Analogies with Power

For me, this process helps to better inform the quality of the skill I’m trying to conjure. Recently, I have been using old metaphors to support the Krav Maga All Strike classes at Krav Maga Houston.

Here are the three metaphors I’ve used most to “explain to myself” what I was trying to accomplish (these are all punching related):

1. The Left Jab: In explaining the left jab in concert with the Krav Maga principle of Hands/Body/Feet, I have used the metaphor of jabbing a wood 2×4 into the attackers face. The analogy tends to support the proper movement sequence and illustrates the need to “be long” when jabbing. Use this concept the next time you train the jab.
2. The Right Straight: It may have been Bruce Lee that said the right straight should be thought of like a heavy chain being snapped like a wet towel into the attacker’s mug. Whoever first said this was really on target. The metaphor reminds me to drive my punch and snap the power into the target at contact (it also supports the idea of “getting into” or “driving into” the target). This illustration requires a little more contemplation – take some time to consider this.
3. The Left Hook: With the body rotation acting like the powerful arm of a catapult and the puncher’s arm and hand acting like the whip that delivers the payload for the catapult, this analogy strikes me as a powerful way to think about a mid-range left hook. Feel the stretch in the shoulder as the body moves powerfully through its rotation, and whip the punching arm and fist so that it nearly catches up with the body at contact as it drives through the target – with everything coming to an abrupt stop as the puncher sits slightly to end the punching motion. This is the catapult.

As you consider these metaphors, also consider where other metaphors might support your understanding of the optimal motion needed to support your Krav Maga training. There are many, so maintain a constant search for more!