CHAPTER 3 Clinches, Choke and Takedown Defenses, Escorts, and Ground Survival

Close-quarters battle involves different contact ranges best categorized by the distance or proximity as a fight (d)evolves. From a long to medium range, fighters have unfettered movement to batter one another, usually involving long kicks, medium punches, and other hand strikes. From a short range, knees, elbows, head butts, and biting become options. A variety of standing entanglements incorporate medium and short strikes, trapping, clinching, throws, takedowns, and standing joint locks combined for close retzev. The final ground phase occurs when both fighters clinch up in various holds to unbalance and take each other to the ground. This involves medium and short combatives combined with locks and chokes.

Ground movement obviously differs from standing movement. Ground survival can allow one combatant superior control and positioning, preventing the other from defending, disentangling, or escaping as he might while standing. Krav maga groundwork should be thought of as “what you do up, you do down,” with additional specific ground-fighting capabilities such as practiced (secondary) weapon deployment for professionals. Remember, krav maga uses many standing combatives on the ground, including groin, eye, and throat strikes in combination with joint breaks and dislocations designed to maim the adversary.

Once engaged against an assailant, the key to most krav maga defenses is a deflection-redirection of the attack combined with a simultaneous body defense and an overwhelming counterattack. Krav maga is designed to stop the attack at its inception or at the earliest possible stage. Closing the distance between the defender and assailant is sometimes referred to as “bursting.”

The opposite of bursting is retreating to escape or create distance until an opportunity to close the gap presents itself. As noted, in counterattacking, krav maga usually targets the assailant’s soft tissue, including his groin, throat, eyes, and knees. These combatives specifically take into account the adversary’s physiological reaction to counterstrikes such as a knee or kick to the groin that will lurch the body forward or a thumb gouge to the eye that will jolt the head back, exposing the groin for further strikes.

If long-range lower-body strikes and intermediate-range upper-body strikes do not neutralize or at least keep your adversary at bay, your adversary can close the distance to grab hold of you. The fight then becomes an “infight” because it involves short combatives, including elbows, knees, uppercut and shovel punches, clinches, and holds. Striking and surprise attacks are integral to clinching and other standing control holds. To strike, you must create separation from your adversary.

Defending against grabs, traps, and takedowns is an indispensable skill. Upper- and lower-body strikes, if improperly executed or well defended by your adversary, can place you in a precarious position resulting in a trap or takedown. Well-executed upper- and lower-body combatives minimize this risk—but there is still a risk, especially if you are fighting against someone who is skilled in ground combat.

Clinching can broadly be thought of as any control grasp on an adversary’s body while both adversaries are still standing. Clinching can also involve compact, powerful strikes and control holds when two adversaries are standing in close proximity to one another. Certain types of clinches are also referred to in defensive krav maga vernacular as “bear hugs.”

In this chapter you’ll learn many infighting techniques and defenses. They all rely on the same principles: always fight back by attacking the weakest points of your adversary’s anatomy and by using his momentum against him. Once your assailant closes on you, he can attempt life-threatening choke holds, throws, strikes, and neck manipulations. Other types of close-contact grappling include hair pulling, headlocks, and bear hugs, all of which can put you into an extremely exposed position.

Striking in a clinch is different from striking from a distance. In a clinch, body contact can be used to control your adversary. This is especially relevant when an adversary goes to the ground and no longer has the upright support of his legs. Therefore, body contact dictates your fight strategy. In fighting, it is common for one or both adversaries to lose balance, either as a result of tactics or chance, so you need to be prepared for that possibility.

Off-balancing is key to close-quarters infighting. The objective is to take your adversary off balance by setting up retzev combatives including strikes, throws, and joint locks. Wherever the head goes, the body will follow. Taking an adversary off balance allows you to set up other retzev combative techniques because the adversary is not only concerned with protecting himself but with recovering his balance. Take the adversary in a direction he does not expect to go. Space restraints do not allow us to illustrate the all-important retzev or continuous combat follow-through; however, we have included a few techniques and shown partial retzev to give you adequate insight into combined defense and attack through continuous combat motion.

