MKM Core Blue Belt Requirements (Excluding Fighting)

MKM Core Blue Belt Requirements

Breakfalls

• Front hard break-fall using fleshy part of forearms and head turned to the side
• Suplex break fall (without throw)

Advanced Rolls

• Roll into groin smash from the front and rear (first stage of submachine gun throw)
• Roll into modified bucket throw (first stage of submachine gun throw)

Defense against Strikes Using Timing/Body Defense

• Against roundhouse punch using a timing straight punch
• Straight left punch using left uppercut with body defense
• Straight punch counterattack when opponent retracts arm
• Against roundhouse kick using timing/bursting straight punch
• Against roundhouse kicks using body defense with minimal “bobbing”

1. Body defense to the deadside

• Timing against defensive kick using retreat and wait until opponent touches down and then counterattack
• Optional: against high roundhouse kick à timing spinning reverse roundhouse

Defending against Surprise Attack or Charge (breaking the angle with arimi or other counterattacks are applicable)

Defense against Jumping Kicks (breaking the angle with counterattacks)

Strikes

• Arimi counterattack variations
• Palm-heel tsai-bake escape/counterattack against a surprise attack.
• Ridge hand
• Strikes without telegraphing

*All strikes must be performed in different directions and at different heights

Kicks

• Slap kick with outside spin
• Side kick into spinning side kick or reverse roundhouse
• Hammer (axe) kick
• Modified roundhouse kick chopping down on leg with shin bone (high to low)
• Reverse low sweep to opponent (also dropping to perform sweep when opponent kicking high)
• Roundhouse front kick into dropping reverse low sweep with rear leg
• Full sweep kick with spinning reverse low (by dropping) follow-through sweep

*Sweeps have different target areas

*If opponent does not fall, but loses balance, continue with various attack

Arm Defenses against Sidekicks

• Deflect and pull forward while initiating counterattack
• Sliding/stabbing deflection with counterattack punch or throw
• Same double forearm defense against high side kick (dangerous to execute against high sidekick to the head)

Throws & Takedowns & Defenses (reviewed)

• Osoto-gari with arimi
• Drop seo nage (one and two knee variations)
• Offensive tomoe nage (defender sitting and using foot to launch attacker)
• Hip throw variations if initial throw is lost

1. Ogoshi into harai goshi
2. Harai goshi into osoto gari
3. Ogoshi into uchi mata
4. Ogoshi into osoto gari
5. Hari goshi into uchi mata
6. Ippon seo nagae into osoto gari

• Defenses against throws

1. Against osoto-gari, counter osoto-gari takedown
2. Against a hip throw, scoot off hip and counterattack
3. Against a hip throw, sink weight and bearhug while extending leg for tani otoshi takedown
4. Against a lift and throw, grab thrower and hold on for counter-offensive throw
5. Defense by sidestepping and executing counter-throw variations (ogoshi, harai goshi, tai otoshi, etc.)
6. Defense against hip throws by buckling his nearside leg

Advanced Shirt Releases

• Important if you have stunned O and he falling down and grabs onto you – his natural reaction to stop the onslaught and regain his balance.

Inside rotational defense

1. Option of not retreating and executing armbar by placing defender’s arm just above attacker’s elbow while bracing and securing with defender’s opposite arm; note: defender must be wary of counter-groin strikes by attacker while leveraging attacker down

Outside rotational defense

1. Option of not retreating and executing armbar by placing defender’s arm just below attacker’s arm at just above the elbow while bracing opposite arm against the attacker’s shoulder and grabbing defender’s straight arm to execute the “underneath armbar [police hold #1]

Release from Nelson Holds

• Static — Defender drops weight and stiffens arms
• Static —Defender drops weight and stiffens arms and peels attacker’s fingers for lock and sidestep release
• If pulled backwards — defender clamps attacker’s hands, steps back, and slides hips behind defender
• If pushed forward — defender uses hip toss (ogoshi or possibly uchi mata variations) with turn and lands on attacker
• Choke with Nelson on the ground à turn as appropriate into O

Taking Off Balance at Close Range

• Tsai-bake (figure 8 movements) including clinch variations
• Against knee attack using timing retreat (including from the clinch) with counter knee
• Against knee attack with counter knee against wall

Knee Defenses into Throws

• Defending against knee strikes, sidestep and catch O’s knee in the crook of the Defender’s elbow to and step through with opposite foot to slam O down
• Defending against knee strikes, sidestep and catch O’s knee in the crook of the Defender’s elbow to and launch backwards (throw similar to sliding-stabbing defense against a straight kick).

