Each week MASTERCLASS gives you brief but key information on how to optimise a simple Krav Maga strike or technique.
This week we’ll cover a DOUBLE ELBOW STRIKE, a simple close range and very powerful bursting in movement where your head is protected by your arms and hands and your striking point towards the aggressor’s face or upper torso (height-dependent) is the outside and pointy part of your elbow joints.
ABOUT DOUBLE ELBOW STRIKE
This strike is designed to move really close to an unarmed opponent whilst delivering a devastating strike ideally aimed at their face in order to continue with further strikes or just bot create distance to escape. Your follow-up strikes will be determined by the ferocity of your double elbow strike, the physics of the impact and the backwards movement of your opponent in terms of distance. It could be close range elbows, a medium range hand strikes or longer range kicks.
This double elbow strike can be a solution to someone starting with hard-to-block multiple circular hand strikes towards you to get safely on the inside of the punches, as an in-fight solution where you want to get really close to use further strikes or just to create space and time by sending your opponent back. It can also be done as you land forward after a groin or front kick to protect your head whilst changing the range to close-quarter fighting with elbows or head butts.
These strikes when done correctly covers your head in the transition of range from medium-to-close whilst delivering a massive strike to the face of the opponent upon contact. It’s one of the fiercest strikes in our Krav Maga repertoire.
HOW TO DO THE DOUBLE ELBOW STRIKE
Send your upper body forward by pushing off with our feet. The optimal effect from a static position is to keep your feet in the same line, shoulder width apart, where you can push through both feet simultaneously. If you commence the double elbow strike from a movement position, for example after a kick, simply push off with base leg if you cant land beforehand.
As your body and head start to move forward, slam your hands with your palms facing downwards onto the back at your head in the position where the pointy part of your elbows is straight in front of your eyes. Make sure the elbows are joined together (no space) and your palms locked onto your head at the top or the rear (not the side) so they don’t move backwards upon impact, absorbing the energy rather than putting it into the target. Do not look down or lower your head unless the opponent’s face is lower, so to connect with the pointy part of the elbows and not the outside of the forearms. The latter will significantly reduce the impact of the strike. If the opponent is taller than you and the connection is onto their chest, there is still some pain and expect the opponent to move backwards still.
The arms and hand position around your head will offer some protection against head butts or circular punches as you close the distance to the target.
Upon landing, immediately drop your hands down in front of you to regain visibility and to continue with further strikes or to control your opponent via grabbing. If the impact didn’t move the opponent far, a great follow-up is a horizontal or downward angled elbow strike (see our Masterclass on elbow strikes). If some distance was created, straight frontal hand strikes may be your go-to solution (again, see our Masterclass). If the opponent was pushed a further distance back, use a groin, diagonal or front kick as a follow up (as always, more in our Masterclasses on how to do these).
The double elbow strike is a must-have in the fighting repertoire as it enables you to get close quickly and safely whilst delivering a potentially fight-stopping strike in the same motion. Train it so it becomes instrintive and natural.
Picture: Krav Maga Master Gheorghe Husar (right) filming with The Krav Maga Educator Orjan Pettersen for online tutorials.