Choke from Behind

Starting Position: Passive stance, with the attacker choking you from behind.

Upon feeling the choke, tuck your chin and round your shoulders to expose the attacker’s thumbs.

Send your hands back as far as possible to gather momentum for the pluck and to ensure that the pluck actually moves the hands.

Reaching back to the middle of your neck, pluck the attacker’s thumbs straight down, as though giving two elbows to your stomach. As you pluck, step diagonally backward, making sure both of your feet move.

With your inside hand, strike to the groin and follow with elbows to the stomach or face. This strike should flow naturally from the downward movement of your hand. The outside hand should continue to hold onto the attacker’s hand, to keep him close or track his movement until you can make further counters.

Turn inside toward the attacker with a hammerfist strike to his face. At this point you can release his hand.

Finish with knee strikes or move out to create distance.

Tips: When practicing, break the exercise into two parts. Work on the defense with the groin and elbow strikes first. Then work on the hammerfist, turn, and counter.

The initial groin strike can be made with the palm facing the target and the fingers striking up and under for the greatest effect.

Choke from the Side

Because Krav Maga attempts to solve various problems with one solution, the same basic principle that worked for Choke from the Front (pages 60-62) and Choke from Behind (page 63) also works with Choke from the Side.

Starting Position: Passive stance as the attacker chokes from the side.

Reach your outside hand up and across.

Using the same “hook” position as in Two-Handed Pluck (page 60), pluck at the attacker’s thumb area, pulling in a diagonal motion downward across your chest. At the same time, counterattack with a strike to the groin or an elbow to the face.

Continue with additional counters, turning toward the attacker with elbows and knees.

Tips: Be sure to pluck along your chest, rather than pull away from your body. Pulling

away from your body reduces the power of the plucking motion.

Choke from the Front with a Push

A choke with a push represents an added danger. In this case, a regular pluck becomes more difficult because (a) you’re being pushed off balance and (b) the shock of a sudden push may cause your hands to fly up and away from your throat.

Starting Position: Passive stance, with an attacker choking you from the front.

To simulate stumbling backwards, lean back, off balance, and then step back on one foot (usually the left foot will be easiest for training purposes). As you step your left foot back, stab your right hand straight up to the sky. Your right bicep/shoulder should be as close to your right ear as possible. This ensures that you defend against the attacker’s wrist.

Turn sharply to the left. The turn should be about 90°, and should cause pressure against his wrist,

not his forearm. This removes the pressure from your throat.

Clear the attacker’s hands: bend slightly at the knees, delivering a downward vertical elbow strike (#7) with your right hand, while bringing your left hand up in a trapping motion.

Deliver a sideways elbow strike (#2) to your opponent’s face. Be sure there is weight behind the attack! Continue with further counters.

Tips: As with any technique, once you’ve developed skill and comfort performing this from your dominant side, train the opposite side as well. To simulate reality when being pushed, allow the attack to put you slightly off balance before you step back. This feeling of being off balance recreates the surprise of a real attack.

The defense is made by the explosive rotation of the body, not by the downward elbow. The elbow simply moves the hands out of the way of your counterattacks.