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COMMANDO
KRAV MAGA
©Marc
Wickert Commando
Krav Maga (CKM) instructor Lui Pirrone has an extensive background in
martial arts, having started in tae kwon do as a junior before taking up
BJC Thai boxing during his late teens. After many years of BJC,
Lui then progressed to cross training in many other martial arts
including Jeet Koon Do, and currently trains with Ken Twadell
in Elite Combat Kung Fu and San Shou, and practices Systema with
Aaron Ellis. Lui
says the major appeal of CKM is that it is a complimentary system.
“It fits in with any style of fighting you might have done and
deals with all situations. Another advantage of CKM is that
for the inexperienced, progress can be made in a very short time.
That’s the beauty of military systems – their effectiveness,
simplicity and the quick progress one achieves through constant
drilling of techniques, lots of conditioning and reacting to surprise
attacks. This ensures you are mentally strong and are able to handle
yourself under real pressure. The way you train is the way you
fight.” Commando
Krav Maga is a widespread reality fighting system, having originally
been taught to the Israeli Special Forces before being shared with
police and Special Forces from various other countries.
“CKM is a fairly new system to the public. It has only been
taught to civilians for the past four years, but has been taught to
Special Forces since the ’70s after the Yom Kippur War,” says
Pirrone. “Moni
Aizik teamed up with Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of traditional Krav
Maga, and was asked to improve on the army's existing hand-to-hand
system. Moni was the perfect candidate for the job. In his
youth he trained in judo and jiu jitsu, dominating tournaments in Israel
and winning seven national titles. He then went on to become a
member of one of the world’s best military units, responsible for
counterterrorism and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines. “Using
his extensive knowledge of reality-based jiu jitsu and competitive judo,
he blended the lethal trinity of Israel’s fighting systems and
founded Commando Krav Maga. His depth and knowledge of Krav Maga
and practical fighting systems, which he utilizes in CKM, is what
separates it from traditional Krav Maga. The techniques have been
simplified and have evolved with time, striving for more efficient ways,
and everything has been tested under real pressure,” says Pirrone. Lui
believes CKM’s international popularity is largely due to the style
being more street effective than most other martial arts. “It is
designed for ‘anything goes’ fighting and survival. When there are
rules, as in most other martial arts, you are stuck inside that box
and limited by your training. The way you train is the way you
fight. There are many other good systems out there: That’s why I
love to cross-train. They can all come together and flow in CKM,
which is why this system is so good if you have only done arts that are
limited by their rules and tactics,” says Pirrone. Lui,
Commando Krav Maga responses are all very swift, aren’t they? “They
are. They are all practiced over and over again, slowly at the
beginning to program muscle memory, then drilled at high speeds with
real pressure testing to ensure there effectiveness.
Responses are simple and direct – no fancy stuff. Direct to the
point, disarming your attacker mentally and physically. This is
essential for street attacks when you don’t have time to think, only
act. You respond with rapid reflex developed in training.
Again, the way you train is the way you fight.” Does
the swiftness employed in CKM result from the actions of the
practitioner being practiced continually, and from the responses being
simplistic rather than fancy? “Yes, all actions are practiced over and over using both left- and right-side attacks. The focus is on honing proper technique and form, responding under pressure and in different locations and environments. The techniques are easy and simple and can be used by anyone. Fancy stuff is too risky; it takes longer for you to react. Being direct is the key. Take them out quickly then disengage.”
By
being explosive and devastating with your response, can that also have
the benefit of startling and unnerving your attacker or his accomplices? “Explosiveness is the key: You want to take him out before he even knows what’s going on. You want to overwhelm the attacker with so much pressure and powerful strikes that you break him mentally and physically. As to his accomplices, if they have not fled or totally backed down you are ready and on them like a wild animal.” All
the CKM instructors in the DVDs are muscular. Monte is very
muscular. Are strength and conditioning a big part of CKM? “Strength
and conditioning are a big part of CKM, but not the size of muscles or
how much weight you can pick up. The training is done so your
muscles can endure enormous physical output for long periods of time and
can still perform at peak levels. This makes you very mentally
strong and able to push yourself further, giving you that attitude to
never give up and do whatever it takes. Physically you are very
explosive and devastatingly powerful.” Is
grip strength something that is recommended? “Yes,
grip strength is very important. It is essential to have a killer
grip to pull attackers off balance and grab or claw opponents’
vulnerable body targets, and it is good for strengthening joints and
muscles.” CKM
guys have no interest in being on the ground. Even when they take
an attacker down, the CKM practitioners are quick to return to their
feet. “That’s
right. The ground is the last place you want to be in the street.
If you are pinned down, your responses and choices are limited by your
surroundings. Your attacker could have a knife or gun in his
pocket or his mates could jump in and stomp you. If taken to the
ground you want to be up as quickly as possible. That’s why
CKM has the four-second rule. When taking someone down you want to
punish them first then immobilize them.” Many
self-defense systems seem to advocate a one-hit response, but CKM
recommends a series of blows. Is that to be totally sure the job
is done? “Trying
to take someone out with one blow may be okay for an experienced martial
artist who has trained for years and can hit with real power, but the
average person is not capable of this. It is always better to do
too much rather than not enough, and to overwhelm your opponent with
flurries of strikes. You want to take him out quickly.” In
CKM, rather than attacking the groin, it is taught to grab and squeeze.
Is that because shots to the groin often miss in the street? “It
is still okay to attack the groin – especially from a distance,
but when in close quarters, if you are in a certain lock or hold, or
even when you strike, you can then turn it into a grab. It is best
to grab and squeeze so you have total control of your opponent and can
take him out. From there you have many options available. It
does not matter how big, strong or tough they are: Once the grab and
squeeze is in place they are helpless and become very compliant.” What
is it about CKM that makes it an effective system for dealing with armed
attackers? “In
CKM we train with weapons in techniques that are drilled over and over
again, working on all possible situations that may arise,
perfecting techniques so they will work when needed through fine tuning
of motor skills. Simplistic movements tested on the battle fields
in Israel have ensured they work effectively. Lots of pressure
testing and scenario training are employed.” How
can people interested in CKM train with you? “I
can be reached on my mobile: 0406 357 705 or by email: cindy.surmiak@bigpond.com.
I conduct classes and private lessons.” Lui,
is there anything you’d like to add? “Yes, I would just like to say thanks to you, Marc, at Knucklepit, for the interview; a big thanks to Ken Twaddell, my trainer and good mate. Thanks also to Moni Aizik, Graham Healy, Bill Wakefield at Combined Martial Arts, and to all the instructors and people I have trained with over the years.”
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