Clinches into Throws/Takedowns

• When O has you clinched against a wall, step through with nearside leg for ouchi gari or kouchi gari inside trip and slam variations
• Feint snapping O’s neck forward to front (outside) trip into slam, as O reacts to your snap-down, use his resistance (backward) for osoto gari takedown and slam to the ground
• From clinch into outside leg throw, must take O off balance grabbing his triceps and reap through strong with hooked leg using ouchi gari or kouchi gari inside trip and slam variations
• As O turns for basic hip throw, suplex him
• As O tries to secure you around your neck, kick his nearside leg to buckle the knee and continue the counterattack.

Advanced Defense against Bearhug from the Rear with Arms Pinned

• Step behind for rear takedown by sitting down keeping head tucked
• Defense against being driven into a wall
• If driven forward, pin O’s arms and use modified hip osoto makikomi throw landing on O for additional combatives.

Cavaliers

• Cavalier #1
• Cavalier #1 with kosoto gari (small outer reap)
• Cavalier #2
• Cavalier #3
• Cavalier #2 into standing arm-bar
• If resistance à foot strike to shin, stomp, or knee strike to thigh

Releases from Cavaliers

Release against Police Hold #4

Defense against Chin Pull from Behind

Police Control Holds #1-5

Control Hold #1

• Clamp down on the lock while standing on the balls of the feet to raise opponent up.
• Difficulty with this lock could be very tall or short opponent.

Control Hold #2

• Be sure to close your body with his and keep tight
• Keep head close to avoid #3 rear horizontal elbow strike by O

Control Hold #3

Control Hold #4

Control Hold #5

• Be sure to keep proper angle and your torso slightly behind his torso

Releases against Police Holds #1-5

• Preventing locks before they are applied
• Spinning elbows
• Drop-downs with counterattacks

Face and Head Control

Collar Chokes (5 emphasized variations)

• Cross punch and pull
• Thumbs in
• Shirt wrap-around
• Palms in crossing arms to pull in collar
• Palms out crossing arms to pull in collar

Advanced Chokes

• Chokes by stunning the assailant first both on the ground and standing
• Choke on the ground with leg pincer/hooks & figure 4
• Standing and ground using the shirt or gi
• Arm bars on the ground with O on his back

1. Perpendicular to the ground (push down and slither or jerk up and slither
2. Face to face
3. Blocks to prevent releases

Advanced Releases from Chokes

• When O has your back and on the ground à use opponent’s pincered leg (while protecting own throat) to apply foot/ankle lock
• Throw opponent back with body defense/hip buck with release

Defense against Standing Neck Snap (turn in direction of neck twist)

How to Attack with an Edged Weapon  (using different grips and angles combining retzev.)

Hand Defenses against Knife Attacks/Threats

• Opponent threatening, initiate using whatever is at one’s disposal
• Overhead stab directly in front.
• Overhead defense when not “nose to nose” or the defender can burst early.
• Defending an overhead off-angle stab when facing in opposite direction
• Straight stab “L” block variation where attacker crouches low
• Straight stab “l” block when in an opposite outlet stance
• Sidestep against an underhand stab
• Defending an off-angle underhand stab
• Defending a midsection hook stab or slash
• Defending an inside slash
• Defending an inside diagonal slash
• Body defense against an inside forward slash and follow-up back slash.
• Back slash defense or against a “reverse” stab.
• Body defense against a back slash and follow-up inside slash
• Defending against a stab or slash to the legs
• “Bounceback” patterns
• Continuous attacks
• Off-angle variations
• Defenses when the defender is on the ground
• “Bounceback” patterns
• Continuous attacks
• Defenses against a bottle or other sharp object

Defense against Knife Threat with A Push

• D blades/moves the body with push while simultaneously deflecting knife with counterattack and removal
• If opponent stabs high, use sliding defense over the top
• If opponent stabs low, use cross defense paying attention to hold

Edged Weapon Attack Pattern Drills

• The facsimile weapon is held in threatening manner at different distances, grips, and postures. This should include hiding the weapon behind his leg, back, or waistband. Variations include:
  1. Waiving the facsimile weapon in front of you
  2. Holding the facsimile weapon to your throat from the front
  3. Holding the facsimile weapon to throat from the rear
  4. Holding the facsimile weapon to your back
  5. Pointing the facsimile weapon to your eye
  6. Other scenarios you can imagine
• Over-the-top stabs, including one hand and two hand overhand variations
• Overhead (icepack) stabs
• Horizontal slashes
• Hook stabs
• X pattern slashes
• Upside down X slashes
• Backhand stabs
• Forward slashes and back slashes
• Straight stabs to the neck, body, and groin
• Underneath stabs to the groin and abdomen
• Underneath (reverse grip) slashes up the center of the body
• Low slashes to the groin and legs
• Variations of these drills, when applicable, on the ground