Clinching

In a superior clinch position, you can trap your opponent’s head and torso, making both defense and counterattack difficult for him while maintaining your own combative options—primarily, elbows, short punches, uppercuts, hooks, shovel punches, knee strikes to the groin and midsection (especially switching knees and roundhouse knee shots), locks, chokes, takedowns, and throws. (Clinches are also used for military tactics that are not depicted here for security concerns.) You may, of course, also gouge your adversary’s eyes with your thumbs prior to acquiring control of the head. You must be aware, however, that an adversary could deploy a weapon to attack you while both of your hands are occupied with controlling his head. The clinch can give you several advantages by controlling

your adversary’s ability to strike you,
your position for powerful, short, devastating combatives, and
his attempts to take you down.

The last point requires emphasis. The clinch can both save you from being taken down and can allow you to take your adversary down, depending on how you use it.

We will focus primarily on the crown-of-the-head and rear clinches, which afford great control over your adversary. These clinches provide the option of strikes and takedowns into superior ground-fighting positions. A third clinching position heavily emphasized in the krav maga curriculum is the symmetrical clinch because it is frequently used.

Crown-of-the-Head Clinch

This powerful hold allows you strong control of your adversary by clasping the crown of his skull, setting you up to perform knee strikes, vertical-elbows guillotine chokes, and neck-torquing movements. You may also gouge his eyes with your thumb prior to encircling his head with your arms. Always vie for inside hand position to allow better control over the adversary. Inside hand position means both of your arms are inside your adversary’s arms and exerting pressure on the rear crown of his head. If you control the head, you can usually control the body. Try not to grab the base of the neck because the opponent can better resist the hold. Do not interlock you fingers in this (or any other) hold because your fingers can be broken and the opponent can more readily control your hands.

In addition, the crown-of-the head clinch is highly useful for transitioning to military terminal-force applications.

Clinch Defense

The clinch can place you in a position susceptible to devastating knees, elbows, and neck manipulations. A simple defense is to keep one elbow close to your body and pointed downward to defend against knees while using your other hand to attack your adversary’s eyes with a thumb gouge or eye rake.

Tackle Defenses

You must be able to defend against an adversary changing his level of attack. Combatants often set up successful takedowns using a distraction (usually an upper-body strike feint). While the combative distraction may or may not connect, it will allow him to lower his level and close on you to secure your legs.

Note: the following defenses assume the defender did not have time or the opportunity to deliver a straight kick or knee to the head, or to sidestep the takedown using a jam to the head or combatives.

Inline Sprawl

When defending against a tackle or two-leg takedown, if timing and distance do not allow a combative, evasive sidestep, or both, you may use an “inline” sprawl. Sprawl backward using one arm as the “brake” to prevent the assailant from taking you down or securing your legs.

Offline Sprawl

When defending against a tackle, if timing and distance do not allow a combative, you may use an offline sprawl where you stay on your feet to get up immediately and stomp the assailant’s head.

Release from a Standing Professional Blood Choke

This attack must be defended immediately. It is crucial that you clamp down on the assailant’s arm, using your core strength to exert counterpressure. If the adversary is using a figure-four or “professional choke” grip, you must yank down on the crook of the assailant’s elbow while clearing the other hand from behind your head.

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Release from a Standing Professional Blood Choke, Variation

Once again, this attack must be defended immediately. It is crucial that you clamp down on the assailant’s arms using your core strength. This defense may be used if you errantly turn in the direction of the choke (the opposite direction of the previous defense). Use your core, not just your upper body, to yank down and apply counterpressure on the assailant’s choking arm and his hand clutching his own biceps.

Rear Naked Choke Defense Driven Forward into Seoi Nage Drop

These techniques allow the defender to naturally move forward with the forward choking pressure to counterattack by executing a strong throw. The seoi nage drop against a rear choke driving you forward requires you to slightly offset your hips from the assailant’s hips. The drop allows you to throw your assailant by sinking your hips lower than his to jettison him from your back. Note: gear and webbing may create space or “slack” between your torso and the attacker’s torso. Overcome any artificial space by securing his body as tightly to your torso as you can when you launch him. Note: this technique may also be performed with a double knee drop.

Defensive Throw against an Assailant Jumping onto the Defender’s Back

Similar to the previous technique, this tactic allows the defender to naturally move forward with the forward choking pressure to counterattack by executing a strong throw. This hip toss defense to counter a rear choke driving you forward requires you to square or slightly offset your hips from the assailant’s hips. Use both the assailant’s forward momentum and your forward momentum against him.

