I think I got this idea from someone on this forum, but I can’t find the original post, so if it was you, please raise your hand.
(definition of monkey-in-the-middle drill: one striker in the middle of two or more padholders giving non-stop hard & fast strikes of any variety for one minute or however long you determine. It’s exhausting.)
So, awareness: Secretly give your assistant or a sneaky student a clothes pin before class. At the beginning of class, tell everyone that someone has the pin & that they’re going to sneak up & pin it to them if they’re not paying attention. If the pin remains on a student for 5 minutes, that student pays a penalty. Hopefully you won’t get pinned at all, but if you do, quickly pin somebody else.
Matt, my sneaky pinner, waited until class was over half done in hopes that they’d forget. They did. He pinned someone & once the guy hit the 5 minute mark I stopped the whole class in the middle of their exercise & made them gather round while the pinnee had to perform a monkey in the middle drill at full power for one minute. The rest of us cheered him on & yelled like soccer hooligans the whole time, so its not like its an evil penalty, but nobody wants to be the only monkey in the room.
So thanks, idea guy, it was fun & got the job done!!
hmm…sounds like a simple drill, but a good idea.
why is it a good idea cyco?
imo it sounds like a silly drill a bullshido ‘ninja’ gym would play
I dont really get the point of it either. You want people to be on the lookout for clothes pins? Is this a TMA type gym where their is still the movie mysticism added into the training?
If it is a combat sports gym I dont see how this would apply to the sport.
You guys are way too analytical. I don’t see the harm in an AWARENESS drill like that. It’s one drill…not the foundation of their Krav Maga training.
[quote]Big_Boss wrote:
You guys are way too analytical. I don’t see the harm in an AWARENESS drill like that. It’s one drill…not the foundation of their Krav Maga training.
[/quote]
i think it’s pretty unanimous(sp?) that missP does some hardcore-ass training. generally when she posts stuff i’ll be one of the first people to read through whatever she’s got, and i’ll normally tell her how freaking awesome and laura croft-like she is.
that being said, if she posts something i think is silly, i’m going to say it.
if i’m going to talk about how hardcore she is when she’s being hardcore, it’s only fair i call her out when i think she’s doing something silly.
i also think she’s mad hot. cheeay boi!!!
[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
[quote]Big_Boss wrote:
You guys are way too analytical. I don’t see the harm in an AWARENESS drill like that. It’s one drill…not the foundation of their Krav Maga training.
[/quote]
i think it’s pretty unanimous(sp?) that missP does some hardcore-ass training. generally when she posts stuff i’ll be one of the first people to read through whatever she’s got, and i’ll normally tell her how freaking awesome and laura croft-like she is.
that being said, if she posts something i think is silly, i’m going to say it.
if i’m going to talk about how hardcore she is when she’s being hardcore, it’s only fair i call her out when i think she’s doing something silly.
i also think she’s mad hot. cheeay boi!!![/quote]
Gotcha,kinfolk. Just a little misinterpretation on my part. But I’m going to guess that she thinks it’s somewhat silly,too…but thought it was just a fun drill to throw in.
[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
why is it a good idea cyco?
imo it sounds like a silly drill a bullshido ‘ninja’ gym would play[/quote]
well, one of the things i see at work is people having really bad tunnel vision. now that’s something that can automatically happen when you have a lot of adrenaline, but it’s not uncommon to see people get blindsided by stuff they should’ve seen coming (also, when i respond to a street fight or something, there have been several times when i can show up with my lights flashing and be yelling and knocking people out of my way, and run right up on the people fighting without them realizing i’m there).
awareness drills like this one are really easy and simple, but the point should be clear to the trainee after the exercise. since much of what’s being trained with KM is self-defense, you need to be aware of LEO response, more bad guys, or just an obvious escape route.
we did a very similar drill in my JKD class in H-Town. Only difference, there were 4 attackers, 1 monkey in headgear, mma gloves, shins, and a mouthpiece… full contact, two attackers with boxing gloves and shin pads, two guys with rubber knives…longest minute(s) of my life. I remember my adrenaline was running so high, I had an overwhelming metallic taste in my mouth that nearly made me puke.
EDIT: Loved every round of the drill
Not really my style of exercise or drill.
I must admit that I am very easily annoyed by stuff like this, I just want to train and do drills I will actually use.
Don’t really see the point of this awareness drill to be honest.
