Inside Defense against Straight Punch Low

To defend effectively against a low punch, you must be able to keep your hands up in order to guard against feints or second attacks.

Starting Position: Left-leg-forward fighting stance, hands up and slightly less than shoulder-width apart.

As an attacker moves toward you with a low straight punch, bring your elbow across your body in a sweeping motion. As with regular Inside Defense, make this defense with the same-side (mirroring) arm—i.e., defend against a right punch using the left arm. Lead the motion with your elbow; your hand should stay up. Make a body defense by rotating slightly. Against a right punch, rotate right. Against a left punch, rotate left.

Tips: Contract your abs to protect your midsection and to lower your upper body slightly so the elbow covers more of the midsection.

Inside Defense and 360° against Punches

Once you have mastered basic Inside Defense and 360°, you should begin to defend against the possibility of either attack.

Starting Position: Left-leg-forward fighting stance. From a slight distance, the attacker moves in with a slight advance.

The attacker delivers one punch at a time, but mixes up 360° and straight-punch attacks. The defender makes the appropriate defense.

Tips: Be sure you make your Inside Defense correctly so that your hand is in a good position to defend against the outside attacks as well.

Self-Defense Choke from the Front (Two-Handed Pluck)

Choke from the Front is a fairly common attack. It is also a convenient starting point for self- defense training because it underscores many Krav Maga principles. The instinctive reaction to a choke will be to send the hands to the danger—in this case, the throat. This technique turns that reaction into a defense. The pluck is explosive, using speed rather than strength.

Starting Position: Always train on this and other chokes from a passive or neutral stance.

Using your hands as hooks, with fingers slightly curled and thumbs tight against the hands, bring them up and over your attacker’s hands, reach in, and pluck explosively outward, plucking as close to the attacker’s thumbs as possible. Tuck your chin to protect your face from an accidental headbutt.

Trace your shoulder line, then pull down, pinning the attacker’s hands to your shoulders. As you pluck, make a simultaneous kick to the groin.

Tips: Keep your hands in tight hooks—it’s a pluck, not a grab.

Choke from the Front (One-Handed Pluck)

This variation, while less instinctive than the two-handed pluck, may offer a more performable plucking motion to some people. Also, while it will not stop a headbutt delivered simultaneously with the choke, it will prevent a headbutt given after a short delay.

Starting Position: Passive or neutral stance.

As the attacker chokes you, reach up with one hand to pluck the attacker’s same-side hand.

At the same time, send your free hand up and under the other arm, delivering a palm strike to the chin or face. (If you’re more advanced, deliver an uppercut.)

Tips: Be aware that to deliver a palm strike, you will have to lower the punching-side shoulder to get it below the attacker’s hand/arm. The body rotation made by the

combination of pluck and punch should help release pressure from your throat.