Defenses in Motion (one partner attacks with various weapons while circling around the other partner)

• Unarmed
• Club
• Knife

Ground Survival: Passing the Closed Guard

General Note:

• Proper standing posture requires your back to be straight with your head in the same line keeping at least one elbow tight to O’s hip pressuring them so he cannot go for a submission.
• When defending the guard keep your back straight and sit on the heals driving your hips into the O

Put yourself in position to initiate striking attacks

Advanced Sidecontrol/Sidemount Applications (learned to defend against groundfighter doing it to the defender)

• You are positioned slightly off perpendicular to O with O’s inside arm folded against chest. Insert kimura or “key-lock” hold stepping in front of O’s face with outside leg then transition back into straight arm-bar
• Kimura lock to O’s outside arm while stepping through with outside leg in front of O’s head to establish base to torque shoulder up and wrist into the ground.
• Side-control into “S” mount with triangular choke à lift O’s head and execute triangular leg choke (with rolling option) keeping O’s shoulder pressed
  1. With option of straight arm-bar under your armpit and other arm may initiate strikes to the head.
• From top sidemount, grab O’s arm topside arm à wrap it around his own neck securing with your sameside arm and push with other arm against his sameside arm to turn him into reverse pincer choke.
• From top sidemount, grab O’s arm topside arm à securing with your sameside arm and your opposite arm through sitting up to transition into leaning back straight arm-bar.
• From the top sidemount move from side mount into kneeling arm/shoulder lock

1. Police hold #1 with grab to the throat
2. Police hold #3 or kimura lock when O turns may move into #3 and then straight arm bar
3. Turning arm bar with forearm against the shoulder
4. Grabbing O’s arm and pulling it around his own neck into choke
5. turns into you using body clinch à turn into kneeling position for armbars (upright or prone)

• Defenses from the bottom position, use all cross arm locks with legs
  1. Front of the face
  2. Behind the head
  3. Shoulders
  4. Foot against the bicep to prevent the turn
  5. Against shirt grabs and shirt chokes

Choke from Rearmount

1. You have the rearmount facing down in “all-fours position.” O is into underneath and you have superior leverage. Reach under O’s armpit trapping O’s arm. Roll over opposite shoulder to exert choke à you are now underneath with your back to the ground and O is on top of you.

Advanced Mounted Attacks

• Brace against jaw/throat

1. If O defends, push with your opposite arm to create baby pressure opportunity
   1. Transition to sidemount
2. If O has elbows down, secure around back of the neck and tilt your body toward the side sameside arm of yours used in around O’s neck to allow your opposite arm to push up against O’s arm (opposite to yours securing neck) to force elbow up into opportune baby pressure choke hold positioning.

• Triangular choke by forcing O’s head up and snaking leg underneath with

1. Strike options
2. Arm-bar option

• Setting up attacks with other attacks

1. example: Brace against neck to set up straight arm bar by transitioning from mount into perpendicular position

Counter Armlock Releases (against armbar defenses) into bars when O is defending with both arms clasped together

• Heel to O’s crook of outside arm
• If O has one wrist, cavalier with O’s pinky up to allow armbar
• If O has both wrists, place inside leg over clasped arms and figure 4 to exert downward pressure to release to allow armbar
• If O has both wrists, insert inside leg between O’s chest and clasped arms and figure 4 to exert downward pressure to release to allow armbar

1. To push with outside foot against grip
2. Lure O into turning into you to set up triangular choke

• If O has both wrists à rip toward the opening (similar to wrist releases)
• If O continues to clasp wrist à insert leg through into triangle which may allow choke but more likely forces O to release grip allowing armbar.

Rear Naked Choke from the Back with Hooks

Remember attacks to back of the neck, eyes, heel kicks to groin and abdomen

Counters to Defenses against Your Rear Chokes (you are administering the choke)

• If O defends by yanking down on choking arm, yank up choking arm grabbing your shirt and slip other arm underneath to execute opposite choke.
• If O defends by yanking down on choking arm, slip non-choking arm inside (O’s nearest arm) and then let go of choke while sliding body to O’s nearest shoulder crossing farside leg in front of his face for arm-bar.

