What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is not an elegant form of fitness, the way most people assume traditional martial arts to be. It’s core is based on defensive tactic systems, that have absolutely none of the gracefulness usually encountered with forms like Tai Chi. There is nothing meek about Krav Maga. Here the focus is on basic aggressive movements that get right to the crux of self-defence.

How was it Developed?

It was originally developed for the Israeli military, which needed a self defence system that could be learned quickly and would be effective irrespective of age, gender, physical fitness or body type. It also took into account that the combatants could not devote long hours to training. In Krav Maga there are no particular set of rules that the opposing parties have to abide by. They are simply self-defence techniques based on the body’s natural reactions.

What are some of its basic principles?

• Krav Maga is basically a survival system that deals with personal safety issues. It is a contemporary, highly sophisticated form of fitness, designed to be used against both armed and unarmed assailants, as well as a number of attackers.
• Krav Maga is based on principles rather than particular techniques. This separates it from most other forms, because systems which are technique driven do not allow for possibilities of variation in self-defence, such as attacks, counter attacks, body types and other variables which are likely to occur in a violent confrontation.
• Krav Maga is an integrated system, which means the techniques that are taught are applicable to more than one situation, allowing students to respond differently to attacks. Krav Maga is not simply a pot pourri of other arts and styles, but a carefully assembled and researched system, that has conformity from the basic to advanced levels.
• Krav Maga is battle- tested, and tests students under pressure to ensure their capability to survive ‘in the streets’. There are drills that are formulated to put them through mental, physical and emotional challenges that are closely replicated how a real violent conflict situation would be.

Krav Maga’s popularity is growing worldwide, as people are finding it to be the best possible amalgamation of practical, real-world self-defence that has a challenging and fun element as well. In fact, many law enforcement agencies over the world are adopting Krav Maga training.

Is Krav Maga Right for Me?

On the onset, Krav Maga was originally designed for soldiers with little time for hand-to-hand combat training, but the methods and the techniques are a perfect fit for the fast-paced lifestyles of today’s citizens, who do not have the time or inclination to devote to years of training.

Krav Maga basically works for everyone as it was designed for a military that enlists citizens of all ages, sizes, and genders. It employs the use of strikes to the vulnerable areas of an assailant, which can produce maximum damage with minimum effort.

Does Krav Maga require years of training?

Usually, fitness forms do require years of training in order to achieve proficiency at self-defence. However, Krav Maga’s training methodology allows students to achieve all their goals in a relatively short period of time. The training has been refined to meet the needs of people with busy life styles and thus, is perfect for adults with limited training time who wish to acquire the art of self-defence. Krav Maga is strictly self-defence and fitness for adults. Training time is devoted only to enhancing survival skills in a violent encounter.

Does Krav Maga help to get in shape?

Krav Maga is a great way to get in shape and relieve stress. Many Hollywood actors have turned to Krav Maga training, in order to enhance their on-screen fighting prowess and physique. The classes are also a fantastic way to relieve the stress that accompanies a fast-paced lifestyle. As more and more people are looking for unique and exciting ways to get in shape, away for the monotony of the gym and the treadmill, many people are finding that Krav Maga classes actually fit the bill.

Where can you train in Krav Maga?

Krav Maga Worldwide officially recognizes over 240 licensed training facilities world-wide. These training centres are required to have certified instructors teaching the Krav Maga classes, and the centres and instructors are held to extremely high training and teaching standards. The certification process is very demanding, with 30 to 40 percent of the instructor candidates failing the initial phase of training.

What is the Krav Maga Philosophy?

Krav Maga is directed at problem-solving, and though it’s main focus is self defence against violent encounters, the same philosophy can be applied to different facets of daily life as well. This is the beauty of Krav Maga, that it can be applied to our daily life as well.

One of the basic rules is not to get hurt. While this seems like stating the obvious, the intent is far reaching. It is imperative that the defender is aggressive in order to eliminate the threat and neutralize the attacker, thus diminishing the chances of injury.

Train from a position of disadvantage. You cannot be vigilant at every point in time. Life sometimes throws even the most planned person into disarray, and keeping this in mind Krav Maga teaches students to be prepared from a poor state of readiness. Thus, Krav Maga actually prepares you for reality, as the tactics and techniques do not have strategized footwork, hand positioning, balance etc. This is a significant element of Krav Maga training.

Identify and eliminate immediate danger. Krav Maga emphasizes, that the most imminent danger must be tackled first and efficiently. Utilize the body’s natural instincts. This training encourages decisive reaction under stress, pulling the defender from a state of inaction to action promptly. It helps to deal effectively with secondary dangers, that may exist in the assault. It trains students to counterattack as soon as possible, preferably to the defence. It also trains them to attack vulnerable areas. Krav Maga focusses on the analysis and use of the environment whenever possible, as violent attacks rarely occur in a controlled environment.

The Krav Maga Mindset

• Don’t quit:

A proper Krav Maga training regimen will go to great lengths to ensure a fighting spirit in each practioner .In a violent confrontation it is sometimes easy to just give up. However difficult the situation gets,dont quit. The idea is to last it out and not to give up at any cost, The essence of Krav Maga, and what will ultimately save the defender, is the willingness to do whatever it takes to survive.

• Flee to safety:

The ultimate goal is to go home safely. It is important to avoid remaining in harms way longer than required.  As time elapses, the variables can increase (like attackers, weapons, injuries, etc) so, Krav Maga emphasizes that it is imperative that a defender does whatever it takes to go home safely.

• Never do more than is necessary:

Eliminating the threat means doing just enough to facilitate escape. The defender does not have to carry on the fight. A defender need not exact vengeance or inflict punishment on the attacker. Not just from a moral point of view, but because that would be tactically unsound as the defender is being engaged in conflict for far more time than necessary. Often, extrication is the best solution.

Krav Maga and Fitness

The exemplary training methods of Krav Maga have often allowed practitioners to achieve physiques, confidence and fitness levels never before realized. As a self-defence form, the goal is to make students lives safer. Unlike typical gym fitness programs, Krav Maga offers life saving techniques and tactics to go with perfectly sculpted bodies.

• Strength Training

Strength, as it relates to Krav Maga objectives, serves to supplement a student’s capacity to cause damage to an attacker as well as absorb punishment. Here strength training is solely about increasing strength, unlike bodybuilding where aesthetics also play an important role.

• Explosiveness

Explosiveness is the ability to produce maximum effort or strength in a short span of time. In most Krav Maga defences, the ability to perform explosively is the best equalizer. It is an important aspect, since it allows smaller players to perform against larger defenders.

• Flexibility

Krav Maga does not rely or emphasize on any creative techniques, but depends on fundamental basics like flexibility. There are no fixed techniques or fitness patterns to follow. Increasing flexibility helps to reduce injuries, as well as increase mobility by allowing the full extension of the muscles and joints.

• Endurance

Endurance or stamina is the ability to exert maximum or near maximum effort, through aerobic or anaerobic training over an extended period of time. Fitness training must include a focus on endurance, and must condition the body and mind to exert maximum effort for as long as possible, in order to facilitate escape. Violent encounters are uncertain, and the dynamics might change during conflict so, the defender should have a high level of endurance and stamina to be able to sustain over a longer period of time.

Thus, Krav Maga training will increase your level of strength, improve your dynamic flexibility, help you burn fat, and benefit your overall fitness level.