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01043 FEBRUARY 2010
www.blackbeltmag.com
25
MORE
MARTIAL ARTS
PLACES TO GO
AND
THINGS
YOU
MUST
DO
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
KRAV MAGA
VS. WEAPONS
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MPQEMQWVPWVTKVKQPHQTOCTVKCNCTVKUVU
PGKNCFCOUIWKFGVQLWFQVJTQYKPI
BRUCE LEE
AND BOXING
FORMER
TRAINING
PARTNER
TELLS ALL
PLUS
SHANNON LEE
INTRODUCES
THE BRUCE LEE
ACTION MUSEUM!
MASTER TODDY STRIKES BACK! Killer Muay Thai Moves
WORLDS LEADING MAGAZINE OF MARTIAL ARTS
Moni Cover Layout.indd 1 11/17/09 2:25 PM
48 BLACK BELT blackbeltmag.com / FEBRUARY 2010
DESTRUCTION
THE COMMANDO KRAV MAGA
GUIDE TO STREET SURVIVAL
WAY OF
by Henry Kou / Photography by Thomas Sanders
When nonpractitioners watch a mixed-martial arts
show on television, theyre entertained by the spectacle
of modern-day gladiators vying for dominance in the cage.
When martial artists watch, however, the effect is different.
They subconsciously examine the athletes kicks, punch-
es, takedowns and submissions, after which they usually
nd themselves wondering how effective their favorite
ghter would be in a self-defense situation. >>
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FEBRUARY 2010 / blackbeltmag.com BLACK BELT 49
Krav Maga layout.indd 49 11/13/09 9:33 AM
50 BLACK BELT blackbeltmag.com / FEBRUARY 2010
The martial artists might then conclude that to be prepared for a street ght, they
should train like an MMA competitorthat is, develop a few powerful strikes and a solid
ground game. After that, they hypothesize, theyll be able to take on anyone. It makes
senseas long as there are no other variables in the altercation. Unfortunately, when
youre talking about combat on the street, in a bar or in a parking lot, theres nothing but
variables.
Consider: Youve nished a workout at a local ght gym and decide to walk to a
nearby store and grab a snack. As you leave, a man asks you for money. Thats when you
notice another guy, who starts closing the distance. The rst man attacks, and you nail
him with a roundhouse to the thigh and punch to the head. His friend jumps you from be-
hind, and you fall to the ground. Youre comfortable with your ground game, so you start
working your way into a textbook armbar. Then you feel the sensation of being punched
QUICK RELEASE
Moni Aizik is held at gunpoint.
He turns his body and uses both hands to
redirect the muzzle to ensure that hes off
the line of re.
Aizik twists to his left and leverages the
gun out of the assailants grip.
Once he has possession of the weapon,
Aizik backs off and uses it to hold him at
bay.

in the back. You disengage and stand, and

as the thugs run away, you notice a numb-
ness in your back and see blood running
down your shirt. You were stabbed three
times and didnt know it. The worst part is,
there are no medical professionals or ref-
erees to render assistance.
The rst lesson of street ghting:
The longer you draw out a ght, the more
likely you are to end up in the hospitalor
the morgue. Your actions and reactions
must be quicker because the outcome can
be deadlier.
The best way to prepare yourself for
the street is to train under conditions that
mimic a street ght. In other words, prac-
tice in the environment youll ght in. Now,
if you want to compete in MMA, thats ne.
Locate a gym with good coaches and have
at it. However, if your primary pursuit is
self-defense, youll need to nd a good re-
ality-based system and train in a way that
develops the skills you need to survive.
(HHGEVKXGPGUUCPF(HEKGPE[
Reality-based self-defense is growing
in popularity because its effective and ef-
cient. The goal is to prepare the practi-
tioner to defend himself in a short amount
of time. The philosophy is similar to that of
the military and law enforcement, where
recruits must be made battle-ready as
quickly as possible. Why the hurry? Be-
cause in todays society, few adults have
the time to commit to long-term training.
To become procient at self-defense,
more and more people are turning to Com-
mando Krav Maga. The system was found-
ed by Moni Aizik, a former commando in the
Israeli special forces. During his service,
he fought in the Yom Kippur War, where he
witnessed rsthand what does and doesnt
work. Aizik coupled the lessons he learned
in battle with the knowledge he accumulat-
ed in the traditional martial artshe was a
seven-time national judo and jujutsu cham-
pionto create CKM.
For a system to be effective, Aizik de-
termined, it has to be simple enough for
anyone to learn and perform under stress.
More important, it has to work against
uncooperative attackers. CKM shines on
both fronts, which leads to
The second lesson of street ght-
ing: Creating the greatest amount of dam-
age in the shortest amount of time is the
key to survival.
6KORNKEKV[
Unlike what you see in the movies,
good self-defense isnt composed of ashy
Krav Maga layout.indd 50 11/13/09 9:33 AM
FEBRUARY 2010 / blackbeltmag.com BLACK BELT 51

