The Best Way To Learn To Fight For Self-Defense.
The best way to learn to fight for self-defense might be different than what a large population might think or really understand. The term “fighting” is feared by some people, it’s confusing to some people, and yet it’s glorified and exciting to others. The ability to “fight” is going to be different for each and every person.
Krav Maga Worldwide classes teach fighting skills from a self-defense perspective. Learning to fight and learning effective self-defense takes two major components. The first is mental. Why do you want to learn to fight? The second is physical. What do you actually do in a fight?
Mentality.
There are many elements that make up a well rounded set of self-defense skills. One of those elements is fighting skills. Simply defined, a fight is “a violent confrontation or struggle” and there is no doubt that the ability to prevail in a violent confrontation or struggle is essential in terms of self-defense.
Many people want to learn to fight because combat sports are incredibly popular. From the UFC to ADCC and all the other tournaments, promotions, and exhibitions below them, sport fighting is a contest that features a “violent confrontation or struggle” meant to showcase the competing athletes ability to win that contest. However it’s incredibly important to recognize the difference between fighting and self-defense.
Self-defense is much more than just hand-to-hand combat skills. Sport fighting and fighting competitions are about athletes who are willing participants in a violent confrontation or struggle. There’s a set of rules involving what techniques can and cannot be used, the type of equipment that will be used, the weight class of the competitors, etc. It’s a fair contest. There’s a prize of some sort, and the participants dedicate time to training and preparing to compete for that prize on a certain date, at a certain time, in a certain place.
Most people in their day-to-day lives sincerely don’t want to be involved in a fight. What they want is to be safe from the type of confrontation that is the exact opposite of a sport fight or fighting competition. Being attacked on the street. Being followed home. Getting attacked while walking or jogging. Getting carjacked, etc.
These are incredibly scary situations. They are dangerous, life-threatening situations. Contrary to a sport fight, there’s nothing fair about situations like this. The time, the ruleset, the size of the people involved. It’s all completely random. The prize involved is the victim’s life and personal safety. Not a purse or medal or belt level promotion.
Training to develop the most effective self-defense skills should absolutely, without a doubt, inarguably, involve learning hand-to-hand combat skills. It should not simply focus on competing in fair contests, though.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense is a principal based system that stresses survival above everything else. In that way, Krav Maga Worldwide classes teach students to use situational awareness and de-escalation to avoid getting into a violent confrontation if at all possible.
Situational awareness is about not putting yourself in dangerous situations. Recognizing threats and possible dangers and avoiding them. This could be as simple as leaving a room, going home from a night out early, not going places alone, crossing the street if there’s someone coming toward you who unnerves you. It’s about removing yourself from the equation that could equal a fight, assault, or altercation.
De-escalation is similar yet somewhat more active. For example, you can choose not to react aggressively if someone cuts you off in traffic. You can choose not to engage with someone who wants to argue with you. It’s possible to tell someone they are right, you are wrong, and go about your life safely. Getting called names or insulted by someone you don’t even know or care about means nothing. It might sting your ego to walk away from a situation in which you COULD start or even win a fight…but that’s not self-defense. There is no need to become involved in violence if it can be avoided. This is a survival first mentality.
Developing situational awareness and de-escalation skills takes practice and training. However there’s a near 100% chance that getting involved in a fight will end up with someone being hurt. Real life consequences, potentially life-changing consequences are involved. The only way to 100% ensure that you won’t be subject to those sorts of consequence is to not be involved.
It’s beyond naive to think that any and all violent encounters can be avoided simply by training and developing a strong self-defense and survival mentality. It’s just not possible. Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers understand that. In that case, in the case that a violent confrontation cannot be avoided, we teach students to fight back, win, and go home safe. There are no rules. Use whatever means necessary. In order to do that, students need fighting skills.
Krav Maga Worldwide fight classes start with this mentality. We don’t want to fight. We’ll do anything in our power not to fight. However if we have to fight we are going to fight aggressively for our own survival. If you want to learn to fight and have a well rounded set of fighting skills for self defense, Krav Mag Worldwide self-defense and fight classes are the best way to learn to fight.
Physical skills.
When it comes down to actually, literally, physically, fighting aggressively for survival there has to be an understanding of what fighting is. There are three major phases to consider. Fighting on the feet or “stand up fighting”. Fighting on the ground. Fighting in the transitions between the feet and the ground (takedowns and throws).
Realistically these three phases of fighting result in three different scenarios. Two people fighting while both are on their feet. Two people fighting while both are on the ground. Two people fighting while one is on their feet and one is on the ground.
In order to be able to “fight” effectively you have to train for all phases, stand up, ground fighting, and transitions between the two because a fight will put you in one of the latter three scenarios.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes and fight classes teach all of these skills and build them in our students. We teach students to use punches, kicks, knees and elbows to fight in stand-up fighting. Ground fighting techniques involve fundamental positioning, getting up safely, escapes from pins and mounts, reversals (or sweeps), establishing dominant positions, and some submissions and joint locks. In the transition phase we focus on executing fundamental throws and takedowns as well as defending against those techniques.
All of Krav Maga Worldwide’s self-defense, fitness, and fight classes are designed to make people safer and stronger. There is synergy in our programming.
Fight training at Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers really starts in self-defense classes. In lower Krav Maga levels students train on all of the techniques that apply to the major phases of fighting without any real, live, resistance. As students progress through the Krav Maga belt system and to higher levels of Krav Maga, full contact sparring and training with live, resisting, opponents becomes a regular element of training.
Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers also offer fight training classes that focus on training with resisting opponents in all three phases. These classes are an excellent way to supplement training and to improve fighting skills. Full-contact fighting and training can be intimidating to some students so most Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers offer an “Intro To Fight” program that progressively builds skills and intensity of training over the course of 9-12 weeks.
One of the best aspects of Krav Maga fight training is that all of our training relates back to a self-defense and survival mentality. We don’t have to consider a rule system so we train students to use techniques like groin strikes, eye gouges, throat strikes, and strikes to the back of the head. These techniques are considered “illegal” or “fouls” in a competition setting.
We’re not fighting for a prize. The focus in our training is damaging an opponent or attacker to an extent that it will give us a chance to get away from the encounter altogether. There’s no strategizing for a three or five round fight. The idea is to go home safe. That’s what Krav Maga fight training is about.
Think about what you want.
If you’re the type of person who really wants to test yourself and your ability to fight in a competition setting, then there are throngs of “fight” focused gyms for you to check out.
The best way to learn to fight for self-defense is at Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers. It’s not about winning a prize or medal. Our training is about being as safe and strong as possible and living a peaceful life.
All of our Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers are dedicated to this sort of training. Krav Maga Worldwide certified instructor are experts in self-defense, fitness, and fight training and they are committed to helping students reach their goals.
If you want to start self-defense training or fight training and are looking for “self-defense near me” or “fight classes near me” check out our searchable map of certified training centers and we’ll help you get started.
