My adult/teen Krav Maga students had their first lick at sparring tonight. Remember this is a traditional class that I’ve invited my Krav Maga students to attend on a regular basis. They did really well. For a bunch of men whom have never thrown a kick or punch at a target that moves, punches, and kicks back they did awesome. Attitudes were great. No one was trying to inflict pain, dominance, or  trying to prove their toughness. I’m really happy. My traditional students, most who have been sparring for several years now, worked well with the less experienced fighters.

Sparring whether in Krav Maga or traditional Karate must be executed with control and care for one’s opponent. In a sparring class we’re not trying to survive a street attack, we’re not competing in the UFC or any other competition, thus control and care towards one opponent is vital. In sparring we do not attack the legs, as we don’t execute eye gouges, throat punches, or head butts. These techniques are appropriate and needed in real life self defense, however said strikes are far too dangerous and unnecessary in sparring. I realize most Krav Maga programs allow leg kicks in sparring. My thirteen years of traditional training leads me to believe otherwise. If I am sparring someone and one of us ends up with a broken rib or a broken nose, we will suffer some level of discomfort and pain. However, chances are we can continue our lives and continue our training fairly normally. However, if we allowed leg kicks in my sparring class and someone received damage to the knee, which happened to me three years ago, said person cannot continue training for quite some time, and they are greatly hampered in life, as they will probably need crutches, possibly surgery, and therapy afterwards. My point is this- the knee is one of the most complicated joints in the human body.  When damaged it can be very expensive to repair, and taxing to one’s life. At JGMA we will risk the occasional black eye, bloody nose, bruised ribs, but we won’t risk knee damage. Yes, one can train defenses to leg attacks, which we do in the self defense end of Krav and Karate. However, injuries in sparring are inevitable. We are not looking to lead anyone in the surgery room. Thus, we will leave each others legs alone in sparring as a matter of safety, and avoiding the inevitable. I state my case again- leg kicks, elbows, head butts, throat punches, eye gouges- all extremely lethal self defense techniques. However, at JGMA, this techniques have no place in our sport of sparring.

Sparring allows us to practice our tools under some degree of stress. However, it is not to represent the real stress of a street fight. No more than striking stationary pads represent the conditions of  a real street fight. Sparring should me fun, challenging, allow for growth, and allow one to practice some of his arsenal against a moving target whom possesses the same goals. A great sparring fighter does not equate to a great street fighter. Nor does a great street fighter equate to a great sport fighter. (ex. Kimbo Slice). However, in my opinion for a practicing martial artist to truly grow, and maximize his set of tools and potential, he must be able to spar, he must be able to hit pads with aggression, he must increase his strength and endurance, and possess a thorough understanding of a self defense system. If said martial artist is practicing traditional martial arts he must also own an understanding of traditional kata, and be able to execute said kata with precision, focus, and power. My history lies mainly with Traditional Karate. Krav Maga is part of what I am as well. Both systems have made me a more complete student, instructor, and martial artist.

Cheers,

Jett

two quick mentions- despite the holiday this weekend we will have both the karate class and the krav class on Saturday.

Congrats to the 16 traditional karate students whom tested on Saturday. All worked hard, earned their new belts, and put on a great display.

Cheers,

Jett

At JGMA we teach a traditional art form- Goju-Ryu Karate, which was founded and completed in Naha, Okinawa. Despite our traditional style we bring a very modern approach. Fitness, sparring, striking, pads, are all part of our classes. We spend time on self defense against various weapons- guns, knifes, sticks, ect…

Best of luck to the 16 students testing for a new rank tomorrow. Work hard.

cheers,

Jett

glaswegian kiss- also known as a headbutt. Is it effective? Certainly can be, but like most strikes in martial it does carry an element of risk. However, the headbutt is very risky, as one could knock himself out quite easily if executed incorrectly.  And effective headbutt can be a game ender. The striking area for a headbutt is the brow, where the hair meets the top forehead, which happens to be one of the hardest bones in the body. Ideally, if one were to use this technique in a self defense situation, you would strike with the headbutt in the soft tissue on the assailant’s face(nose area). Again, do not try this without ample practice, do not use it on the playground over a disputed call in kickball. This is a “use only  in life and death” self defense scenarios.

The headbutt is certainly part of Krav Maga’s close range weapons attacks. Certainly, all traditional martial arts contain headbutts as well. However, the technique is either hidden in the systems or rarely taught due to their potential of damage to the user of the glaswegian kiss. The title phrase comes from Glasgow Scotland, where headbutts and street violence go hand in hand. Surprisingly, Glasgow is the most  most violent city in the United Kingdom.

Cheers,

Jett

interesting- more guests coming in this week for the traditional program. No guests scheduled for Krav Maga, which will change I’m sure. Very happy with the growth of JGMA. It is hitting a growth rate never seen at my studio. The stars are lining up, and I feel very fortunate.

self defense 101- tonight we will be working on an advancing cross with back turned to target. Secondly, we will work on advancing elbow #1 with back turned to target. it should be an excellent set of classes tonight as we head into a promotion week- remember testing this saturday for JGMA students.

cheers,

Jett

now offering a free week on both programs. remember, we are a dynamic martial arts school that offers simple/instinctive self defense, fitness, and a great time. the traditional program is hitting its stride as we sign up around two per week, which for our small little outfit is big.

adult krav maga- enrollment is at a stand still, which i guess is to be expected for summer, however i think we will still reach our goal of 70-100 students by january 2011.

already enrolled? bring a friend and or family member.

lastly- we’ll be adding a new video soon- stay tuned.

congrats to all of my Children’s Center of Austin martial arts students. all of my little day care kiddo’s made it to yellow stripe. Their growth, and maturity in my program has been fantastic.

Cheers,

Jett

Log in

 as Admin