There’s a reason why professional fighters, everyday people, and even the world’s top militaries practice our discipline: Krav Maga is effective. While sport systems are impractical and often useless in a real fight, Krav Maga excels at helping its practitioners defend themselves against a wide array of attacks. The reason behind this, rather than some esoteric principle or secret unbeatable move, is that Krav Maga was designed for fighting in the real world.
From The Streets
As World War II approached, the founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld, developed a fighting system to help him defend the Jewish quarter of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, from fascist troops and gangs. By distilling his knowledge of wrestling, boxing, and streetfighting down to the most effective techniques, he developed a brutal, efficient style based on survival above all else. After the war, he began instructing Israeli Defense Forces in this discipline as a means of unarmed self-defense should they become disarmed or be unable to bring a weapon to bear on a threat fast enough. Krav Maga is effective today because it has continued to stay true to these roots.
Building A Warrior
When you begin to train in Krav Maga, you’ll notice that the training is two-fold. Sure, you’ll train your body to be stronger, tougher, and faster. Your instructor will work with you on the techniques you need to survive a real fight, like Krav Maga strikes, holds, and throws. They’ll also help you cultivate the warrior spirit.
The warrior spirit is the mental training that helps you anticipate a threatening tactical situation and understand how to survive one when it occurs. Just like your muscles need to be trained for fighting, Krav Maga is effective at training your mind and heart to survive these encounters. The ability to assess and address threats correctly is as important to winning a fight as having the strength and stamina to physically handle an attacker.
Let’s Get Physical
Brutally Efficient Techniques - Krav Maga strikes, holds, and throws are meant to maximize damage. We don’t train for points or sport; we train for fights. Unlike other systems, there are no off-limit targets. Strikes to the neck, eyes, and groin are encouraged because they cause pain and injuries that end fights faster. Holds that apply immediate breaking pressure to bones or joints incapacitate your attacker, allowing you to escape or finish the confrontation.
Defending As You Attack - Krav Maga’s physical training focuses on preparing your body for combat. This goes beyond being able to deliver damage to mitigating and redirecting your assailant’s force. When done properly, effective Krav Maga is designed to prevent your attacker from delivering meaningful damage.
Tempering The Steel - Throughout training, you spar and practice with instructors and other students. This gives you experience fighting against real, breathing opponents rather than the imaginary opponents of a kata. As you exchange blows, your muscles, joints, and bones will develop greater endurance. Tendons and ligaments will become stronger in response to the repeated holds and impacts. From your feet up, your body will learn through repetition to better handle the rigors of a real fight using Krav Maga.
Optimizing The Machine - Some fights aren’t won by technique but by resilience, and Krav Maga is effective at developing that resilience. Stretching not only prevents injuries in the gym; it also helps train muscles to be long and pliable. As you get your heart pumping and your breathing rate up in practice, you will gain more stamina and an increased cardiovascular capacity. This lets you fight longer and harder when necessary.
Winning The Mental Game
Situational Awareness - The easiest way to survive an attack is to not be attacked. Krav Maga is effective at training your mind to recognize potential threatening situations before they occur. By understanding the tactical layout of your surroundings and analyzing potential threats, you can avoid those threats more easily. If, however, they can’t be avoided, you are aware and ready to act decisively to end the threat.
Real-World Tactical Training - In a real fight, you will react based on your training. Krav Maga prepares you for a real fight by providing the same rules in its instruction that you will face on the streets. There are no forbidden strike zones. There are no holds barred. If a fight happens, you won’t hesitate to strike an “illegal target” because in Krav Maga, there is no such thing.
Adaptability - Krav Maga is created from effective techniques across many disciplines. This helps eliminate the confusion of facing an unfamiliar style because in training you have been attacked by techniques from around the world that were not delivered in a set pattern. Rather than being locked into a routine, kata, or style by training, you will learn to recognize and respond to attacks as they are delivered with the freedom to react accordingly. In a real tactical situation where your assailants may have different levels of skill or combat styles, this adaptability is invaluable.
The Will To Keep Going - Whatever your limits are, Krav Maga training is effective at pushing them. You’ll learn your body, how to get the most out of it, and how to get that little bit extra that can make a difference in a fight. Understanding how your body moves and fights when it’s sore, tired, and exhausted increases the odds that you and not your attacker will survive a fight. This mental toughness will help you keep going when every fiber of your body just wants a break.
Train Like Your Life Depends On It
There are no guarantees when an attack occurs. You can, however, guarantee yourself a better chance for survival by making sure your training is effective. Krav Maga is for real fights with real attackers. When you’re ready to register for classes that will help you defend yourself and those you love from real-world threats, visit a Krav Maga Worldwide location.