Defensive Throw against a Rear Choke When the Assailant Is Pulling the Defender Backward (Osoto Makikomi Variation)

This is an extremely difficult attack to defend, as the assailant has created torso separation and is pulling you backward, undermining your base. The key to the defense is to proceed (as learned previously) with your upper-body counterpressure; however, to defeat this attack you must work with your left far-side leg by raising it in the air to generate momentum to throw him.

Escort Control Holds

Krav maga employs eight different escort control holds designed to move a prisoner or control a belligerent person. Anyone who has had to control or restrain a determined resisting subject (“controlee”) understands the difficulty of applying minimum use-of-force controls. Accordingly, krav maga advocates using a “softener” combative or series of combatives targeting the “green” zones or anatomical targets that, when struck, will not result in long-term physical damage or death.

The control holds switch from one control tactic to another when a person resists. The switch is a form of retzev. These holds can be applied by one or two escorting or controlling officers, agents, or security personnel. Part of our specific focus in krav maga is to allow multiple responding personnel to subdue a person quickly and efficiently without placing pressure or force against a controlee’s spine, base of the neck, or throat. I have elected to cover escort control holds #2, #3, #4, #6, and #7. I have omitted escort control holds #1 and #5, as these are somewhat height dependent and not suitable for all practitioners.

Krav maga also has countermeasures to its own control holds; however, once again with the goals of this book in mind, these are not depicted but reserved for vetted, in-person training. In learning the countermeasures to our own control holds, our trainees become more efficient in administering the control holds.

Standing Escort Control Holds #6 and #7 may also be used to take a hostile third party swiftly and efficiently to the ground to apply restraints, to wait for additional help, or to de-escalate a situation. These takedown holds are thoroughly covered in Krav Maga Weapon Defenses (YMAA, 2012), chapter 1.

Control #2

Control #2 is designed to restrain a standing controlee’s freedom of movement while allowing the controller to escort him or her to a different location.

Control #3

Control Hold #3 is designed to restrain a standing controlee’s freedom of movement while allowing the controller to escort him or her to a different location or to force the controlee to the ground for additional restraints or de-escalatory tactics. By design, Control #3 flows from Control #2.

Control #4

Control #4 is designed to restrain a standing controlee’s freedom of movement while allowing the controller to escort him or her to a different location. By design, Control #4 flows from Controls #2 and #3 if the controlee resists and pulls his or her arm forward.

Control #6

Control #6 allows you to swiftly take down a controlee, driving him into the ground face first and achieving strong deadside positional control, as well as dominant control over any weapon. The hold places compliance or takedown pressure on the controlee’s wrist and shoulder while securing the controlee’s arm. Control #6 may be applied with or without preceding retzev combatives. An accompanying lower-body combative forces the controlee’s level down to facilitate Control #6. This control is designed to restrain a standing controlee’s freedom of movement while allowing the controller to escort him or her to a different location or force the controlee to the ground for additional restraints or de-escalatory tactics. (Also see pages 12–14 of Krav Maga Weapon Defenses [YMAA, 2012] for additional photos of Control #6 [otherwise referred to as Control Hold “A”].)

Note: by torquing the arm upward, an escape—especially using a scissors takedown or counter—becomes much more difficult. Take a 180-degree (tai-sabaki) step toward two o’clock with your right leg to bring down your opponent. As your opponent is going down, keep the grip tight. You may further secure him and the weapon by placing your right knee behind his elbow, exerting pressure up on the shoulder, and your left knee on top of his neck. Remove any weapon by peeling it from the assailant’s grip, using your thumb at the grip’s base to keep the point directed at him and away from you.

Control #7

Control #7 allows an assailant to be taken swiftly backward and down with strong deadside control. This hold can be administered if the controlee has an edged weapon in his hand. Control #7 may be applied with or without preceding retzev combatives. Usually, the defender has delivered strong preceding combatives and has control of the weapon arm before applying the specific hold. The hold places compliance or takedown pressure on the opponent’s shoulder and wrist while controlling the weapon. (See also pages 15–17 of Krav Maga Weapon Defenses [YMAA, 2012] for additional photos of Control Hold #7 [otherwise referred to as Control Hold “B”].)

