Page 34 - Complete Krav maga : the ultimate guide to over 250 self-defense and combative techniques

Safety in Training

You should absolutely try these techniques with a partner. This knowledge is
worth nothing until you’ve made it your own. However, you must learn to train
with a combination of realism and safety. Never be afraid to practice a technique
slowly. Keep this phrase in mind: Slow equals smooth and smooth equals fast.

Of course, you do want to get to the aggressive, realistic attacks as soon as
possible. But trust us, you’ll progress faster if you begin slowly and safely.

For this reason, start every technique slowly, with the attacker making a real
attack, but at a slow speed and with minimal power. For instance, if you want to
train against a choke from the front, your partner should place his hands on your
throat and squeeze gently. You should feel pressure so that you can identify the

danger, but the choke should not be applied with full power until much later in
your training.

As noted earlier, if certified instructors are available in your area, we strongly
recommend you take at least a few lessons with them. Not only can they teach
you the techniques, they can provide you with some principles for safe training
that will bring you to a higher level of proficiency quickly.

The following are additional notes regarding training to defend against weapons.
First, NEVER use a real weapon. Various types of training weapons are
available, including rubber hand guns, metallic but inert hand guns, and rubber
knives.

Handguns: NEVER put your finger in the trigger—our techniques often cause
damage to the trigger finger.

Knives: NEVER stab at the eyes, ALWAYS stab at the chest or neck. Even a
rubber knife can damage an eye if the defender makes a mistake.

Sticks: Use padded sticks at the beginning of your training. If you decide to
graduate to wooden or composite-material batons, train slowly until your
technique is correct.