What is one thing that golf, baseball and Krav Maga all have in common? Each of these activities requires a specific stance from which to work.
When you watch a golfer address the ball or see a batter taking practice swings in the batter’s box, you notice great precision in the position of their feet and body in anticipation of properly striking the target. The stance is normally focused on proper foot alignment. This enables maximum body engagement while striking the ball.
In a very similar manner, Krav Maga requires strong, balanced, and athletic stances for greatest effectiveness. One’s ability to engage and handle an attacker is directly related to our ability to strike, move, and block on the count of one. This, therefore, requires us to be in a place of balance whereby our weapons and shields are all equally available. Not only must we be able to use them, but we must also have balanced footwork to achieve specific positions on or around our attacker at a moment’s notice.
As a result, training should emphasize building a consistent and comfortable fighting stance. This stance should be easily repeatable and “feel” like a place where all defensive and offensive objectives can be met. I say “feel” because during stress and duress, a practitioner needs to just flow into their stances without having to think about what their body is doing. This takes training and countless repetition. But if one puts in the time and effort, everyone will benefit from an improvement in footwork.
Moreover, training should emphasize the ability to move from one place to another while maintaining consistent stances throughout. Following a strike or kick, block, or parry, the Kravist should automatically step directly back into their stance. To achieve this while training combinations on the heavy bag or while working focus mitts, it is important for the student to continue to reset themselves back into their preferred stance so that it becomes a mindless effort to do so.
Remember, we choose our (solid and balanced) stance because it is the most efficient place for us to defend ourselves. Make stance work a consistent part of your training and you will become a better, more prepared self-defender. No matter your age, gender, size, or level of athleticism–proper footwork is imperative for everyone.