For law enforcement and security personnel, or others who may wish to exert maximum control of the assailant, when effecting the hold against a perpetrator, armed or unarmed, once you have taken the opponent down on his back, you may reverse him onto his stomach. Yank up on his arm while still maintaining your figure-four grip, and then turn in the opposite direction. Do not break the movements by touching your knees to the ground. Be sure not to collapse with him, and keep upward pressure on his arm as you rotate him. Maintain the momentum of the takedown into an immediate reversal onto his stomach.

By keeping strong pressure on his wrist and shoulder to facilitate his turn, you have taken him down by combining a joint lock and a 180-degree step in one direction. Now take a 180-degree (tai-sabaki) step in the opposite direction. This second opposite turn begins to turn him onto his stomach. (See Krav Maga Weapon Defenses [YMAA, 2012], pages 15–17 for additional photos.) When employing this technique against an armed assailant, remove the weapon by peeling it from his grip, using your thumb at the grip’s base to keep the point directed at him and away from you. You are now in a strong position to remove the weapon, apply restraints, and control his movement. Once you have forced the controlee’s arm back and slightly away, seize the controlee’s hand, forcing it back and away into a wristlock.

Core Ground Survival Tactics

Beginning in the early 1990s, Grandmaster Haim Gidon began to revamp the krav maga curriculum, adding extensive ground survival tactics approved by Imi, who sat in Haim’s gym, monitoring, mentoring, and enjoying the continuing evolution of krav maga. What follows are some of the fruits of Haim’s dedication to improving krav maga.

As noted earlier, Israeli krav maga ground survival can generally be summarized, “What we do up, we do down.” In other words, whatever we do from an upright position, with modification and your weight properly positioned, we do from a ground position. This includes positioning the defender for optimum secondary-weapon deployment. And just as there are no rules in an “up” fight, there are no rules in a “down” fight. Groin strikes, throat strikes, eye gouges, and biting are all viable and are ground fighting options.

Do not go to the ground if it can be helped. A second assailant or multiple assailants could come to the first assailant’s aid. To state the obvious, fighting multiple adversaries on the ground is extremely difficult—hence the importance of developing your infighting and anti-takedown capabilities to remain standing.

Krav maga ground techniques incorporate both defensive and offensive tactics. In this book, we will only examine a few of the core techniques involving the most common ground survival situations.

Professional krav maga training also takes into account limitations that may be imposed on the defender’s movements and flexibility due to equipment, such as a duty belt, bulletproof vest, flak jacket, or backpack. It’s relatively easy to execute triangle chokes and other complex techniques in a dojo; on the street or in a combat zone, while wearing heavy equipment, it is much more difficult. Practical hindrances such as trying to apply an Achilles leg lock to an assailant wearing high rigid combat boots must also be taken into account when learning professional krav maga tactics.

Foreleg Brace Position (Modified “Z Guard”)

The “brakes” technique uses a horizontal knee brace to disengage you from an assailant who is trying to mount you or spread your legs. By turning on your side (which may also be used as a weapon-retention tactic until it is opportune to deploy a sidearm or edged weapon), raise one leg to use your shin and knee to keep an assailant at bay as you deliver combatives such as eye gouges, throat strikes, punches, and knee strikes. Your hips and legs are your most powerful muscle groups.

As you separate yourself from your assailant, forcefully extend your foreleg to both strike and push away from your opponent. You will likely gain the opportunity to kick him in the groin or head, using a straight kick or side kick while on the ground, both delivered with the heel. Make contact with your heel to the groin, midsection, or face. Get up immediately by sliding your underneath leg back and onto the ball of your foot while posting one hand on the ground and keeping one hand up to deliver more combatives and make your escape.

Foreleg Brace (“Z Guard”) Transitioning to a Handgun

The key to deploying a secondary weapon, in this case a handgun, is to create enough separation to be able to withdraw the handgun, get a clean line of fire (with none of your body parts in front of the muzzle), and squeeze the trigger as necessary. Crucially, the handgun must only be deployed when the defender is in a position to shoot. In other words, the assailant must not have an opportunity to disarm the defender or seize the weapon.

Legs play a crucial role in creating the necessary space. To push the assailant away to separation, krav maga’s preferred position on the ground is the foreleg brace position, or inserting the defender’s legs using one foreleg and the heel of the opposite leg.

Generally, the system does not embrace the guard because the groin is susceptible to attack including punches, elbow strikes, grabs, head butts, and biting. (Note: there are two positions in which the system does emphasize the guard: wrenching the neck and the seated guillotine.)

