Martial Art Spotlight: The Keysi Fighting Method

One of the greatest things about working for KarateMart.com is that we get to meet so many martial artists who are constantly introducing us to new martial arts styles. Recently, a customer of ours told me about the Keysi Fighting Method. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is being used to choreograph all sorts of Hollywood movies, so I decided that it would be perfect for this months martial arts spotlight.

The Keysi Fighting Method is considered one of the deadliest martial arts currently practiced. It is the fighting style featured in the latest Batman movies, Jack Reacher, and Mission Impossible 3. The Keysi Fighting Method made its debut in Batman Begins, and has since gained a fair amount of popularity.

The Keysi Fighting Method is considered one of the deadliest martial arts currently practiced. It is the fighting style featured in the latest Batman movies, Jack Reacher, and Mission Impossible 3. The Keysi Fighting Method made its debut in Batman Begins, and has since gained a fair amount of popularity.

Origins of Keysi Fighting Method

First emerging on the streets of Spain in the late 1950's, the Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) gains street cred from the fact that it is a self-defense system which draws on your natural fighting instincts.

This style of fighting was formalized when founder Justo Dieguez teamed up with Andy Norman. Although Batman Begins could be seen as its official arrival, the two had in fact been working on the fighting style for about 20 years prior to auditioning for stunt double roles for the 2008 movie. After Batman Begins was released, the pair defined the Keysi Fighting Method as: "pure blood born street fighting method that was conceived on the street and born in the fight."

The Fetal Position and the Thinking Man

Justo Dueguez accredits the Keysi Fighting Method to his gypsy upbringing, since fighting with other kids was a daily occurrence. The inspiration came when Justo, age four, watched a street gang beating up another kid. He observed how the boy tried to shield himself by going into the fetal position. Later, Justo went home and thought about what he'd seen, and started to identify what the boy should have been doing. He started practicing fighting from the fetal position under the kitchen table and this was the birth of one of KFM's fundamental characteristics.

Another key characteristic is found in the "Pensador" (the Thinking Man) which Andy Norman sums up as: "just a method of covering up your head from attack! This is something we all naturally do when starting to get punched or kicked. I have done it and it works. Your brain is your computer and as such you want to protect it as best as you can."

A Typical KFM Workout

For Justo Dueguez and Andy Norman, a typical workout included:

• Cardio & Weights Workout
• Similar to bodybuilders, preparing for a competition but changing direction half way
• Increasing food
• Intensifying cardio for the fitness & conditioning.

Some Keysi Fighting Method Features

• It draws on our natural fighting instincts.
• The Keysi Fighting Method has a "3-D" situational focus as opposed to a one-on-one focus of other martial arts, making it more true to real-life, where there is depth and possibility of multiple opponents.
• The Keysi Fighting Method is unique in its approach in training fighters to respond to situations where they are facing multiple threats (e.g. being attacked by a gang).
• KFM is said to actually develop the "Fighting Instinct" (the predator mentality).
• Uses the "Pensador" as a defensive and offensive method, which is both confusing and surprising to opponents.
• Trains you to understand how an attacker typically moves in a fight so that you may be able to see your opponents own body in a fight to expose further targets.