Swing like an American

Yesterday our Krav Maga instructor held a special session on defenses against stick attacks.

One of the defenses we learned was against a club, baseball bat, or other swung object.  We got into groups of two, and one person swung a thick dowel (about the diameter of a broomstick) at the other person, horizontally, as if he were trying to really whack the other person -- and then the other person would defend.

Most of the other guys (none of the females in the group attended) faced their opponent at about a 45 degree angle, and held their hands close together on the stick.  The instructor, as he walked around giving suggestions and making corrections, commented that it was obvious who was the American in the group (me!) -- as I was the only one swinging the stick in an effective manner.

I hadn't thought about it, but I had just done what came naturally if I was trying to whack the heck out of someone, with a stick:  feet apart, left hip towards my opponent, elbows out, hands a fist's-width apart.  Classic baseball batter position.


Apparently not a lot of Australians play baseball. And the cricket batting position is pretty different: you're swinging a plank with a handle -- underhand.


--GG