First post
Hi, this is my first shot at the Blog thing so let’s hope that it’s not too painful for any of us and that things will get easier as we go on.
We’ve made a lot of progress so far on the “Urban Project” since we kicked things off in the early part of the year:
We’ve produced the DVD box set and picked up some damned good reviews from people like Peter Consterdine and Bob Sykes, see this link:
http://www.kravmaga-eastlondon.com/urban-krav-maga-dvd.htm
I was asked to do a seminar with the Royal Military police in Aldershot which went very well, see some of the pictures here:
http://www.kravmaga-eastlondon.com/krav-maga-gallery.htm
and we’ve begun the process of authorising the next group of Urban Krav Maga instructors. I’ve done 3 seminars so far and I have to say that this is up there with the toughest things that I’ve have ever done. It’s an ambitiously big syllabus – that I won’t change as I want to make sure that all Urban Krav Maga instructors have a proper comprehensive knowledge – and we need to ensure that people emerging from the process can impart the knowledge as well as be able to do the stuff at a reasonable level of competence.
It’s been tough but very rewarding so far: when an experienced shotokan black belt tells you that it was the best martial arts seminar he’s attended than you’ve got to feel good. At the same time you’ve got to keep humble – the whole process is also rewarding for me as the guys that I’m working with are all good, experienced martial artists and I learn from watching how they move, what works for them, how they respond when a technique doesn’t work as initially planned, how they adapt techniques to their own strengths and weaknesses etc. I’m going through this as it leads me onto a statement of some important principles of Urban Krav Maga that I’d like to keep constant and that all instructors and students stand by:
- Never think you know all the answers, and never think that the answers you do know will always be the same. I don’t go for the “great unimpeachable guru” syndrome that afflicts a lot of martial arts and some reality based systems; as far as I’m concerned I’m just another guy trying to work out the best way of not being hurt.
- We all learn from each other and each other’s experience; if it works we’ll do it irrespective of provenance.
- Techniques don’t always work out as planned and all opponents break up differently -always have a Plan B and be prepared to adapt responses according to what works at the time.
- The traditional martial arts provide a much underestimated base to everything in reality self-defence-the shotokan black belt referred to above was able to make great progress partly because of his very strong background in that traditional art and the understanding it gives of tae sabaki and the footwork that needs to be right for anything to work. The more that I train, the more grateful I am that I did my time with the traditional stuff – I may have wondered at the time why the hell I was doing all those reps with the strange stances but it’s become clearer as I’ve got older. However, Kata will never appear on the Urban Krav syllabus
- Always keep humble – it’s a good thing to be in itself, its a mindset consistent with the traditional martial art philosophy that the ultimate enemy is yourself (that being said some of the most egotistical people I’ve met have been traditional martial arts teachers- funny old game) and you’re always going to meet somebody tougher than you at some point so be ready in every way.
Don’t want to get too philosophical or pompous here so that’ll be enough of that stuff. Will be sticking more posts up over the next couple of days, hope that you get something out of them
Stewart
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June 10th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
As always, I’m proud and relieved that I chose Urban Krav Maga over other schools who have lost their sense of direction. The only improvement I’d like to see is some headgear so we can stop pulling our punches from the face, and maybe some body protection too. I can’t stop feeling the fear that in a real knife attack I’ll stop my leg just before kneeing him!
June 10th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
This is great ! The DVD’s, the Blog, especially for us caught up with work. Also, humbleness and a new age approach to practically using arts is so “REAL”. Wish I could one day finish the Instructors course
Cheers! all !
-Kris
June 10th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Having trained with forces guys, as well as occasional forays into mostly Aikido, and as a kid, Kung Fu, bit of Karate, I am constantly amazed how useful, and how much common sense there is in the philosophy and system that Stewart describes.
I am convinced this is what the founding Sensei’s of the various martial arts would have come up with if they had trained in as many of the other styles as Stewart and his colleagues have.
I have seen many martial arts demonstrated – and I have had some training sessions in pure Krav Maga. Borrowing some humble from Stewart (he is too! all round stellar guy), it is clear that (here is the humble pie bit) depending on what you want.. I think that this is “the best” martial art I have seen, or tried – at least for me, and many others I would imagine. It also helps that the teaching is humble and hugely effective. Stewart has a vast well-spring of knowledge – from physiology and general sports science – to the most hideous necessities of war – AND everything in between! I cannot recommend this martial art enough – I hope the humbleness continues to become
a central tenet of this system – both as a belief and way of action AND thought.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I`ve only been doing krav maga for a couple of weeks and have got to admit I am very impressed. It is simple and effective techniques that are relatively straight forward to get to grips with quite quickly. There is none of the flashy roundhouse kicks, just simple moves thay anyone would have confidence in using should the need arise.
Having come from a martial arts and boxing background, I can say with absolute conviction it is one of the most effective forms of self defence I have come across, and what`s more the classes are enjoyable and light hearted, yet allowing you to pick something up each time.
Well in Stewart keep it up!
