The Bob and Weave Mystery Revealed !

Since April 2010, Krav Maga Worldwide Europe (KMWE) has endorsed the Fit to Fight Program as its sparring enhancement program for Krav Maga students and/or MMA enthusiasts as well.

Fit to Fight (FTF) is an astonishing fighting/sparring program that bring students, no matter their size or their skill, in a highest level of proficiency by gaining a better knowledge of the techniques. You troubleshoot quickly your common mistakes and get tremendous results  through challenging and fun training drills.

Two months ago, I got the privilege to discover and take a deeper look inside the FTF Program with Ryan Hoover (co-creator) regarding the stand-up fighting, ground-fighting and specific fitness training included in. I was hooked immediately! That what I was looking for years for my students and for myself.

“With its unique layering approach, FTF introduces contact in a step-by-step, non intimidating, non frustrating and palatable way. Finally, you learn not only real fighting progressively but improve your stand-up and ground fighting skills you use in Krav Maga” – says, Ryan Hoover (co-creator of the FTF Program and KMW Instructor)

Now, we can move forward with some Jedi tricks !

Generally, bobbing and weaving to avoid punches expose students to a lot of frustration during the learning process. I can even say without mistake that it causes often problems to instructors too.

With the FTF Program, we refer instead to the terms of slip and roll which is a nice metaphor and give a better understanding of what we have to perform. “We don’t bob and weave! A lot of time people generally keep their shoulders square and we look to getting away of that” – says, Jeff Jimmo (co-creator of the FTF Program and MMA Trainer).

Added into the mitt training, slips and rolls engender head movements in sparring. The idea is to develop those good habits in mitt training, so when sparring begins “incidental defenses” are second nature, allowing the students to think more about hitting and less about defending.

You achieve the outside slip movement by simply rotating one shoulder forward which force you to make a small head defense as well while staying protected to the punch. From that position, you are able to counter attack or continue, if necessary (i.e. against a hook punch), with the roll movement and then counter attack or move away in a better position.

Proper roll must be performed through two distinctive movements by firstly slip and by secondly roll out and behind the front shoulder by bending your knees and slightly the waist. Not too much, you would be exposed to a knee to the face right away! One trick is to keep looking to your opponent with your hands up while rolling underneath the hook punch.

Let’s me illustrated these new notions with Larissa Berardi (KMW Instructor and Fitness Trainer). Note that you should train the slip and roll alone (pictures 3, 4 and 5) before implement it in a more advanced drill as showed here:

(1) Larissa has a defensive posture. (2) She throws a left punch. (3) The opponent will counter with a hook punch so, I simulate it by extending my right arm which force Larissa to slip first. (4) Then, my arm goes to my right and she must roll underneath it. (5) Larissa rises up while staying protected with her hands up. (6)-(7) And, she throws a right punch to finish the training drill.

By doing your defense as described, you develop good habits from the beginning and you increase drastically your chance of success in sparring. This is why the FTF Program is designed for …

If you have a question, feel free to ask in the comments.

Train hard and live with passion !

Thierry Viatour
KMW Europe Chief Instructor
BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences