Krav Maga Techniques and Training - What to Expect When You Start
April 27, 2008
BRIEF HISTORY OF KRAV MAGA
To understand the history of Krav Maga it is necessary to explore the background of our founder and also a little of the history of Israel as all are intertwined.
The founder of Krav Maga (pronounced Krahv-mugah and which translates from Hebrew as ‘contact fight’ or ‘contact combat’) was Imi Lichtenfeld.
Imi was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary but grew up in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Imi was a natural athlete, excelling in wrestling and boxing and winning national championships in both. He was influenced greatly by Samuel Lichtenfeld, his father who was a chief detective inspector and also self defence instructor to the men serving with him. Samuel also taught self defence at Bratislava’s first gym, which he owned. He naturally passed on his knowledge to the young Imi.
During the 1930’s, fascist and anti-Semitic factions appeared in Central Europe, including Bratislava. During this period of time, Imi took part in numerous clashes and fights with fascist and anti-Semitic thugs both alone and with his companions, many of who also trained in combat systems such as boxing and wrestling. These fights honed his fighting skills and awareness and moulded him from a skilled sportsman into a practical fighter. As you shall see, Imi`s early upbringing influenced heavily what was to eventually become Krav Maga.
After escaping from the Nazis clutches, and enduring many hardships and adventures (including serving in the Czech Legion) Imi arrived in what was then Palestine and joined the Haganah resistance (which was a pre-IDF military organisation) fighting alongside them for Jewish Independence.
During the mid-forties he also taught several elite units hand-to-hand type combat based upon his experiences. In 1948 the State of Israel was born and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) was founded and Imi was asked to become Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga.
During the next 20 yrs he refined and developed his unique method of self-defence and hand-to-hand combat continuing to teach regular and special units of the military. Imi’s Krav Maga had to meet the varied needs of the IDF, as from the moment the State of Israel was born it was at war with its neighbours and therefore the IDF’s new recruits needed to be trained quickly and efficiently in hand-to-hand combat.
Grandmaster Imi’s solution to this problem was to use his deep understanding of both the human body and human dynamics, and also his extensive personal experience in real-life violent situations and knowledge of various fighting systems and combine it with the body’s natural instincts and reaction under stress.
These instincts and reflexive movements were then polished and refined, therefore reducing reaction time. Added to these elements were aggressiveness and a ‘never quit attitude’.
Krav Maga was eventually refined and adapted for civilian use and has evolved into a training curriculum that can be adapted for civilian, military, law enforcement and also close protection. The system has now extended beyond Israel’s borders and is taught and practised worldwide. Grandmaster Imi passed way in January 1998
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN KRAV MAGA
From a physical point of view a practitioner is taught ‘combatives’ such as hand and foot strikes, knees and elbows supplemented by head butts, gouging, biting etc. These are practised in a shadow fighting format, on bags and pads and also partner work and from a myriad of angles.
Escapes from chokes, grabs and holds are learned as are defences against armed assault (blades, bottles, guns, sticks etc). All of the above are taught and practised in a realistic and effective manner against single and multiple opponents.
Grappling and anti grappling, break falls, hand and foot strikes and regaining feet are also taught alongside other ground fighting strategies. When this is introduced is dependent upon the Instructor and the Group/Associations curriculum.
The principles strategies and techniques of Krav Maga are relatively simple to learn and easy to retain. This retention is aided by drilling the techniques under pressure, when disadvantaged and when tired so that they become intuitive to the practitioner. The workouts themselves will increase fitness, flexibility and all the other attributes that come with practising an energetic aerobic system of combat.
Mental Visualisation is an essential part of a practitioner’s development and aids learning and retention. Scenario planning and the use of everyday objects as improvised weapons should be visualised (and of course practised physically) in a variety of scenarios and situations. Confidence will develop as a practitioner develops his/her skills. This is transferred into confident body language that is beneficial in a social as well as combative sense.