Foreleg Brace into Armbar

The foreleg brace also allows transitions into armbars (and triangle chokes, the next technique presented). Remember, the preference is to create separation and damage to the opponent with kicks, and get right to your feet. Again, being on the ground is dangerous for the myriad of reasons previously discussed. Nevertheless, ground survival by necessity incorporates maiming or strangling an opponent. This defense is a modification of a standing technique covered in chapter 2, Sliding Parry While Stepping Off the Line.

Foreleg Brace into Short Triangle Choke

The foreleg brace also allows transitions into triangle choke holds. Again, the best-case scenario is to create space, damage with kicks, and get to your feet. Surviving on the ground sometimes means maiming or strangling the enemy.

Inside Knee While Attacking the Eyes

If you are unable to obtain the foreleg brace position, the next best position is inserting your nearside knee to keep the assailant from mounting you. Then create separation and deploy a weapon, as necessary.

Protecting Your Neck

Protecting your head, neck, and spine during a confrontation is vital. The ability to defend against chokes and neck manipulations is paramount in all aspects of a fight, particularly in a ground scenario. A broken neck or spine can paralyze or kill. Hair may be used to torque the neck, exposing the throat to attack. (To yank the head back, you need to grasp the front of the scalp, running your fingers through the hair and making a tight fist to increase the leverage of the pull.) Having closely cropped hair or no hair provides an advantage to guard against such neck manipulations.

Counterattacks to the head and neck can shut the body down temporarily or permanently. The neck is extremely vulnerable because of its vital air passages, arteries, and nerves that sustain proper brain function. The spinal column is highly susceptible to injury at the base of the neck from strikes, throws, and locks, with potentially lethal consequences if the spinal nerves are severed. Striking, manipulating, and twisting the neck can injure the arteries and vertebrae. In a defensive mode, you must take great care to protect these vital areas through proper technique and body positioning. Chokes are quick fight enders. Obviously, you must not allow anyone to get his hands, arms, or legs around your neck.

Techniques that force the head forward, back, or sideways can produce serious injury to the neck, specifically the cervical vertebrae. The key to executing proper chokes is using your hands and arms to provide leverage and compression against an adversary’s throat and neck, leaving him few, if any, defenses. The narrower the choking implement, the easier the penetration to the adversary’s neck. The ulnar and radial edges of the wrist and forearm are particularly well suited to apply compression to the throat and neck.

Defending the Mount

If an adversary were to successfully mount you, he could rain down a hail of strikes while pinning you to the ground. Gravity works for him and against you. Similar to most krav maga defenses, you need to attack his vulnerable anatomy—in this case, the groin. As you attack the groin, simultaneously buck him off you.

Protecting the Throat and Neck

These preliminary defenses can easily be defeated by an assailant who yanks your hair back or applies pressure against your philtrum, eye sockets, or other pressure points. Professional krav maga focuses on just a few proven neck breaks and strangleholds. It is not appropriate to show these tactics here.

Deadside and Positional Control Strategy Revisited

Once committed to a fight, put yourself in a dominant position. Never turn your back to your adversary in any type of fight situation, especially if this puts you facedown on the ground, the worst possible position. From this position the back of your head and neck are exposed to attack. Nearly as dangerous is if the adversary secures you from behind or “takes your back” with his legs hooked around your torso or employs a body triangle clamp where he folds one leg under a knee, creating a figure four. As with deadside position in a standing fight, optimally you will achieve a side-mount or rear-mount position in a ground fight. There are four preferred krav maga ground positions: rear mount, side straddle, side mount with chest down, and the high mount while controlling the adversary’s arms. Punishing combatives, joint-break locks, and choke options are readily available from these positions.

Krav maga rarely relies on joint-lock breaks and chokes without first engaging in retzev combative attacks. Think of it as softening up your adversary. An adversary defending against combative strikes may put himself in a vulnerable position for joint-break locks and chokes. Many fighters rely heavily on the hands for combatives and the feet primarily for movement. Keep in mind that in a ground fight the legs become highly important for gaining control over an adversary. To achieve a lock, it is paramount that you keep your hips close to your adversary’s targeted joint. Positional control is crucial. Ease of transition or ground retzev must be second nature.

