hand.
5. Your boot
6. Elbows
7. Knees
8. Teeth
Attacking is a primary factor. A fight was never
won by defensive action. Attack with all of your strength.
At any point or any situation, some vulnerable point on your enemies
body will be open for attack. Do this while screaming as screaming has
two purposes.
1. To frighten and confuse your enemy.
2. To allow you to take a deep breath which, in turn, will put
more oxygen in your blood stream.

Your balance and balance of your
enemy are two inportant factors; since, if you succeed in making
your enemy lose his balance, the chances are nine to
one that you can kill him in your next move. The best over-all
stance is where your feet are spread about shoulders width apart,
with your right foot about a foot ahead of the left. Both arms
should be bent at the elbows parallel to each other. Stand on the
balls of your feet and bend your waist slightly. Kinda of like a
boxer's crouch. Employing a sudden movement or a scream or yell can
throw your enemy off-balance. There are many vulnerable points of
the body. We will cover them now:

Eyes:Use your fingers in a V-shape and attack in gouging motion.

NoseExtremely vulnerable) Strike with the knife edge of the hand
along the bridge, which will cause breakage, sharp pain, temporary
blindness, and if the blow is hard enough, death. Also, deliver a blow
with the heel of your hand in an upward motion, thisð ðwill shove the
bone up into the brain causing death.

Adam's Apple: This spot is usually pretty well protected, but if you
get the chance, strike hard with the knife edge of your hand. This
should sever the wind-pipe, and then it's all over in a matter of
minutes.

Temple: There is a large artery up here, and if you hit it hard
enough, it will cause death. If you manage to knock your enemy down,
kick him in the temple, and he'll never get up again.

Back of the Neck: A rabbit punch, or blow delivered to the base of
the neck can easily break it, but to be safe, it is better to
use the butt of a gun or some other heavy blunt object.
Upper lip: A large network of nerves are located. These nerves are
extrememly close to the skin. A sharp upward blow will cause extreme
pain, and unconciosness.

Ears: Coming up from behind an enemy and cupping the hands in a clapping
motion over the victims ears can kill him immediately. The vibrations
caused from the clapping motion will burst his eardrums, and cause
internal bleeding in the brain.

Groin: A VERY vulnerable spot. If left open, get it with knee
hard, and he'll buckle over very fast.

Kidneys: A large nerve that branches off to the spinal cord comes very
close to the skin at the kidneys. A direct blow with the knife edge
of your hand can cause death.

There are many more ways to kill and injure an enemy, but these should
work best for the average person. This is meant only as information
and I would not recommend that you use this for a simple Brawl. Use these methods only, in your opinion, if your life is in danger. Any one of these methods could very easily kill or cause permanent damage to someone. One more word of caution, you should practice these moves before using them on a dummy, or a mock battle with a friend.

(You don't have to actually hit him to practice, just work on accuracy.)

I studied Jeet Kune Do for a little while, considered to be a street fighting art.

Really its quite simple in how it works, there are no rules or boundaries. We focused on destructions and interceptions. A destruction is when you do damage to an oncoming limb and then counter with your moves, an interception is when you strike them as they are about to strike you. The emphasis on these moves is timing and distance. I know that from 9 feet away I can strike you with a kick. (I'm only 5'9") now the kick will not be effective enough to take you out, however it will be effective enough to allow me to strike you another 5-10 times.

Elbows, Knees, and Headbutts are the most deadly moves. They are the three hardest point on your body. Knowing how to do all 3 of these effectivly will help close the gap between you and a larger attacker.

More important than all is wind and being able to control your energy output in a fight, if you are fighting an experienced fighter knowing how to pace yourself is essential. If you have ever been in a ground fight you know how quickly you become tired. You need to learn defense that allows you to protect your physical self and also allows you to keep enough energy to strike back when the time is right.

Jeet Kune Do is my choice because it takes the most effective moves from 30 different martial arts and lumps them into one. There is no right or wrong wasy to use these moves, its up to the fighter and what he deems necessary for the fight.

WyrdeOne
Krav Magas greatest aspects are it's practical approach and easines. There are only few techniques and every technic is applicable to many situations... and it allows you to easily adapt the technics to a personal style... ie. it doesn't matter if you kick the guy or punch his nose after taking out his knife...

Krav-Maga is a horizontal system with a unique and logical approach. It is easy to learn and retain, performed naturally and intuitively, and practically be use under stressful conditions. An essential part of KM is its teaching process, methodology and ways of training.
Krav-Maga includes the subjects of:
Prevention, avoidance, escape and evasion.


Dealing with throws and falls to all directions and angles.


Attacks and counterattacks, performed to all targets, distances, ranges, heights, angles, directions and in all rhythms. Executed from all positions and postures. Use of all sorts of common objects for defensive purposes.


Defending all unarmed attacks: punches, strikes and kicks. Releases from all sorts of grabs and holds. Defending all armed attacks and threats of knife and sharp objects; of sticks bars and other blunt objects; of all kind of firearms.


Dealing with the above attacks when sent from all possible directions and places; When are performed by a single or multiple attackers; When occur in all possible places, positions and postures. Including in confined or open areas; in an ally, staircase, car; On all types of grounds; In water; When free or in limited space of movement; While standing, on the move, sitting down, laying down on the back, side or facing down.


Physical and mental control and disarm.


KM prepares the trainees to function in all circumstances and scenarios, in all combat and fighting environments, according to their needs, risks they are facing and job descriptions. KM enables and brings technical, tactical, physical and mental growth and improvements.

Eyal Yanilov
Netanya 2004

www.krav-maga.com...

Just remember the Indiana Jones lesson, everybody...

Remember when Indy's in Cairo, and that huge Arab guy comes out of the crowd, swinging those two swords?

Yeah.

DE