Krav Maga’s Inside Defense Should be Efficient – Just Like a Jab
I’ve been on a mission for a couple weeks now to refine the approach to inside defense students at my schools are employing. It seems every level 1 and 2 student fears this defense most early in his/her training.
As a result, many students utilize overly large redirecting movements and head defenses that could pass for an all-out slipping motion.
The result is a defense that often does create a successful defense to a right straight punch but leaves no reasonable possibility that the defender might land a counterattack prior to the SECOND punch landing on his/her face. Overly wide and/or large redirections simply take too long and allow the attacker to shift attention to the second attack having understood the first punch has failed. And head movements off the attacking line that could pass for a full-on slipping motion put too much weight into the left lead foot – leaving the defender without the ability to push or burst off the right foot in a counter attack.
There certainly must be a redirection of the straight punch, and it certainly helps to move the head slightly off the attacking line, but not the degree that you only achieve one objective. Instead, try making your inside defense – particularly your redirection – very efficient. To do this, think of shooting your elbow out into the centerline halfway between you and your attacker. Think of “owning” that space with an isometric contraction – as opposed to pushing through and past that space with your arm. You’ll find your defense is much more efficient and effective.
If you’re having trouble thinking about shooting your elbow into the centerline, check out the video below where I compare a left jab to inside defense as a teaching tool.
…walk in peace
