Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from krav maga expert David Kahn’s book Krav Maga Weapon Defenses.

Welcome back to another installment of the Krav Maga Technique of the Month. If you haven’t already, please read our Primer on Krav Maga for the basics and background of this highly effective Israeli combat and self-defense system. Also, read our previous month’s installment on the overhand direct one-handed strike defense. Today we’re tackling how to defend against an assailant who is using a chair, stool, or similar object to come at you with an overhead swing attack.

If both you and the assailant lose control of the stool or chair, kick the chair away. Note that kicking the chair away does not necessarily violate krav maga’s cardinal principle of always controlling the weapon. By kicking the chair away, you are controlling the weapon by the only means at your disposal. If another assailant picks up the chair to resume an attack on you, krav maga uses control techniques to put your first assailant in the line of fire. In a worst case scenario, you’ll have to defend against a second attack. Of course, you can disable the assailant who may drop the chair, allowing you to pick it up, and if necessary, use it as a cold weapon.

Until next time, train hard and always remember retzev.

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