Knife Threat - Long Distance all Directions


Technique Review 

Shalom everyone. Good to be here again. This week’s technique review is about knife threats. The longer distance of the knife threats. And the relations to other techniques in system. The truth is that Imi was never asked what to do against knife threats. Nobody came to him with this problem, so . . .

Video transcript

Shalom everyone. Good to be here again. This week’s technique review is about knife threats. The longer distance of the knife threats. And the relations to other techniques in system. The truth is that Imi was never asked what to do against knife threats. Nobody came to him with this problem, so … Until the later part of the 80s we never dealt with any knife threat. Anyway he put it inside because there was a need, because people were asking, because it happened in reality. So the knife threats we are doing in different levels, different categories. The first one is the longer distance, then the shorter distance, then with some level of control from the aggressor on the victim, and the last is the hostage-type of situations and the VIP protection with this. Jonathan and I, please, we will show you this.

So I didn’t see it before, and suddenly there is a knife threat at what we call the longer distance. Longer distance means you can reach the hand relatively easy, but the body is a little bit longer distance. So imagine you see it, you hear something, you’re saying something … That’s the basic idea. So what happened here is this, the hand defense is a strike. The thumb is up, the pinky is down. And the strike, very important to understand, needs to go in that direction, towards him. Because if you go just in a circular manner, you are cutting yourself. So go that direction. This direction. The other hand, of course, comes about here. As soon as possible you move also the body, meaning some sort of body defense, just a little bit to the other side.

Now, if I’m in this position and I want to kick and I’ve got some level of position of the legs, some spread, in order to kick fast I need to do something like this. This is the fastest way for me to kick, at a small step. But this technique does not include a step so I’m not stepping and kicking, that’s not in this technique, usually. Usually the basic is for us just stomp in place. This stomping in place, the base leg takes the weight on it without shifting the weight, which takes longer time. This takes shorter time. So with a knife threat, that’s the first thing. And body defense, so you move the body a little bit and you lean away. That’s your body defense. So if he wants to reach you it is not so easy, it takes time, yes? And except of this, you are kicking so fast to the groin, in a way that it will be also a pushing little bit. So this, the angle. Not upwards, in an angle. Into. So, you have got protection?

No.

No. Okay, so I will not kick him today. Maybe I’ll touch your pelvis area. That’s the idea, yes? So after the first kick, then continue. Maybe after this one, you can do another kick with the other hand. You can kick the hand sometimes, yes? If you’re good with kicks, kick the hand, usually it’s disarming. The truth is that we don’t know of any case that after this strike or the first kick the knife stayed in the hand. Usually he drops the knife because of this impact, the first impact, or second impact. So if you want to kick his hand, or you want to kick the knife out of his hand, the knife is not there. Only in the movies. One and then maybe another one. That’s one option, you are still straight, or go one, and then for example some side kicks, also reasonable. Remember, stay distance away. Remember, pinky down, thumb up so we have a larger area to do a defense with. That’s the basic.

What’s important … maybe not so important, is to know that it comes from defending the bayonet attack. Jonathan, will you … ? So in krav maga we are using stick, like stab with a stick. So the problem, strike but don’t hit me. He’s doing something like this, natural reaction, of course, is something like that. That’s a natural reaction, natural response. We are using this type of natural response, that type of movement with the hands and bums and the body backwards, we are using it for the defense itself. The foundation, the beginning, the initial technique was really the one against the stab with the bayonet. So if there is a bayonet attack, slowly, that is a natural response. We’re using this type of natural response, we are converting this into a good hand defense. Stab.

So what do we do really here? This is in the G2 technique. When he’s attacking, hand defense. Thumb up, pinky down. As soon as possible, body defense. As soon as possible, get out of the channel. The other hand is coming here. Very similar to what we did against the knife, but the knife is driven from this technique. And we are catching. And as soon as possible I land with the toes pointing out. So I started with a body defense in this direction, advanced and landed, already the body turned practically into the kick. Kicks to the groin, solar plexus, lower stomach, doesn’t matter. What you can. And then continue forward. So go behind the weapon, it’s very important. Remember one of the rules against weapon attacks, be behind the weapon. So I grabbed, my arm was straight, weapon away from me. It’s very important, remember, to grab from the side, not from above. If I grab from above, and he’s pulling the weapon I will find myself in front of the weapon. If I grab from the side and I push away, he push the weapon, weapon is away from me.

So, if the weapon is much, much shorter and he stabs me, then you may need to do a technique with a knee, first kick, one more time. Or strike first and then continue. So this is about the knife threats, but where it comes from? The bayonet attack. That is the knife threat at the longer distance. Will you change again to the knife? Then we are saying, what’s the solution if the knife threat is at a long distance, but it is from the side? So the question is what’s your response? Do you respond like this? So you have inside defense, even kick with the back leg. So again, if I first turn then I will have the knife between my hands, so it will be an inside action. If I only turn with my head … that will be something different. When I turn with my head, the knife is behind my arm. The knife is behind my arm, I’ll strike low or high with an outside action, outside motion. So, if it’s between my hands, if I did something like this, inside motion. If I did something like that it’s an outside motion. That’s it. If it’s very close to me, usually still I can do that one. And then decide, would you like to kick or would you like to move and strike? Both are possible.

So this is the subject of improving the knife threat at the longer distance. Remember, you are with the inside motion using the palms, with the outside motion using the bony part of the forearm, that’s it. Always try to hit the palm area. It’s the more sensitive and easy to deflect. We are not controlling this. We are not controlling the hand, we are not controlling the weapon hand. We are striking with the cannons, the long-range weapons. If you want to continue with grabbing, the truth is originally we sometimes were doing this, we go in like the bayonet. Defend, attack, and catch and move. Look again, slowly. Defend, kick, continue with grabbing and moving out of the channel.

We found out from all over the world, Israel included, North and South America, Far East, Australia, that whenever there was the technique of deflection and kicking, the knife was dropped. So we don’t need to control. At least that’s not the primary issue. We don’t know of any case that the knife stayed in the hand after the strike or after the kick. Anyhow, after the first counterattack, the first real counterattack, something like this, he drops the knife. So kick well. It’s important. All the best, see you next time. Ciao, guys.

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