Keysi Fighting Method

**GoldenJonas** · Posted On: 4/25/2008 3:30pm

Jimmy,

Can you elaborate on the training to make this review a little more worthwhile.

Thanks

**zipit777** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 11:28pm

When I was in Spain this week, I spoke with the founders about this and NO, there will be no distant learning instructors in America, all will be born and raised through Justo and Andy...Period...
Let me guess on the t-shirt? Batman Stunt Crew? :)

Well anyway, I am the Coordinator of Operations right now, I am NO instructor, nor am I an Ambassador, I am a firm believer you MUST EARN a title...

They are planning to come here (NYC) and teach here for a while to get people up to speed, but I KNOW that this will do well in America...Hey if its good enough for Batman, its good enough for me :)LOL

***Omega Supreme*** · Posted On: 4/28/2008 12:06am

Mega throwdown's on Memorial day weekend, what are the chances for a meet up?

**jimmy_the_eel** · Posted On: 4/29/2008 5:30pm

Sure, GoldenJonas,

training sessions had a pretty good balance between standup, takedowns and groundfighting, and from pad drills to different levels of compliant partner drills with increasing resistance to sparring, there was also an element of drilling under different circumstances, in enclosed spaces, on stairs, with multiple opponents etc.

I think Keysi really shines at the standup part, the "thinking man" (exactly the same as CM Boxing) covers used are very simple to learn so I think a total beginner can get a lot of confidence much quicker than in say, boxing or MT. In other arts might have to go to a few weeks of classes before you even see how to do some of the defences, slips, ducks, parries, b & ws etc and it makes good use of elbows to damage the fist of the person punching you. It also pays to have something simple to fall back on, I have had to use the thinking man cover twice when I was jumped while walking home from clubs and was in no fit state to defend myself any other way. I have luckily never had to defend myself against more than one person, but in drills and free-for-alls in the gym it seems to be the best option as you can keep a large part of your head shielded.

Keysi also makes good use of strikes that aren't so conventional, like palm strikes and hammer fists, which I also like. Kicking was pretty standard- MT style roundkicks, stomp kicks, although we were also occasionally trained in more savate-style kicks which I don't like, and also side kicks etc. Kick defences were mostly either shin blocks or an intercept-style kick to the low line, thinkin man defence on the mid- high lines. We were also taught to strike from different positions rather than just to a person directly in front of you. Elbows and knees were mostly standard MT- vale tudo style, only thing i didn't like were ther horizontal elbows thrown while the hand is still planted on the head, i reckon a standard MT elbow is much more effective here.

Takedowns were mostly pretty standard shoots etc, although they tended to wander off a bit into overly complicated kali/silat territory (2 arts i used to train and am no longer keen on) but we were always given a bunch of techniques and told to work on/spar the ones we liked, so that was ok.

Groundwork was pretty good, although nowhere near the standard you would receive if you went to a decent BJJ/ Sambo club, I think an emphasis in keysi is definitely street application, so there was an emphasis on getting out of the situation as quickly as possible.

Sparring could be either say, just groundwork (although usually fish-hooks, grabbing the groin etc etc was allowed), or groundwork with strikes, or just standup, or anything goes, standup to ground. Only problem we had with sparring was that it was almost always with MMA fight gloves with very little protective gear other than a gum shield, rather than the progressive sparring you'll receive in boxing training for instance, so there was a high level of injuries and a subsequent low turnout for sparring classes. I think this was compounded by the fact that it tends to be marketed as for self-defence (and as the style of batman) so some of the people that are maybe attracted to the style are not so keen on sparring anyway.

Any other questions, give us a shout and i'll try to answer them.

**zipit777** · Posted On: 4/30/2008 6:38pm

Jimmy, where you a Blackbelt in KFM? Did you study with Roland/Andy?

**jimmy_the_eel** · Posted On: 5/02/2008 7:48am

Hey, Zipit. No, as it happens I never graded so am a flesh-coloured belt in KFM.

I lost my enthusiasm for belts in the JKD belt-factory I trained in before, but that's another story.

**GoldenJonas** · Posted On: 5/02/2008 8:07am

Perfect write-up Jimmy, thanks a lot.

Please edit your write-up and provide ratings consistent with your write-up and with the "rating standards" listed here...No BS Martial Arts - View Single Post - Dojo Reviews Ratings Examples

You saved this review from being deleted.

**jimmy_the_eel** · Posted On: 5/02/2008 8:47am

GoldenJonas, the OP's review is for a different gym from the one I attended (which I believe no longer teaches a pure KFM class). I will gladly submit a review, but it would be for a now-defunct class, or for the system as a whole.

**kooler** · Posted On: 7/24/2008 6:30pm

My personal opinion about Keysi Fighting Method KFM is it is highly effective due to triangular blocks and strikes most of the system is worthwhile, and only thing I have a problem with are the headbutts. You never want a use your CPU, which is your brain, or give up your central nervous system to your opponent using your head to strike another person is a very dangerous move. Not only can you knockout your opponent. You'll hurt or knockout yourself. There are many other body weapons to use the besides your head. but all in all, the system is very effective on the street. It is something to really to look intoas Bruce Lee's to say take what's useful and effective and forget the rest.

**ThisWayUp** · Posted On: 9/06/2008 7:18am

Originally Posted by kooler

My personal opinion about Keysi Fighting Method KFM is it is highly effective due to triangular blocks and strikes most of the system is worthwhile, and only thing I have a problem with are the headbutts. You never want a use your CPU, which is your brain, or give up your central nervous system to your opponent using your head to strike another person is a very dangerous move. Not only can you knockout your opponent. You'll hurt or knockout yourself.

That's an interesting point. I don't know this forum very well, but I'd suggest you might want to start a thread. Here are two links you might find interesting:

http://www.hockscqc.com/articles/headbutts.htm

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...tting-for-real

For what its worth, the UK is practically the homeland of headbutting (Glasgow would probably be the capital - look up the expression "a Glasgae kiss") and I've never heard of this happening to an attacker - and you might have thought "Thug butts himself silly" would make a decent news story. Otoh when I was taught to headbutt (by a bouncer) it was always in an extremely controlled way - you grabbed the targets head and brought him forwards, under controlling, targetting his nice soft squoshy nose.

PS Superb write up, Mr Eel.