A Note on the Mount and High Closed-Guard Positions

The mount (where you are straddling your adversary with his back to the ground and your heels are hooked underneath his ribcage) and the high closed guard (where your back is to the ground and your adversary is pincered between your legs, which are hooked at the ankles) are well-known and formidable fighting positions. There should be little doubt of their proven efficacy in the ring. Yet there is one crucial street-fighting vulnerability if your adversary maintains proper position: your groin, throat, and eyes are also susceptible to attack.

Note that the best release and defense against locks, either while standing or on the ground, is to avoid putting yourself in a vulnerable position in the first place. As noted, chokes and joint-lock breaks are fight enders. While you can use them with great efficiency, remember they can be used against you. Keeping your chin tucked and limbs safe is key. This preemptive body positioning cannot be overemphasized.

Rear Naked Choke Defense (Warding Off the Hooks)

When fighting on the ground, if an assailant takes your back, you are in grave danger that he will apply a choke. He can also rake your eyes and pummel your head. A good ground fighter will pincer his legs around you to prevent your escape, and extend his body by stretching his legs and upper body in opposite directions to strengthen the choke or face bar. You are also in jeopardy of the assailant delivering punishing heel kicks to your groin (as you might do to an adversary).

A choke from the rear mount is one of the worst positions you can find yourself in, but it is not indefensible. However, it must be defended immediately before the adversary can sink the choke and hook his legs around you. Biting the assailant’s forearm is an effective option to facilitate the release.

Your objective is to roll into the crook of your assailant’s elbow and onto your stomach to break the hold. Maneuver your body away to the opposite side of his choking elbow to create some space to turn back into the crook of his elbow, create separation, and defeat the choke. Note: the turn onto your stomach must be forceful. The goal is to turn and end up facing the assailant, allowing counterattacks such as eye gouges, knees, and other combatives. “About-facing” your torso will break his grip. Do not in any way use your hands to push his legs away, as this leaves your neck and throat exposed.

Note: if your assailant is able to sink his leg hooks, a third option is to keep your chin tucked and use both arms to remove his left hand from the back of your head to counterattack with a straight armbar over your shoulder. Be sure you have defended against the choke adequately before going on the counteroffensive. Sliding your hips out will increase pressure on the arm. Be sure to keep his thumb pointed up. Note: you must execute this move quickly because both of your hands are committed, leaving you vulnerable.

Rear Mounted Naked Choke Defense against a Figure-Four Leg Lock

This type of choke—like all chokes—is extremely dangerous. Of course, the best way to defend it—again, as with all chokes—is not to get put into it. As with the preceding rear naked choke defense, do not let the assailant get his legs around you, especially when he is attempting a figure-four type of lock. A strong opponent with long legs can use a figure-four hold to hamper your mobility, break your ribs, and literally squeeze the life out of you, using both his upper body and lower body.

Defense against the Rear Mounted Naked Choke When Facedown

This is an extremely dangerous position to find yourself in and should be preempted or prevented if possible. There are professional assailants who, once they have this position, will not let go. So, the key is to avoid and prevent being placed in this dangerous choke. But if you find yourself facedown with an assailant on your back attempting to apply a rear naked choke variation, you must immediately tuck your chin and apply counterpressure. Because of the position, you may have to secure the assailant at the wrist and upper forearm next to the elbow hinge to apply counterpressure. The goal once again is to turn and end up facing the assailant, allowing counterattacks such as eye gouges, knees, and other combatives. “About-facing” your torso will break his grip. Once you create enough separation to breathe comfortably, counterattack his eyes and groin, followed by retzev.

Defending the Guard

If you maintain proper upright body position, the opponent’s groin is open to strikes.

Defending the Guard if the Opponent Pulls the Defender In

If your opponent successfully breaks your posture and clinches your head, use thumb gouges to the eyes to disengage, followed by retzev.

Neck Crank from the High Guard

The neck crank from the guard can have serious consequences for your adversary, especially if you keep your legs pincered. (Note: this powerful technique is also readily available from the inside clinch.) While on your back, you have drawn your adversary into you, facing you between your pincered legs.

Krav maga recognizes that you may end up on your back in a fight. So you must be capable of defending against all manner of combatives, especially strikes and chokes. When you close your guard by wrapping one ankle around the other, and if you react quickly to protect your groin by pulling your adversary’s torso close to you, the guard position offers the opportunity to deploy a weapon secured on your leg.