THE RHINO
Moni Aizik (left) extends his arms and
shouts, I dont want to ght, so witness-
es can hear.
The opponent becomes more ag-
gressive, which causes Aizik to begin
closing the gap and to raise his left
elbow to shield the side of his head and
cup his hand over the back of his head
for additional protection. His right hand
is positioned in front of his face for of-
fense and defense.
Continuing his forward motion, Aizik
makes contact with the enemy and slams
his palm into his nose.
He immediately follows up with a series of
debilitating face rakes,
then disengages.
moves. Avoid high kicks, acrobatic tech-
niques and complicated disarms. Instead,
concentrate on tactics that are simple and
straightforward.
Scenario: Youre at an ATM at night.
You feel a gun jammed into your back by a
criminal whos demanding your money. As
you formulate your response, fear, shock
and adrenaline kick in, making it impos-
sible to remember any of the complicated
disarms youve seen in demos.
The third lesson of street ght-
ing: Under extreme stress, any technique
that involves more than two gross-motor
skills will likely fail. If said technique is
composed of more than ve or six individu-
al moves, its even worse. When panic and
adrenaline take over, confusion is the rst
thing to set in. Its why Aizik emphasizes
simplicity.
Most of the techniques he teaches are
universal. They work when performed with
your left or right hand and to the front and
back. Example: the quick release, a CKM
gun disarm. It can be performed when the
weapon is pointed at your head, chest,
back or either side of your body. It doesnt
matter whether the assailant is holding the
gun with his left hand, right hand or both
hands. Its a universal solution to a variety
of problems, which is important because
under stress, most people are limited to
performing simple, quickly accessed tasks.
Maximum Damage
In a karate tournament, one competitor
often feels out his opponent before un-
leashing his favorite attack. Your mind-set
must be different on the street. Theres no
time to waste; theres only action and reac-
tion.
The fourth lesson of street
ghting: As soon as someone attacks
you, strive to debilitate him immediately,
preferably by making your defense the
same as your offense. Take advantage
of any weaknesses you spot in his de-
fenses, as well as any exposed pressure
points. Proven techniques include gouging
the eyes, smashing the groin, striking the
throat, ripping the Adams apple and biting
any unprotected body part. If that sounds
dirty, its because it is.
The fth lesson of street ght-
ing: There are no rules on the street. Your
attacker wont hesitate to hurt you, so you
must adopt the same mentality.
Art of Deception
On the street, deception is your friend,
and psychology plays as important a role
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52 BLACK BELT blackbeltmag.com / FEBRUARY 2010
as technique. Never give your attacker a
hint of whats to come until its too late.
One such tactic in the CKM arsenal is
the rhino, a great example of offensive
defense. If youre at a bar and a rowdy
patron tries to start something, you cre-
ate distance by extending your arms while
repeating that you dont want to ght. If
youre lucky, the person will back away and
leave. If he opts to take a swing, youre in a
position for action. You close the gap with
the rhino, which gives him an opportunity
to eat an elbow or palm strike, after which
you unleash multiple nger rakes to the