[quote]ude garame wrote:
Don’t really see the point of this awareness drill to be honest. [/quote]
uhhhh…so you learn to be aware of what people are doing around you
i thought that was explained already…
Its more of the people who train for the combat sports vs those who do self defense Martial arts. In a combat sports enviroment it doesnt have much point. In a TMA self defense type deal I can kinda see the point of being aware of everything around you.
[quote]punchedbear wrote:
those who do self defense Martial arts. In a combat sports enviroment it doesnt have much point. In a TMA self defense type deal I can kinda see the point of being aware of everything around you.[/quote]
yeah, or those that are law enforcement or military, too…
[quote]ude garame wrote:
Not really my style of exercise or drill.
I must admit that I am very easily annoyed by stuff like this, I just want to train and do drills I will actually use.
Don’t really see the point of this awareness drill to be honest. [/quote]
If you don’t use your awareness, you’ll never get to use those drills that you think you’ll use.
[quote]cycobushmaster wrote:
[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
why is it a good idea cyco?
imo it sounds like a silly drill a bullshido ‘ninja’ gym would play[/quote]
well, one of the things i see at work is people having really bad tunnel vision. now that’s something that can automatically happen when you have a lot of adrenaline, but it’s not uncommon to see people get blindsided by stuff they should’ve seen coming (also, when i respond to a street fight or something, there have been several times when i can show up with my lights flashing and be yelling and knocking people out of my way, and run right up on the people fighting without them realizing i’m there).
awareness drills like this one are really easy and simple, but the point should be clear to the trainee after the exercise. since much of what’s being trained with KM is self-defense, you need to be aware of LEO response, more bad guys, or just an obvious escape route.[/quote]
I like this drill for people that are training in self-defense. Awareness is hard to train, and little things like this will have you on your toes.
Although it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the tunnel vision, at least if you can be REMOTELY aware of something that’s going on around you, you’ll be in better shape.
I also see this drill as being good practice for when you’re walking around Camden or Atlantic City late at night… your adrenaline isn’t up per se, but you definitely are trying to CYA without looking frightened or conspicuous.
And that’s the kind of shit that, when it comes to self defense, is way more important than knowing how to do a kimura or throw a six punch combination.
Yeah I do see the fact that one must be aware of things going on around you, but I doubt that this sort of drill really puts in the awareness.
According to me someone is most aware of his/her environment when they feel threatened, like when you need to go through a bad part of town or have to walk home alone late at night.
But even without such a drill you will be pretty aware of your environment.
When someone is completely relaxed with his environment I would say that his/her awareness will be low, no matter what kind of drills one may do.
Military/Law enforcement personnel is an entirely other discussion.
Like you said Irish, you need to be aware when for instance walking alone, but I think that anybody who needs to walk alone at night in a bad place will be more aware regardless of training or possible drill they have done in a gym or school.
Sorry I disappeared, guys, I was away for a few days.
I don’t mind the people who think the drill is silly, and I appreciate your being frank. It is silly, and its fun. Its designed to introduce the idea of awareness in a beginner class. Krav classes are so taxing and often frightening to beginners that I find adding an element of play at some point keeps people motivated to keep coming back.
However, most people tend to walk around in a bubble of unawareness, which I believe is unwise even when you’re in a “safe” situation. Advanced students will not need this sort of drill, but for those of you who teach beginners, it is very instructive.
And by the way, I found who emailed me the drill. It was Rory Miller, ha!
He’s coming this weekend, so I’ll share some of the stuff we learn with y’all.
I am staying with my position on this but I do understand that for Krav Maga that one may find this useful to introduce people in things that might happen. I also see a lot of people in their “bubble” as you put it.
Maybe it’s because I come from a different point of view that I would not use the drill but I do understand the reason now you explained it.
Did not mean to put down your exercise of sport in any way 
Just to emphasize how importance awareness is- last night I was outside having a cigarette at this biker bar, and a few 1 percenters were there from a local chapter of one of the gangs.
One of the bikers was fuckin around with one of his buddies, and jokingly pulled out a switchblade (or a fast opening folder) opened it on the sly, and had it hidden in his jacket, as if he was threatening someone.
Because I was a bit merry and everything, I was slow to notice it… and honestly, didn’t even see it until he was folding it up to put it away.
I try to practice this shit every day but still was taken completely off guard by the knife. On top of that, he had it in a vest pocket, where you wouldn’t know he had it until it was in your gut.
Just an example, once again, that sport doesn’t equal street, and real violence is a whole different mindset where not paying attention can, and will, get you fuckin killed. These drills are NECESSARY.
When I wonder in a biker bar where some gangs are coming together, I would not drink and would be on my toes…
I would be AWARE AS FUCK =D