You must maneuver quickly because your groin is exposed to counterattack. By immediately forcing the assailant’s head into your torso while burying your head against your shoulder or biceps to protect your eyes, deploy your weapon.

Offenses from the Rear Mount

When there is no choice but to go to the ground, “taking” the adversary’s back—placing your chest to his back with his torso between your legs—is the most advantageous position, provided you are not facing multiple opponents. This is because you have an array of combative strikes and chokes at your disposal, including elbows and forearm strikes to the back of the neck, eye gouges, and heel kicks to your adversary’s groin and abdomen. Keep in mind that if an adversary takes your back, all of these offensive tactics may be used against you.

Rear Naked Choke with Heel Kicks

Rear Naked Choke with Eye Rake

If the adversary is resisting your choke, rake his eyes with your non-choking arm to expose his throat and neck to apply the choke.

Rear Naked Choke with Philtrum Rake (Not Depicted)

To facilitate exposing the opponent’s neck to apply a choke, you may use your forefinger to lift underneath the opponent’s nose (his philtrum) to force his head back. Significant pressure applied underneath the philtrum when pulling rearward will force the opponent to pick his head up, thereby lifting his chin in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. Note: you must apply this technique quickly and precisely to avoid being bitten.

Boxing the Ears and Striking with Elbows

Highly effective combatives involving the ear also include “boxing” the ears with palm heel strikes or using elbow strikes to the base of the skull or back of the head.

Counters to Defensive Measures against Your Rear Naked Choke Attempt

If the adversary defends your rear naked choke attempt by yanking down on your choking arm, you may use your other arm to apply the choke. Note: you may also grab your own clothing, reinforcing the hold, while repositioning your other arm underneath his chin to execute an opposite arm choke. Basically, you are switching one choking arm for the other.

Offenses from the Mount

When obtaining the mount, do not sit on your adversary. Keep your weight settled high on his chest to maintain balance and control his arms. Protect your groin with a forward lean. Your knees must provide good balance platforms as you hook your heels into the side of your adversary. In addition, your knees should be close to his torso and as high as possible toward his armpits to limit his striking and evasive abilities. (In defending the mount, as a countertechnique, keep your elbows in to prevent the adversary from riding up the torso.)

Mount with Forearm Groin Shield

Place yourself in the best possible position to strike and control while defending your groin by grabbing onto the assailant’s shirt right in front of your groin.

Another strong option is to control the adversary’s arms, which provides two tactical advantages: you can rain combative strikes down on his head and throat with impunity along with armbar options and chokes, and you can prevent him from striking your groin. Even if you do not control your adversary’s arms, you can still pierce his defenses to attack his head and throat. From the mount you have more mobility, and gravity is on your side as you deliver withering combatives. It is highly advantageous to keep your adversary’s back pinned to the ground to limit his escape options.

You can also position yourself with one knee on an adversary’s arm while trapping his other arm to facilitate combatives. This option also allows for armbar variations against the adversary’s free arm. For example, you can transition from a control hold to an armbar combined with a throat grab. For the armbar throat-grab technique on the ground, you will trap one of the adversary’s arms with your knee or reverse the mount across into a far-side armbar.

The following points will help you to maintain and use the mount long enough to deploy a cold or hot weapon:

To maintain the mount, you must develop good balance to counter the adversary’s body turns and push releases and to deploy your cold and hot weapons. One of the most common defenses is for the adversary to buck or throw you using his hips to bridge. Note: this is a krav maga defense against a substandard mount.
If your adversary wishes to roll on his stomach, let him. Loosen your legs slightly to allow the adversary’s movement while deploying your weapon; if you tighten them he can throw you or roll you over.
If your adversary tries to close the distance between you by using a “bear hug” from the bottom, you can use eye gouges (similar to the standing defense) or apply a painful arm brace to the jaw and throat by bracing his face across the jaw with your forearm or using the palm heel of one or both of your arms. The same technique will work if your opponent tries to grab your neck. Insert your arm as a brace against his throat and jaw.

Trapping the Adversary’s Arms for Weapon Deployment

Trapping an adversary’s arm or arms takes away both his ability to defend and to counterattack you, specifically your groin. You can deliver extreme punishment from this advantageous position and readily deploy your weapon. Trap your adversary’s arm by securing it firmly against your body with the inside of your forearm (both arms can be trapped in this way as well).