5 Tips for Starting Krav Maga
Let’s face it, we live in a
dangerous world. Every day when you leave your doorstep, you are, on some
level, facing risk of unpleasant and potentially violent confrontation.
Survivors of these encounters often wish they had some form of martial
preparedness to assist them during this traumatic event. However, even for
people with multiple martial arts resources at their convenient disposal may
experience a layman’s embarrassment, fear, or even just general confusion
regarding where to begin.
Krav Maga is a military system
of defense and combat developed carefully by a collaboration between the
Israeli Defense Forces, Shin Bet, and Mossad. It combines techniques derived
from various martial arts such as Boxing, Aikido, Judo, and Karate while taking
special focus on the realistic fight preparation that is often overlooked in
styles practiced as an art. Krav Maga is widely known in this regard for its
extreme focus on efficiency and practicality. The goal of Krav Maga has always
been to take the most effective and relatively simple techniques from other
martial forms and make them rapidly teachable, mostly for the sake of quickly
training military.
With the effectiveness of this
system proven time and time again, not to mention the physical health benefits
that it can provide, Krav Maga is a great system for even a complete beginner
interested in self defense to take on. If something like this seems to appeal
to you, here are five tips for starting Krav Maga.
1. Knowledge is Power
One of the most important things
to do first is to wrap your mind around the true nature of Krav Maga. If you
are already a martial artist skilled in another fighting system, this may be an
even more important step for you to take in order to break any preconceived
notions about this system of fighting. Fortunately, there are several resources
by which to learn more before you decide to commit, such as forums and youtube
videos by masters. Educate yourself before going in.
2. Maintain a Responsible Mindset
Like most martial arts, Krav
Maga discourages heavily seeking out or instigating any sort of violent
situation. However, if this is impossible to avoid in any situation, Krav Maga
focuses on dispatching a threat as quickly and effectively as possible. Unlike
in other martial arts, attacks and techniques are often aimed at the most
vulnerable parts of the body, such as the eyes, neck, or genitalia. It should
go without saying that training is not at all limited to relatively superficial
techniques like the kind used in competitions that emphasize sportsmanship.
In fact, many techniques learned
are meant to deliberately cause severe injury or even death to an assailant.
This is all to say that if you’re looking to show off at a party, this is the
wrong combat system to learn.
3. Equipment Preparedness
Your instructor may demand that
you supply certain equipment at any given point during your training, and
preparedness is key. Krav Maga supplies are readily available and
relatively inexpensive for the most part. Many practitioners swear by simply
keeping a large bag relegated exclusively to your training along with an
up-to-date checklist as well as a strict laundry schedule. You don’t want to be
the only one showing up unprepared or smelling like a teenage locker room,
after all.
4. Dietary Changes
When practicing Krav Maga,
you’re going to be sore, sweaty and out of breath. You’re going to feel unable
to move after some rigorous days. Many practitioners find that subtle changes
to their diet have a strong effect on their efficiency. Some swear by always
having a banana at a training session as a potassium supplement, having not
loaded up too heavily on food before such strenuous exercise, and – of
course – hydrating religiously.
5. Punch Through
This is where practitioners of
other arts often run into trouble. When using a technique in Karate, for
example, a practitioner would stop about an inch short of delivering a blow,
just to demonstrate the technique. Krav Maga is not about flash or flourish,
but aggressive reactions. If you were punching the face, for example, you would
demonstrate by punching “through” the face by punching above the shoulder. When
you’re practicing Krav, you’re going all out, all the time.
Walk Through the Door
One final tip? Just do it. Make
yourself get to the gym and walk through the door. Don’t compromise with
yourself or skip a day because your ‘just not feeling it’. Many practitioners
find that this initial action is one of the most difficult parts, and the
training is much less painful than their mind was conjuring it up to be. It’s
important to be strict with yourself and stay the course if you’re serious
about becoming a true practitioner of Krav Maga.
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