Keysi Fighting Method Techniques

A lone man realizes that several people are moving at him with the intention of hurting him, maybe worse. He is cornered, and running away is not an option. He protects his face and torso with raised forearms while moving and striking. Once he's created an opening he gets out of there fast. What he's employed is the Keysi fighting method, which was featured in "The Dark Knight" movie series.

Opening Blows

The Keysi Fighting Method was invented for close quarter combat situations and to quickly neutralize an attack involving one or multiple assailants. It's based on a 360 degree awareness system where you evenly distribute your attention and your strikes to manage and survive your environment. You bring your hands up in the guard position protecting your head. Your elbows protect your torso as you move around in a circle, putting your back to a wall if possible to minimize the potential angles of attack. You also don't hesitate to hit the first attacker that comes in range.

Use Your Head

The guard position is called "Pensador," meaning "thinking man." You understand that as you neutralize one attacker, a second one will be upon you. An elbow strike targets the ribs of the closest attacker and is followed by a headbutt to the bridge of the nose. As soon as those strikes are delivered you engage the next enemy, possibly coming from another direction. Your arm that was guarding is now an elbow to the throat and a hammerfist to the groin.

Use Your Surroundings

You can use a wall behind you or to your side as part of your offense. When an attacker swings at you, instead of interrupting his momentum with a strike, grab his arm and redirect his energy into the nearby wall. You'll have to slip the punch while controlling the striking arm with one hand so the assailant can't use it to protect his face. With your other hand, shove the attacker's head into the wall.

Few Kicks Allowed

If you watch "The Dark Knight" movies closely, you will notice Batman rarely uses his feet as weapons. That makes it vastly different from traditional martial arts. Kicks are not a big part of the Keysi fighting method for a solid reason: close quarters combat is not conducive to wide sweeping leg motions.