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AIKIDO FOR THE STREET
Author: Sara Fogan
During the 25 years Robert Koga served as an LAPD officer and the 40 years he has taught self-defense to military and law-enforcement professionals, he’s learned what it takes to survive.
Ever since his first judo lesson at age 12 and his subsequent training under aikido legend Koichi Tohei, Koga has been obsessed with evaluating how well techniques work in real life. Over the years, his quest led him to study a variety of styles and earn a black belt in judo, aikido and jujutsu. “I needed to know how to convert some of the things that I felt would be good for police work, so I spent all of my time learning things that maybe the average student didn’t have time to learn,” he says.
The 72-year-old Southern California- based instructor now spends his days conveying his discoveries to people who want to learn how to survive in the real world. Much of what he teaches comes from traditional aikido, but a significant portion is the byproduct of his own experiences on the street. “I studied the body and experimented and practiced, so I learned to make things more efficient without having to do just an art form,” he says.
The following are four techniques from his Koga jutsu system. As you study them, rest assured they are among the most effective in the world.
REAR CHOKE DEFENSE
If an assailant rushes up behind you and wraps his fingers around your neck, you may not be able to simply reach up and peel his hands off, Koga says. To more efficiently defend against such an attack, you should widen your stance to lower your body, tilt your torso to the right to improve the angle at which you must function, and grab his right hand with your right hand. Next, step backward with your right foot and kneel as you pry his right hand away from your neck. A quick two-hand wrist twist will then flip him onto his back.
“If you twist and pull, there’s a chance you can injure his wrist,” Koga says, “but the body tends to follow [the force] and turn completely over.”
The goal of this defensive technique is to get the assailant off your back as quickly as possible and toss him to the ground, Koga says. After that, he will be sufficiently incapacitated for you to escape or execute a follow-up technique to render him unconscious.
Escalation: Although this aikido throw is not lethal, the shock of being hurled forcibly onto the ground can knock out a person who is not accustomed to breakfalls, Koga says. And if you crank his wrist hard enough, it is possible to break the bones, he adds.
Mistakes: If you fail to tilt your upper body, you may not develop enough leverage to throw the assailant, and if you don’t step backward far enough, you could end up in a wrestling match, Koga warns. “If the mistake you make is bad enough and the guy knows what he’s doing, a multitude of things could happen depending on what he knows and what your athletic abilities are.”
PUNCH DEFENSE NO. 1
If a thug threatens to take your head off with a punch, you should immediately immediately step toward him, slipping inside and under his arm, Koga says. Your left foot is positioned between his feet, and your right hand protects the left side of your face. From there, you can strike his unprotected groin with your left hand.
The pain of such a blow will cause him to stop, and when he does, you should grab the back of his neck with both hands and pull his head downward as you twist clockwise, flipping him onto the ground at your feet.
Next, squat down to drive your right knee into his collarbone. “It will also push his face sideways and pin him,” Koga says. Then catch his right arm with your hands while maintaining the pressure with your knee. Finish with an armbar; you need not fall to your back for it to be effective.
Escalation: If you throw the attacker with sufficient force, you can stun or disorient him, Koga says. If you drive your knee downward with excessive zeal, you can break his collarbone— which will terminate the fight instantly.
Mistakes: If you are not fast enough to avoid his punch, you will be hit, Koga says. And if you are struck while you’re moving toward the attacker, the blow can be especially damaging.
PUNCH DEFENSE NO. 2
If a hoodlum approaches you and throws a right cross at your face, you can use your left hand to deflect the punch to your right as you slip to the outside, Koga says. Before he can retract his arm for another attack, raise your right hand and use it to collapse his punching arm so your left arm can pin it against your chest. Because that action pulls him forward, it disrupts his balance.
Next, strike his face or eyes with your open right hand, but be sure to keep his right hand trapped against your body. Then use your right forearm to apply pressure against the crook of his right arm while you rotate your body counterclockwise, forcing him to the floor.
As soon as he lands on his back, lift his right arm to roll him onto his stomach, where it is easier to maintain control. Quickly maneuver to the right side of his body and immobilize him with an armbar and/or wrist lock.
Escalation: The opening techniques of this sequence will not seriously injure the assailant, but when done with sufficient force, the final joint lock can break bones.
Mistakes: If you do not deflect the opponent’s punching hand quickly enough, you can be struck and possibly knocked out, Koga says.
GUN DEFENSE
A classic hostage scenario features an assailant wrapping his left arm around your neck while he holds a gun to your right ear, Koga says. The defensive response he recommends begins with your left hand reaching across the front of your body and making contact with the weapon. If the assailant is standing behind you and off to your right, he says, chances are his field of vision will not encompass the left side of your body. “By the time he sees your left hand move, it’s already hit his hand and the gun has hit him in the face,” he says.
The blow distracts the attacker and gives you a window of opportunity to grab the weapon and weapon hand. Immediately take control of it and keep it pointed away from yourself. To effect the disarm, twist his wrist to the outside, grab the barrel with your right hand and continue to twist. As you crank his arm in front of your body, he is thrown to the ground. Maintain control of his weapon hand with your left hand as you leverage the gun from his grasp with your right hand. Finally, press the gun against his elbow, roll him onto his stomach and immobilize his limb with an armbar and wrist lock.
Escalation: “You can take him down gently, or you can really crank his arm and damage his wrist and elbow,” Koga says. “And, of course, if you slam him to the ground, that will cause him even more pain.”
Mistakes: If you use your right hand to strike the assailant in the groin, you might get yourself killed because his finger is probably on the trigger, and the pain of your blow will cause him to contract the muscles in his hands and fire the weapon. Therefore, your very first move, should you decide not to comply with his demands, must be to direct the muzzle of the gun away from your body. ...
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