June 11th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hello Stewart and all the other Urban Krav instructors and well done. To archive what you have in such a short space of time is great keep up the good work.
It’s good to see that the system is having such good feedback both from members of the public and the likes of Peter Consterdine and Bob Skyes.
The pre- emptive strike article was very interesting as a Police Officer and Officer safety Instructor (Police self defence) this was good to see, action will always beat reaction. This is a problem that we have getting across to police officers in training that they can hit first if they feel they or someone else are being threatened with violence. It is all covered in the law Section 3 The Criminal Law Act and Common Law. Also this person also showed a lot of restraint by use such force as was necessary in the circumstances. Well done!
If politics, egos and money grabbing can be kept out the equation as well then this system will go far.
As I said above keep up the good work and well done!
June 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
It’s been interesting watching you Stewart and your other core instructors morph into UKM. I think having trained extensively with other KM schools and pooling your expereince you have the confidence to know that you know as much as the other guys out there and now have the freedom to pursue this. I have gained a great deal from training with you and Gershon not least surviving Holloway’s more trying moments! I wish you all every success.
Keep me posted on the instructor program
Shalom
Jamie
June 13th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Thanks for all the comments guys, much appreciated. Wesley, your comments re protective gear are interesting. There’s arguments for and against this that I go through in my head a lot – I don’t get out much-will set up discussion on a blog post this weekend. seriously thinking of moving one of the week’s classes to a boxing gym where the senior students get all geared up and just go for it in the ring with a mixture of sparring and regular pressure testing; if we did this say, just for example on tuesday night, we could keep the Tuesday location and class times and use as a Beginners/fundamentals class looked after by some of our other instructors. We can discuss.
Don’t worry the humbleness will continue. No matter what gets written here or elsewhere I have a partner at home who will always remind me of my failings as a martial artist, husband, father and yes, as a man.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
The Tuesday class move is still in discussion? I thought by now you changed location, I haven’t been to class recently due to school commitments, however I intend to turn up this Tuesday. The boxing gym location would be ideal for much more aggressive work, unfortunately I tend to get a bit over aggressive during regular training -there’s a science behind it, those who are of African/Caribbean decent have a larger amount of androgen receptors, that and I’m always encouraged to be more aggressive as I’m a prop for my school rugby team- so this will be of great benefit to me.
Just thought running in my head in regards to most defences we do: I remember practising the frontal knife-to-throat defences, most newer students tend to be over-courteous during training by having a limp arm or being “gentle”, the thought struck me that some students may actually lack the forearm strength to perform some techniques in reality, blinded by the fact that the aggressor never acted in a realistic manor. So not only would it be a benefit to them but to every student if some grip/forearm exercises were incorporated into the sessions. Thoughts on that?
June 18th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Hi Wesley,
For people like yourself who are early into their training it’s no bad thing to be a little loose to help learn the flow of the technique. After that, as we did last night we can strengthen the attacks, introduce some resistance and how to overcome that resistance. A lot of the exercises we do will help to strengthen grip/forearms: will show some specific exercises for this in my forthcoming guide to conditioning.
Re the aggression thing and androgen receptors – not too sure about this and it’s a very emotive subject. All I can say objectively is that (i) I know a lot of Afro-Caribbean people who are not not aggressive at all and (ii) that the city with the highest murder rate in the UK (and Western Europe) and the biggest problem with knife crime is Glasgow – a place with a very low proportion of people of Afro-Caribbean descent. There’s all kinds of social and cultural reasons behind this – and maybe too great a dependence on irn bru and shortbread – that are too much to go into here: however, I’m pretty sure that any investigation of causality would not include hormones.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Oh, I wasn’t referring to the current social standpoint we have on crime, I was talking mainly about adrenaline, which isn’t directly related to aggression. My point was that the higher the androgen receptors, the more the person reacts to adrenaline, thus when I perform a technique I get more carried away than most others would. It’s somewhat counter intuitive for me, as a person who plays sport that encourages brutality, to refrain from utilizing adrenaline in such a manor- but I guess self control is part of one’s training.
A small forum would be nice to discuss these issues topics rather than filling this comment box.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Wesley, thanks for clarifying that – my point remains as per my post but i don’t want to get any further into what’s a huge debate that will inevitably offend everybody at some point.
I’m thinking it over re a forum
July 8th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Wesley what you do in the gym and what you do on the street are two different things. Every strike will have to be justified on the street and must be reasonable in the circumstances (Section 3 Criminal Law Act).
Speaking as a Police officer and trainer of Police Officers (CQB)if you fail to do this you will find youself in front of the courts even if the the attacker is in the wrong!!
When I teach officers to get the technique right at slow controlled speed whilst training. when it comes to the real thing with the aid of adrenaline you will obtain the power to stop the attack. Trust me this works having dealt with numerous levels of attacks against myself both on and off duty and having to justify them in court!!!!.
But don’t forget train hard fight easy, this is so true.
I hope I have not offended anyone if so I’m sorry. This is a fantastic system that works for all Stewart and Co keep up the good work well done
Paul HOWES