Survival and Working Out Solutions

Survive. To live through danger or accident etc…
Solution. The act or means of solving a problem or difficulty.

Krav Maga, as we stress in many of our blogs is about survival. We cover many techniques and emphasize that we cannot memorize but must learn underlying principles that allow us to better adapt to unpredictable situations. You might learn, for example, how to escape a front choke but what if you are against a wall where you can’t perform a double pluck or from a seated position where you cannot knee the attacker?

When we train we encourage students to explore these scenarios and work out solutions. It is very much like outdoor survival skills. As outdoor survival expert Colin Towell writes,

Survival knowledge and skills must be learned – and practiced – under realistic conditions. Starting a fire with dry materials on a sunny day, for example, will teach you very little. The real survival skills are in understanding why a fire won’t start and working out a solution. (6)

As self-defense instructors, we show you techniques but it is essential, especially as you become more experienced, to explore novel situations and problems and use your knowledge and skills to find solutions.

Every situation is unique and your ability to understand and adapt gives you a much better chance of survival.

Colin Towell, The Survival Handbook. New York: Dk Publishing, 2016.

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