I've mentioned before that I go along to a class each week at Krav Maga Edinburgh. I'm no expert - still very much a novice - but it is a good laugh and a good bunch of guys. It is also good to but some fitness and training to a practical use.
Anyway, one of the things I like about the training is that it is explicitly not a martial art. It is about self defence not about some sport or esoteric method of movement or philosophy. Gross motor skills and simple movements that you could recall in the stress and adrenaline of a confrontation; hit hard - sometimes pre-emptively - and get out of there.
In the spirit of this approach I've been reading Get Tough by W E Fairbairn. This was the standard close combat manual of the British Commandos in world war two. The principles are the same: hit hard and viciously.
You can buy the book at amazon or it is also available as a pdf for free
Get Tough.
Fairbairn is fascinating.
Here is a classic video - poor quality, but you can see some similarities with the Krav Maga approach.
and another:
Anyway, one of the things I like about the training is that it is explicitly not a martial art. It is about self defence not about some sport or esoteric method of movement or philosophy. Gross motor skills and simple movements that you could recall in the stress and adrenaline of a confrontation; hit hard - sometimes pre-emptively - and get out of there.
In the spirit of this approach I've been reading Get Tough by W E Fairbairn. This was the standard close combat manual of the British Commandos in world war two. The principles are the same: hit hard and viciously.
You can buy the book at amazon or it is also available as a pdf for free
Get Tough.
Fairbairn is fascinating.
William Ewart Fairbairn (1885–1960) was a British soldier, police officer, and exponent of hand-to-hand combat method, the Close combat, for the Shanghai police between the World Wars, and allied special forces in World War II. He developed his own fighting system known as Defendu, as well as other weapons tactics.
Here is a classic video - poor quality, but you can see some similarities with the Krav Maga approach.
and another:
Comments
1. Take a flying jump at your opponent, drawing your feet up by bending your knees, at the same time keeping your feet close together (Fig. 11)
2. When your feet are pproximately eight inches above your opponent's body, shoot your legs out straight, driving both of your"
That doesn't sound like a very 'British' way to fight! What happened to Queensbury Rules and fair play?
Loving the historical value of this pdf. Good work fella.
;)
Chris what a great vid!! More like small treasure.
Because it openly talks about what is never really talked about and what's wrong with much instruction out there. (part of my issue with teaching karate etc to kids...movement and play should be taught.....not "martial arts")
"Deceipt and trickery"
It's this area of deceipt that is the key to winning a real violent encounter.
in my art it is called "Kyojitsu Tenkan Ho" the translation is roughly "the juxtapostion between truth and falsehood.
Thanks for posting!!
Marc
Isn't it possible that the above IS a philosophy? Pragmatic, mechanical, result-based?