Triangle Chokes

• Triangular leg choke

1. Arm pinned
2. Arms free

• Triangular leg choke with neck pressure at crown down and in
• Sidecontrol/sidemount à O turns in to allow legs to pincer into triangular choke. Be sure to cross the arm when applying neck pressure
• Leg lock from behind folding opponent’s legs with weight against them and choke using

1. Blade
2. Elbow
3. Sleeper

Ground Retzev

• Retzev on the ground

1. While on the bottom of mount, using sliding stab defense against straight or hook punches, keeping opposite leg hooked, and turn on top of opponent into guard
2. If opponent turns or choke is ineffective, allow opponent to attempt escape and turn into top mount with attack
   1. Arm-bar option by sliding down the opponent’s body is available if choke is difficult to execute

• Opponent is on bottom and turns to the side, create arm bar by taking opposite leg and placing in front of opponent’s head keeping elbow close to create arm bar

1. If opponent turns on back, move with opponent and use legs in scissors movement

• Armbars from the mount with knee on the chest

1. Police hold to arm with throat grab
2. Armbar pulling O’s arm into chest
3. Reverse the mount across into the armbar

• Defense against O attempting leg pincer armbar from the mount

1. Turn O as he moves into bar and execute own arm bar with outside leg pincering O’s leg to the mat
   1. Additional counter-defense into groundwork

• O is on the side defending the sidecontrol/sidemount w/arms clasped in protective position

1. Strip hands if clasping alternate elbows
2. Strip hands if grabbing alternate wrists using pluck or leg push

• From mount (using the top arm) by inserting the opposite leg across the face and pincer to extend top arm into bar

1. Advantage to grabbing the arm at the elbow (less slippage and more difficult to defend

• From mount, keep outside arm of O hooked so he cannot throw you as attempt the mount

1. Balance exercises with forearm/elbow to the throat and counter-releases
2. Arm bars from the bottom using closed guard
   1. Against chin
   2. Double arm-bar
3. Arm bar from O’s attempt to unbalance through throw
   • Grab arm and slip outside leg in front of face à should be face down and rotate onto back for maximum effect.
     1. if O sits up, flip into knee armbar

1. Keep leg behind the neck and kick out O’s farside supporting arm
2. Defense to defense to arm bar à turn O around and buckle knees with knees into reverse pincer choke
3. O in guard à stand and release into
   1. Achilles lock
   2. Ankle lock
      1. Turn onto side to prevent O from setting up the “brakes.”

• Choke variations from the mount
  1. Blade of forearm
  2. Pull with one hand
  3. Cross grab with two hands
  4. From front, cross grab under throat and then mount

Leg Locks

• Leg locks all directions
  1. If standing, do not stand straight up where O has opportunity for leg lock
  2. Leg lock from closed guard insert sameside leg
     1. Option of opposite leg to execute leg bar
  3. From side mount to knee lock
  4. From mount, step sameside leg through into ankle lock
  5. Defense against O kicking and grabbing to defend/alleviate lock, turn to side inserting foot as “brakes”

Kneebars & Leglocks against Standing Opponent

• Knee bar straight
• Knee bar to the side

Defense against Standing/falling Leglocks

Tempo involving One Attacker and Multiple Attackers

Close Fight

• Legs against hands
• Hands against legs
• Legs against hands and legs
• Breathing
• Playfight close using hands, knees and legs
• One attacks and the other defends
• Attacker continues attack with defender reacting and defender counters with touch or kick signaling for the attacker to retreat
• Slow Playfight
• Playfight with left hand only
• Boxing with gloves

Watching Drill Including Attacks with Cold Weapons

Response Drills with Defender Having Eyes Closed and Reacting to Light Strikes

Response Drills with Defender Having Eyes Closed and Opening at Inception/mid-attack amongst Multiple Attacks to Defend

Conditioning the Body to Lift and Throw and Strengthening Neck Exercises

Strong Padwork (with defender leading and meeting the strikes) with occasional pad counterattack

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Notes on Edged Weapon Defenses

You will need any and every advantage to defend against a determined assailant using an edged weapon. An edged weapon does not jam or run out of ammunition and can seriously injure you with every thrust or slash. A significant number of the population worldwide carries folding edged weapons or some other type of cutting instrument. Kitchen knives are accessible to just about anyone bent on doing harm. Never underestimate the harm an amateur, yet, nevertheless determined attacker can inflict — let alone someone skilled in edged weapons use. Essentially, anyone with a edged weapon in his or her hand could be a deadly threat, particularly if they have no compunction about getting “up close and personal.”

