Page 540 - Complete Krav maga : the ultimate guide to over 250 self-defense and combative techniques

ground by kicking or “sweeping” his legs out from under him.

Defenses

This section features more defenses against kicks, and introduces defenses
against three types of weapons: sticks, knives, and guns.

Stick Defense

A “stick” is the most obvious member of a family of weapons known as blunt
objects. These can include not only baseball bats, pool cues, tire irons, and
“Club” car security devices, but also handheld rocks, hammers, and any other

striking instrument that does not possess a long, sharp edge or point. Although
some of these weapons (such as a rock) do not create the distance-related
dangers of a stick, the defense remains the same for all of these weapons.

Of all the standard blunt objects, the stick (and its obvious synonyms, such as a
baseball bat) offers the attacker one significant advantage: reach. A logical

approach to stick defense must include a movement (i.e., bursting in) to
eliminate this advantage. This idea of bursting forward should be strongly
emphasized in any stick defense. However, you cannot assume you will always
have time to burst in. Your defense must also work if you are late and must deal
with the stick itself. Therefore, the following principles also apply:

1. Against an overhead attack, the defense must create no angle against the

stick. This is done by keeping the elbows in tight and stabbing toward the
inside of the wrist.

2. Against a baseball bat swing, the defending straight arm must be held so
that the meaty part of the arm, not the elbow, is facing the stick, and the
opposite hand must be up to protect the face.

It’s important to know how to take away a stick, but only for tactical reasons. In

other words, you might want the stick as a weapon against additional attackers.
But as long as you stay close to your attacker, the stick in his hand represents
little or no danger to you. Therefore, don’t worry about the takeaway until
you’ve perfected the defense.

Knife Defenses