Tactical awareness of one’s surrounding is encouraged and taught and many Krav Maga clubs also teach/discuss body language (your own and other peoples). Conflict management is another area that should be taught and combined with an effective ‘game plan’ such as:
- Avoidance
- Escape
- Verbal dissuasion/conflict management
- Pre-emptive strikes (if/when appropriate)
- Plan ‘B’ - (also known as Murphy’s Law)
YOUR FIRST DAY AT A KRAV MAGA SCHOOL AND WHAT TO EXPECT
Typically a new student’s first session is made up of some or all of the following depending upon the length of the lesson time, which is typically between 1–1½ hrs duration. A brief discussion on Health & Safety would take place (removal of watches and jewellery prior to practise) fire alarm drill, toilet facilities etc. This would be followed by a brief overview of the background of the system and then into the class proper.
A brief but thorough warm up to get the practitioner ready (physically and mentally) for the session ahead will take place. The intensity of the warm up/conditioning will increase as the experience/fitness of the individual/group grows. The warm up may be general or specific (e.g. if the emphasis was to be on kicking techniques more emphasis would be placed on stretching out the leg muscles to prepare for the task ahead).
This is usually followed by a brief but intense combat game of some sort. Often this would involve a game of ‘tag’. This game is aerobic so gets the oxygen and blood pumping, gets the reflexes ‘in tune’ for the work ahead and is good fun! This also helps to ease any apprehension the new student may be feeling as well as serving as a very basic introduction to outside defences against hooking type punches, circular knife attacks etc.
We are now ready to learn 360 degree outside blocking against a circular hand attack. This is using the body’s reflexive and instinctive reactions to block an attempted circular attack to the defenders upper, mid or lower body. Gradually a hand strike is introduced which should be applied simultaneously with the block.
Basic striking is initially taught, such as straight strikes with the heel of palm and also the fist. A knee to the groin and also a front kick could be practised also. We have now introduced the new practitioner to ranges of combat long, medium and close.
Escape from a 2-handed front choke is often introduced. It is a convenient start point for self-defence training against grabs. There is an instinctive reaction to this type of attack which is to send both hands to the danger (throat area) and try to peel the hands away from the throat/windpipe. Krav Maga will turn this instinctive movement into an effective defence (by polishing and refining it).
Instead of peeling the hands away a Krav Maga practitioner would turn his hands into a hooked shape and pluck or snatch the hands away in an explosive movement whilst simultaneously kneeing to the groin. This would then be followed up by a hand strike as taught earlier on the class and then the student is taught to escape (hit and run).
If time permits we would look at the same problem but from the side or rear. The defence involves using similar principles to defend effectively e.g. pluck/strike/follow-up strikes/escape.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
Training attire should consist of loose comfortable clothing. Preferably without zippers and buckles for the safety and comfort of both you and your training partners.
Footwear is dependent upon the surface on which you are practising:
- A matted surface would require appropriate footwear such as martial art type shoes (or wrestling boots as these give good ankle support), whereas a wooden studio floor would also give the option of gym shoes.
- A groin guard and mouth guard are recommended - just in case!!
- As the student progresses shin guards can be added to ones kit, as can bag gloves and hand wraps.
Higher level practitioners may wish to participate in controlled sparring. Therefore the appropriate sparring gloves would be required (usually 4-16 oz) and possibly a head guard. This would be discussed with your instructor/coach.
EXPECTED TRAINING COSTS
I can only give an approximation from my knowledge of the UK scene. Typically a class varies in cost from £6.00 to £10.00 each class. It is now becoming more common on the UK scene to pay by Direct Debit (monthly Standing Order) with a tiered structure in place.
The cost of tuition varies due to the area of the UK one resides in as the cost of living varies between the North and the South. The venue also affects class costs (there are very few full-time academies currently in the UK).
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About the author: Steve Maycock teaches Krav Maga in Birmingham, England and is a full-time Krav Maga Defensive Tactics Instructor with clubs throughout the West Midlands. Steve has also recently qualified as a Self Protection Instructor with the renowned author and self protection expert Geoff Thompson.
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Hi Steve,
Great Article.
I saw that you have also been a member of KMBC. -What do you think of online krav maga training?
cheers
Amir