Slashing to the jugular and major arteries is usually fatal, but lacerations to the other parts of the body are generally not. Thrusting wounds are far more dangerous. Puncture wounds of more than 1.2 inches can produce instant shock and seriously damage or shut down internal organs.   It is likely that you will get cut. Of course, try to prevent wounds to your eyes, neck torso, and major arteries. Nevertheless, whatever injuries you might sustain, relentlessly pursue your defense and counter-attacks to end the threat. In short, the longer the edged weapon attack continues, the more your chances or surviving it diminish. Once you successfully defend and neutralize the threat, you must immediately think about triage. Seek professional help right away, and if not available, administer self-triage.

Running away from an edged weapon threat is a real and viable option. In fact, when possible, running might be your best defense. But if you must engage the assailant, krav maga once again emphasizes simultaneous defense and counter-attack. The counter-attacks must be targeted and forceful. The goal in striking an attacker’s eyes, nose, windpipe, groin and knees is to short-circuit his ability to continue the attack. Damage the attacker as much as possible to disrupt his physical ability to press the attack and destroy his resolve. Attempting an edged weapon disarm without debilitating counter-attacks can and will get you seriously hurt or killed. While krav maga emphasizes simultaneous counterattacks and weapon control as soon as possible, it may be that you have counter-attack and then disengage only to counter-attack again only when you deem it safe to close the distance, hurt the attacker, and control to control the attacker and remove the weapon.

Judging distances, the logical progression of a weapon’s path(s) even when initially blocked or redirected, and the varied angles of attack are paramount to a successful defense. My good friend Sgt. Major Nir Maman (res.), one of the lead krav maga instructors for the Israel Defense Forces Special Operations School, says it best, “If your assailant deploys a edged weapon, your best response is to make yourself disappear. If you can’t disappear, your next best response is to pull out a firearm. If you don’t have a firearm available, you want a long range impact weapon such as a lead pipe where you can impact his edged weapon hand while staying out of range of the edged weapon.” Nir’s obvious point is how dangerous an edged weapon can be. Edged weapons are also often referred to in krav maga parlance as “cold weapons.”

Israeli krav maga uses two ranges in combination with body defenses to defend edged weapons attacks: “legs or hands.” Either type of defense and range usually takes the defender off the line of attack in a position to deliver strong-counterattacks, with one exception: the instinctive defense against a surprise underhand attack. As with other krav maga defenses, employ a block or deflection-redirection when in the hand range coupled, when possible, with a body defense, combined with effective simultaneous counterstrikes, preferably to the assailant’s throat, groin or eyes.

Kicks are usually employed when the defender sees the edged weapon at long range. Kicks harness your most powerful muscle groups and have the longest range of any of your personal weapons. In addition, kicks can be combined with the use of shield-like objects, such as a bag or briefcase, to simultaneously block or deflect-redirect an edged weapon attack way while delivering a debilitating combative to the assailant’s groin or knee. Strong defensive kicks with glicha keep the edged weapon farther away from you and are also best to stop a charging assailant’s momentum. Hand defenses are used when the assailant closes the distance quickly, takes the defender by surprise, or the defender is in a close quarters situation. Note, many students practice and emphasize hand defenses, however, when sparring against a facsimile edged weapon attack; they quickly revert and prefer leg defenses. Kick defenses come naturally when facing an assailant threatening with the edged weapon but who remains still uncommitted to the attack. Spitting in the assailant’s face as you launch your hand or leg defense is tried effective proven tactic.

Regardless of the defense you use, even if you are slashed or stabbed, you must continue to fight. In training you will probably get “nicked”, slashed or stabbed. Obviously, the goal is to improve your skill set to avoid being wounded at all let alone fatally slashed or stabbed. Again, if your defense is imperfect and you are stabbed or wounded, it is imperative that you press your defense and counterattack. Remember, you’ll fight as you train, so, try to train, as you’ll fight. If you no longer resist, your attacker will likely continue to administer wounds that will, no doubt, be fatal. Puncture wounds initially feel like strikes and slashes might not be evident until you see your own blood.

Note that krav maga defenses against a edged weapon, broken bottle, or syringe are principally all the same, however, the removal techniques from the assailant’s grip may differ. Occasionally, the description edged weapon and edged weapon are used interchangeably throughout the next facilitate the flow of technique discussion. The next two chapters focus on edged weapons defenses against most common types of attacks. To be sure, not every angle or direction is covered. Absorb the principals and apply them against variations not covered using good common sense along with a little trial and error if necessary.