How to stop taekwondo warrior using Krav Maga with no need of timing?

Question

Is there a way to use Krav Maga for stopping experienced taekwondo warrior using Krav Maga drills? In Krav Maga dojo there is a black belt taekwondo who has also orange belt in Krav Maga. Are there any drills that we can use to stop him. We tried stop kicks but his kicks are so fast that it is too late. We assume that closer sparring will be a benefit for us but we can't reach inside. We look for ways to stop him in sparring and in street fights. You can refer to the following link to feel our challenges.

Answer 1

Burst and fight close. That is the strength of Krav Maga and the weakness of Tae Kwon Do. Coming from someone who has trained in both. There's no such thing as a counter to any style that doesn't require some level of skill and timing.

Instead of trying to block kicks, if you want to get close, bait him until he fires one without actually committing to getting close, then jam his follow-up (you'll probably still take a bit of a hit, that's the cost of fighting someone faster than you...) and tie up for kneees/elbows/grappling.

Answer 2

To provide some insight, most TKD practitioners have one biggest disadvantage: they move in straight lines. I do not know if that is the case for Krav students (since this guy also learns KM), but you can always try stepping to the front-left or the front-right side, depending on your stance (e.g. if you are facing to the left, then step to the front-right, so that you will still be facing your opponent). This defends against side kicks most effectively, and will reduce the power of roundhouse / other high kicks. Also, stepping to the side gives you an opportunity to target the center line or throw kicks in return.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

If you need to get close to an opponent with greater reach and/or speed than you, it makes sense to bait them into certain attacks by presenting certain opportunities to them.

In this way:

1. You reduce the number/type of attacks they are likely to use,
2. You increase your effective reaction time (because your mind is occupied with a fewer number of required defences),
3. You can force your opponent to employ their weaker techniques,
4. You can provoke attacks which work to your defensive strengths, ​
5. You increase your ability to close distance and eliminate their greatest strengths.

You are now getting into the realm of strategy. Strategy is probably the best way to overcome an otherwise better opponent.

A) There is pre-emptive strategy, such as that you would take into a fight after studying and training for your opponent's abilities.

B) There is also real-time strategy, in which you improvise strategically during a fight in response to the dynamic fight environment.

If you concentrate on A for a while, you will gradually increase your ability to incorporate B into your skillset.

Here's something you might try as a learning technique:

1. Identify any common offensive patterns in your opponent's technique, such as when he typically employs a rear-leg roundhouse to the torso.

2. Identify his particular telegraphic weaknesses. Does he 'wind up' his hips? Does he focus on his target with his eyes? Does he position his feet in a slightly different way?

3. Identify an effective defensive technique that is as dynamically efficient as possible, that enables you to simultaneously counter and which enables you to maintain defensive integrity. In this case it might be a leg trap against the rib-cage combined with a sweep of his other leg. (There are many other options, but be very careful. It is easy to severely hurt someone if you have their leg trapped, especially if you are taking them to ground.

4. In the fight, replicate the movements/physical conditions which will encourage your opponent to employ the roundhouse, whilst reducing likelihood he will employ other techniques.

5. When he employs the technique, react according to your plan.

Do NOT gamble everything on him performing the roundhouse when you want him to. Do NOT focus upon this one strategy at the expense of your basics. Trust that your strategic mind will kick in when it needs to. This will take time and experience. Keep your defensive posture. Stay calm. Use your peripheral vision rather than staring at his rear leg.

As you progress, you can build up a repertoire of these strategies. As your strategic toolbox grows, you will increase your ability to incorporate them in real-time, during fights, even those fights when you have no foreknowledge of your opponent.