The Stick

The utilization of the stick in Krav Maga started in the beginning of the 40s, by groups that fought for the independence of the State of Israel. The use of firearms was forbidden by the British Mandate, who controlled that region at the time, and because of this, the stick became an instrument of defense.

Within this scenario, a specific ramification of Krav Maga was created for the use of the stick; techniques of attack and defense for all circumstances, disarming attack against stick, stick against stick, stick against rifle, amongst others. At the time, this set of secret specific techniques of the usage of the stick in Krav Maga was popularly called Kapap. As the years passed, and with the independence of the State of Israel, the sticks were replaced by machine guns and the same exercises that used a stick were adapted for the usage of a rifle. During the 70s and up until de end of the 80s, the stick would reappear, this time in the hands of Israeli civilians that needed to defend themselves from terrorists armed with knives and firearms that were roaming through the streets and stopping the cars that passed, killing the passengers inside. The citizens began to walk around with batons, sticks and even baseball bats inside their cars. It was the return of the Kapap. As weird as it might sound, even with the high technology of modern-day weapons, the stick is still very efficient in many situations of our daily life. It still manages to intimidate aggressors, because it still represents an image of force and power in the hands of its user.

The Technique of the Stick Usage

The Krav Maga technique for the stick usage was elaborated with the same principles that served as basis for the arts, the human body, and the laws of physics. The objectivity and efficiency of the strike, the security of its user and the simplicity of its movements, everything being accessible and efficient to anyone. The techniques of the stick have been divided in three phases. At the first, one learns the defense of an attack with a stick coming from any direction; the victim being weaponless, sitting, lying down, or standing up. At the second phase, when one is already with the stick in hand, one learns how to attack and becomes familiar with the weapon, where the body and the weapon integrate and the stick becomes an extension of the arm. Then, one learns to increase the resistance of his body part when it is necessary for defense. The third phase is dedicated to stick-against-stick combat and to combat that is assisted by a stick.

With a basis in physics, the movements of attack and defense take into account force lines, how its transmitted, how to absorb force and impact in a defense and how to increase the impact on a target to be hit. The sticks length is studied to shorten the distance in attack and also to extend the area of defense when necessary, directing the suffered impact away from the body.

These techniques double, when one considers that there are two types of sticks: the short one, measuring about 60 cm in length, and the long one, which in length varies between 1 meter and 1.20 meters, each one with its own characteristics.

The Use of a Knife in Combat

The techniques of a knife combat were elaborated by Imi following the same guidelines of all the Krav Maga philosophy; aiming at the same objectivity, ensuring the security of the combatant and making it possible for the combat to be efficient against many adversaries at the same time. The knife-against-knife combat was a constant during both World Wars; the technique created by Imi was exclusively and specifically created to be used in military situations and its efficiency was proven at the end of World War II, on the Independence War of the State of Israel in 1948, and in all wars and military operations by the Israeli Elite Forces. This technique is restricted to the special groups of the Israeli Military Elite Forces and very few people, even in Israel, have had the honor to know it, which is an absolute and irreducible condition until today. The soldier that learns this technique has to study the human anatomy in depth and, therefore, learns where one must or must not hit the adversarys body and which is the most effective way to do so.

The Combatant gains a feeling of closeness with the knife, feeling the most comfortable possible with it, up to the point where the knife becomes an extension of his own arm. The way one holds the knife will vary for each technique of attack or defense, where the goal is to eliminate the adversary, at a frontal attack, an attack at a sentry or even an entire group of them. The techniques are specific for each situation, allowing the soldier to choose the fastest and most objective way of solving a "problem". It fits to repeat that, the techniques of combat with knife, are absolutely exclusive to a few groups of the Military Elite of Israel.

Firearms

A threat with firearm, being it a pistol, a gun or even a rifle, since the 70s is a common situation. The main data in this situation is the fact that at the initial moment of the aggression, the assailant does not have the intention to shoot, to press the trigger, but to intimidate, to scare and to create panic. It is a "THREAT", because if the intention was to shoot, the assailant would have already done so at the initial moment.

The real threat is not in the assailant or the weapon, but in the trigger, that with only a short movement could liberate the first shot, therefore, the reaction against the firearm must be very well planned. Upon concluding that the only option is to react, one must wait for the most adequate moment, which will be when the assailant has his attention elsewhere. That can happen at the moment when he starts to speak, or when he pays attention to the object that he intends to rob, or for any another reason that might occur. What matters at the reaction moment is to react quickly and objectively, not allowing the assailant to attempt a second aggression.

Rescue Techniques

Terrorist attacks always shock the world. Terrorists are, most of the time, fanatics with the goal of destruction, fear and death. Many times, the terrorist attack, besides placing bombs to kill tens or even hundreds of innocent people that were, unfortunately, at the wrong place at the wrong time, also extends to the capture of hostages that are humiliated and threatened with machine guns, grenades or other explosive materials of great destructive power. In these delicate and highly dangerous situations, the release of the hostages involves a rescue operation. Krav Maga has developed fast, quiet and unexpected techniques, which must happen as a "surprise".

What is important in a rescue is the integrity and the life of the hostages, therefore, each operation will have to be adjusted, considering all the possibilities and applying the correct technique. For example, in situations where the terrorist has the grenade in his hands and its bolt moved away, you will have to reach him before he releases the grenade. In the case of having to conclude an operation having been shot, in the situation where the armament fails in the middle of the invasion, if a highly powered machine gun is threatening "the wrong" people; ultimately, everything must be calculated, including the possible imperfections and difficulties that may happen. One must also reach the terrorists without them having noticed you, and eliminating them without allowing them to have any reaction and open fire against the hostages. The mission will have to be completed in the best way possible, even in unexpected situations. In reality, where there is no longer a separation between life and death, it is the right technique that will result in the success of the mission, with maximum swiftness and security.