Defending against armed attackers and training weapons defenses are a major element of Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense training. Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense is a system that was originally developed for training military units. The need to understand weapons training and defense against armed attackers is in our roots.
A world filled with weapons.
It’s no secret that we live in a world where weapons are everywhere. Literally and figuratively. In day-to-day life, it’s practically impossible to know who may or may not be carrying a weapon…and what that weapon might be.
When we say and hear the word “weapon” the first thing that comes to mind is most likely a gun. There’s really nothing more scary, dangerous, or prevalent on the news than shootings. We see gun violence in active shooter situations, robberies, gang violence, domestic violence, drug related crime, etc.
Variety of weapons.
Like the overall threat of weapons, guns seem to be everywhere. Really, they are. However guns aren’t the only weapon that create life threatening situations and assaults. Knives, blunt objects, improvised weapons and force multipliers are just as, if not more, dangerous. Weapons like this are easy to get and easy to use.
It takes no training at all to do massive amounts of damage to someone with something like a knife or a baseball bat. These are everyday items that people have access to. There’s no barrier like a background check or registration that is involved in acquiring and being able to use them.
The prevalence of weapons in everyday life is something that we just sort of accept and live with but it’s also a source of fear and stress for many people, if not everyone, at some point. The only way to have any sort of understanding of weapons defenses and fighting back against an armed attacker is to study these situations and train for them.
Krav Maga vs. weapons.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes are the most effective self-defense training for weapons defenses because our system progressively builds to a high level of proficiency in a short period of time. You could say that students are learning the basics of high level defenses, like gun or knife defenses, starting from their very first day.
The Krav Maga belt system and Krav Maga levels of training increase in complexity and intensity, so most weapons defense training is done in high levels of Krav Maga training. The skills students learn in Krav Maga Level 1, things like fighting stance, straight punches, and front kicks, are crucial to successfully executing high level defenses like handgun defense techniques.
The fact that there are so many different kinds of weapons in the world, and that myriad situations and assault scenarios come from this, makes it impossible to train for every single situation that might come up.
1 or 100?
This is really where Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense and Krav Maga classes have much more value than any other type of training. Our system was designed to train military units. It was designed to do so in a short period of time. That means we use a system based on principles that can be applied in many different situations and scenarios.
It’s the difference between having 1 defense for 100 different situations as opposed to having 100 defenses for 100 different scenarios. The principles of our training and our system apply across the board. They are constantly being evaluated and refined. They are constantly being tested by our expert instructors at our certified training centers everywhere.
R.C.A.T.
The fundamentals principles of defending against an armed attacker are; Redirect, Control, Attack, Takeaway.
Take a look at this video that applies these principles to a handgun defense.
Redirect.
Redirect – Get out of the way of danger. In any situation involving a weapon, we don’t want to be where the weapon can make damage to us. In terms of the handgun defense this is pretty obvious. The “line of fire” is the crucial element in the initial stages of the defense. If that’s not addressed, nothing else matters.
In terms of a knife defense or, say, a defense against a blunt object, the principle remains the same. There might be slight variations in how this is accomplished but the overall idea and the overall principle is to address the position in which the weapon will do the most damage, and stop that from happening.
Control.
Get a hold of that weapon and don’t let it go. There’s not sense in redirecting, or avoiding the most dangerous position, if the attacker is free to continue attacking with the weapon. Gaining control of the weapon is going to cut off any sort of ongoing attack with that weapon.
This does not change when dealing with a different sort of weapon, again, like a knife or a baseball bat. The defender wants to establish control of the weapon so the attacker cannot continue to use it.
Attack.
Do damage to the person attacking you so you can get away. We have to fight back. There’s no other alternative in this situation. It’s life threatening and there’s no way out other than to neutralize the attacker.
This is where fundamental Krav Maga striking techniques and basic Krav Maga training become super important. Students have to be trained to use no-holds-barred striking in order to turn the tide of this encounter, win, and go home safe.
Krav Maga classes teach no-holds-barred striking because techniques like groin strikes, throat strikes, eye strikes, and strikes to the back of the head cause an involuntary reaction to the attacker as well as causing pain. An attacker who can’t see because they’ve been gouged in the eyes, or an attacker who has been doubled over by a groin kick, is going to be much less effective at continuing to attack.
Which strikes to use in a given weapons defense situation will change depending on numerous variables including the type of weapon, direction of the assault, etc. However the principle doesn’t change. Fight back as aggressively as possible so you can go home safe.
Takeaway.
Get that weapon away from that person. Taking the weapon away from the attacker creates an unarmed attacker as opposed to an armed one. The threat level decreases and the defender very well may end up in possession of a tool to use to save their life.
Takeaway techniques vary depending on the type of weapon involved but the principle of looking to take that weapon away does not change. It’s crucial for escape and survival that, if possible, the weapon is taken away once the attacker has been significantly damaged.
Start training with Krav Maga Worldwide.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense training can train you on these principles and how to apply them to weapons defenses. The acronym R.C.A.T. does not change based on what sort of weapons threat we are dealing with. Techniques and details will change slightly but adhering to these principles keeps our defenses easy to learn and easy to recall under stress.
Krav Maga Worldwide’s mission is to empower every person with real skills to be safer and stronger so they may walk in peace. If you are looking for “Krav Maga near me” check out this link for a searchable map that will bring up the certified training center closest to you. You can also give us a call at 800-572-8624 and we’ll help you.
All of our certified training centers are staffed by expert instructors who have dedicated their lives to Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense training and to our instructor training program. We know that stronger, safer, people make for stronger, safer, communities. We’ll help you learn real world self-defense skills that you need to protect yourself and your loved ones in the case of an assault.
