Actress Debby Ryan is back in the gym training with self-defense trainer and Krav Maga expert A.J. Draven, and learning how to use her elbow, what she says is her favorite body part, as a weapon in case she is ever in need to protect herself. Watch the step-by-step tutorial here:
Oftentimes attackers, especially in domestic violence situations, will use their size and strength to attempt to overpower a smaller victim and using your elbow as a defense tool can save the victim’s life.
Using the elbow can be an extremely effective way to attack someone when the only option is to fight. If done properly, an elbow can do a great amount of damage due to the solid elbow bone that generates a lot of force, especially when aiming for the face, typically below the eyebrows and above the chin.
“I like to call elbows your best friends in a fight,” explains Draven. “You can use them at any angle that you can move your arm, and they are very powerful. Be sure to involve your lower body, as even though the elbow is the striking surface that you will be using, it’s best to start from the ground, rotating explosively and driving from your feet, legs, and hips forward towards your target.”
A.J. Draven is the creator of the Krav Maga and Get Fit Challenge programs and one of the founders of Project Level Up, one of the fastest growing health and fitness companies in the world. Draven has opened the door to effective self-defense training and improved fitness for thousands upon thousands of people, paving the way to fulfill his dream of taking the intimidation out of self defense training and making it accessible for people of all shapes and sizes looking to build confidence, feel strong, and be empowered. His challenge program is now in close to 400 martial arts gyms worldwide, and almost 2000 locations in total are using his Project Level Up App to run their challenges and train along with him with his at-home workout videos. And in Hollywood, AJ has been featured on all of the major networks both coordinating and choreographing fight sequences or appearing as the go-to expert in self-defense themed reality/docu-shows. He is often hired to train actors for roles requiring stunts/fighting skills, with the list including: Tomb Raider, Alias, Being Human, and The League. He was one of the main motion capture actors in the blockbuster video game Halo 4, and has been the lead role in 3 action feature films airing on Showtime, The Movie Channel, Netflix, and the SYFY channel.
