Mizblog

My 10th Krav Maga class since returning was taught on a Saturday morning by AJ Draven. The warmup started with shadow boxing, then push ups, sit ups, squats, and then immediately into a review of all the level 1 chokes, with various partners. It was great for me because I’d forgotten so much. I partnered with Ed and Scott and Calvin.

I learned a new one for me – the carotid choke from behind. If someone puts their forearm across your neck and wraps you up there with a choke, you pull the hand/arm away while turning toward the opening, driving your shoulder into the attacker to make space, then twisting out and under the arm, leaving you free with an arm lock.

After that it was more warmup. Push ups, fast feet with jumps and/or sprawls on command, and then AJ slowed it down with stretching. Arm and shoulder, squat stretch, some yoga poses and stretches.

Then I got my first stint holding Thai pads. We did the same combos like we do with focus mitts, but we follow it up every time with a round kick from the leg opposite the side that threw the last punch of the combo. Ed and I were paired up, and he was even newer to kick combos than I was. We kept messing up but we got better as we practiced. AJ noticed one of my better combos and complemented me on it. :D

After Thai pads, we did a stress drill where we had groups of 3 and a tombstone pad. One person would hold the pad for various strikes while the other went nuts. Then the 3rd team member would put on a choke and the striker would have to do the defense. I went first. I did okay. Not great.

Following the stress drill, we did gun defenses from the front. It was the two hand cup method, which takes the gun to the outside and immediately lets you get 2 hands on it. I found it felt natural to throw a shoulder at the same time as I put my knee to the groin and broke the grip on the gun by punching it through.

After class I socialized with John and Calvin, who both gave me encouragement. Calvin’s been doing Krav Maga training for 2 years. John has shoulder problems that kind of fade once he warms up, but he says it’s common in Krav Maga to have shoulder issues. I told him I hadn’t had them myself, but that I’d had just about every other injury.