Articles Written by Danny Zelig

I want to share a training tip with you today. This is something I do regularly, and I think you could benefit from it as well.

First, a bit of context. We are witnessing an increase of terror attacks in public places, whether as a part of a terror organization, or unstable individuals, or copy cats inspired to gain world recognition through our instant 24 hour news cycle. These attacks aren’t just limited to third world countries. It’s happening all over. No exceptions of venue: attacks can happen at airports, train stations, bus stops, schools, malls, coffee shops, offices, nightclubs, or a regular busy street. And when you think you’ve identified a pattern, it will happen somewhere else. Living in panic and paranoia is not the answer. Being prepared is a must.

We can’t know how we will respond until we’re actually in this situation. We know one thing: We don’t want to be there when it happens, not us, and not our loved ones. What we can do is prepare.

Some of the best techniques to break a person’s arm while fighting on the ground are the armbar lock from Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the Kimura from BJJ. One of the better ways to control your opponent on the ground is the Kuzure Kesa Gatame from Judo. So why won’t a Krav Maga practitioner find these moves in the Krav Maga system if they work so well? What kind of ground game does Krav Maga have?

I will start by saying that even though I have traveled many places throughout the world, I have yet to see streets made out of inch-and-a-half mats.

I say with sincerity that the two fighting systems I mentioned above are amazing fighting styles. But we have to remember that street fighting is very different from competitive fighting, with unknown threats, unknown obstacles, and no ability to stop the fight at will. As a well known fighter/celebrity in the BJJ world once told me: “In the street, I will definitely take my opponent down—but I would not go down to the ground.”

In Krav Maga, there are a lot of takedown prevention techniques and drills. Krav Maga has ground techniques, but our philosophy is that if you’ve been taken down, the first rule is to get up as fast as possible. Regardless of your skill or ability, the exposure and danger on the ground is very high. Some risks of going to or staying on the ground in street fights are: the ground itself (fatal impact to the head when falling on concrete); multiple attackers, especially when one or more are standing while the defender is on the ground; and unseen weapons or objects used by one or more attackers.

There are ground techniques and moves in Krav Maga, but they are all followed with striking and are coupled with the essential goal of getting up as soon as possible. And there you go. This is why we don’t spend time on learning how to do an armbar, Kimura, or Kazure Kesa Gatame. To execute these (still effective ring techniques) means we must spend more time on the ground, on a dirty concrete sidewalk of some alley, or in the middle of downtown surrounded by strangers without knowing who will attack you next and break a bottle on your head or even push you into oncoming traffic.

Stay safe and standing.

So that one may walk in peace.
Kida!

Danny Zelig

I would like to talk about dealing with an attacker who is under the influence of PCP, methamphetamines, or other dangerous drugs. I had a personal experience several years ago with an attacker on PCP.

First, a little bit about PCP. Some of the most well-known effects of this dissociative drug is its anesthetic effect (the user feels no pain), paranoia, agitation, and erratic hostile behavior.

Despite its reputation in the media as a drug that causes bizarrely violent behavior and gives users superhuman strength, research does not support the idea that PCP itself is the cause of such behavior and strength. Instead, those who experience violent outbursts while under the influence of PCP often have a history of psychosis or antisocial behavior that may or may not be related to their drug abuse. Additionally, someone under the influence of PCP is often unaware of the dangers and limitations they face, and may react to physical confrontations in a way that makes it seem as though they have extraordinary muscular strength. (CESAR, “PCP”)

I am sharing my story publicly for the first time because I think you can learn from it. I am putting key concepts in brackets [] throughout the narrative.

Who else can you name beyond Imi? Danny Zelig, a 30+ year veteran of Krav Maga shares stories about some lesser known instructors who had influence on the early days of Krav Maga in Israel.

In every discipline throughout time, each generation of students stands on the shoulders of their instructors. Many of those instructors will go unremembered unless they had the drive to seek recognition. I had the fortune of training with some exceptional yet unknown instructors over my time, and I want share with you some stories about a few of them. These are people who I consider to be part of the many unknown pioneers of Krav Maga—those who were training and teaching Krav Maga in the late 70s and early 80s in Israel.