AGAINST THE WALL
BOdy assist
The assailant (right) approaches
Moni Aizik and begins to deploy his
knife.
As soon as the Commando Krav Maga expert determines the
type of attack his opponent will usein this case, a low thrusthe
formulates his defense: an X-block effected with his palms facing
his body.
Aizik redirects the mans
weapon arm to his right.
eyes. Itll buy you enough time to disen-
gage. Remember that your goal is not to
stay and punish him; its to create damage
and get away. Review the rst lesson of
street ghting.
CKM disarms also utilize the principle
of psychological deception. If an armed
assailant puts a gun to your head, you
assume a submissive demeanor to make
him feel in control. Meanwhile, youre tell-
ing him youll give him anything he wants.
During the verbal exchange, you immedi-
ately perform the quick release. Before he
knows what happened, the weapon is in
your hands. You then create distance and
take control.
Train the Way You Fight
When it comes to pure self-defense,
you should endeavor to make your training
as realistic as possible. To that end, CKM
has dispensed with patterns and forms, as
well as with traditional sparring for points.
Instead, practitioners work out in street
clothes and subject themselves to realis-
tic simulations. Why? Because the sixth
lesson of street ghting is to train the way
youll ght.
Meanwhile, his left thumb is on the back
of the mans wrist to stop him from bend-
ing it to reacquire his aim.
For students who may lack the arm
strength to wrench a gun out of the hand
of an assailant, Moni Aizik recommends
using the upper body to generate ad-
ditional power. To demonstrate, he allows
his opponent to place the muzzle of the
weapon against his chest.

Aizik moves off the line of re as he plac-

es his left hand on the mans wrist and his
right hand on the rearm. Note how he
positions his right thumb on the hammer
to prevent the gunman from yanking the
weapon out of his hand and to keep his
ngers away from the muzzle.

Krav Maga layout.indd 52 11/16/09 2:05 PM

FEBRUARY 2010 / blackbeltmag.com BLACK BELT 53

Once the assailant has been rotated half-

way, Aizik uses his torso to apply pressure
against his elbow and force him to face
the wall.
He nishes by slamming the mans knife
hand into the wall until he drops the
weapon. Afterward, he can pick up the
blade and escape.
For maximum realism, think about how
youd assault someone on the street, then
set up scenarios to recreate those circum-
stances. Use multiple assailants, rubber
guns and knives, improvised weapons
and surprise attacks. The CKM concept
of pressure training will help you up the
ante: Devise drills in which the victim is
slapped in the head or hit in the stomach to
pour on the adrenaline. Use vigorous exer-
cises such as 360-degree spinning jumps
and burpees to induce fatigue and disori-
entation, both of which can hamper you if
youre not accustomed to them.
To further increase the intensity, in-
struct the students who are role-playing
the attackers to be uncooperative. They
should be aggressive and intimidating so
youll be motivated to get out of the situa-
tion quickly.
For the ultimate in reality-based train-
ing, introduce paintball guns and knives
dipped in red paintalong with the nec-
essary safety gear, of course. Use what-if
scenarios in which the attacker drops his
weapon or is disarmed and deploys a sec-
ond weapon. Train in the dark or outside
when the conditions permit. Learning how
to fall the right way on concrete or uneven
surfaces will minimize your risk of getting
seriously hurt if you have to do it for real.
The seventh lesson of street
ghting: If an attacker takes you down,
you must debilitate him and get up within
ve seconds. Why? Even if youre the
greatest grappler in the world, it can be
fatal to stay on the ground during a street
ght. To ingrain that, have a partner whos
role-playing a bystander wait ve sec-
onds before pulling out a rubber knife or
gun and jumping in.
Cutting Edge
Aizik realized long ago that self-de-
fense isnt static; its a constantly evolving
pursuit. Thats why hes adopted a scien-
tic approach that entails always looking
for ways to improve the system. How can
the techniques be made faster and bet-
ter? How can a move be modied so a
5-foot-tall woman who weighs 95 pounds
can survive an attack by a man twice her
size? Such questions are constantly being
asked by CKM instructorsand they must
be asked because thats the only way to
ensure that the system stays on the cutting
edge of self-defense.
About the author:
Henry Kou is a Vaughan, Ontario,
Canada-based freelance writer
whos trained under Moni Aizik for
six years. For more information, visit
commandokravmaga.com.
He follows up with a face strike, after
which he's free to use the gun on the
assailant, if need be.

After pinning the gun to his chest, the

defender rotates his torso counter-
clockwise until the man's hold on it is
broken.

He uses his left hand to turn his head

away by pushing on his nose.
Krav Maga layout.indd 53 11/16/09 2:06 PM