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Hi all,
I made the "mistake" of mentioning Krav Maga on another thread and they showed some interest in it so I thought I'd make a new thread to expound on it a bit.
www.kravmaga.com
Krav Maga is Hebrew for "Contact Combat" and was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1940's & 50's as an effective yet easy to learn form of hand to hand combat. Imi was trained in judo and boxing as well as some other things but felt that most styles were not able to handle the realities of the battlefield. He developed a system that relied on the bodies natural reflexes to defend oneself from surprise attacks. He also based it on real life threats right away. The IDF boot camp is only 9 weeks long (or was it 6? I can't recall) and Israel needed I technique that would enable troops to be fully competent within that time frame. Krav was the answer.
As far as training goes, from the onset it's very practical. There are no Katas, no meditation, no spending time on ancient techniques. Just brutally effective stuff based on real world conditions. The US rep for Krav Maga is an ADA in LA. He studies crime scene footage (ATM cameras, parking lot cameras) and watches how street attacks really go down and has adapted our techniques to match reality.
As far as specifics I can only speak for my school but I believe all of the ones affiliated with Krav Maga Worldwide are standardized. There a 6 levels (belts if you will). The level one curriculum typically last 6 months depending on your commitment, I went 2 times a week and it was just about right. Level 1 teaches you the basics. How to punch with power. How to use your elbows and knees. Defending against punches. One of the things I like the best is that it teaches ground fighting right away. The ground techniques are loosely based on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but unlike BJJ its Krav's intent to get up and away, not live on the ground. (You don't know that the guy you just got in an armbar doesn't have five friends with baseball bats around the corner).
Level 2 (which is where I'm at) includes knife defenses, gun defenses, club defenses, fighting from the ground (notice not "on" but "from", also in comparison to defending on the ground in Level 1). It also includes more kicks and defenses against kicks, etc.
Levels 1-4 are considered to be the "self defense" levels while 5 & 6 (6 being black belt) are considered to be the "fighting" levels, typically for military and police. As for credibility of the style, just ask the FBI, LAPD SWAT, and multiple other agencies across the globe. Personally I train with several SWAT officers from my local county sheriff.
If you haven't figured out yet, I believe in this system. What other style (except perhaps MMA) will put you all in a room, turn off all the lights, crank up heavy metal (hearing and vision sensory deprivation) and tell you to defend yourself against multiple attackers? Oh, did I mention that was within the first 4 months?
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Just some history and my .02 cents.
MC
I made the "mistake" of mentioning Krav Maga on another thread and they showed some interest in it so I thought I'd make a new thread to expound on it a bit.
www.kravmaga.com
Krav Maga is Hebrew for "Contact Combat" and was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1940's & 50's as an effective yet easy to learn form of hand to hand combat. Imi was trained in judo and boxing as well as some other things but felt that most styles were not able to handle the realities of the battlefield. He developed a system that relied on the bodies natural reflexes to defend oneself from surprise attacks. He also based it on real life threats right away. The IDF boot camp is only 9 weeks long (or was it 6? I can't recall) and Israel needed I technique that would enable troops to be fully competent within that time frame. Krav was the answer.
As far as training goes, from the onset it's very practical. There are no Katas, no meditation, no spending time on ancient techniques. Just brutally effective stuff based on real world conditions. The US rep for Krav Maga is an ADA in LA. He studies crime scene footage (ATM cameras, parking lot cameras) and watches how street attacks really go down and has adapted our techniques to match reality.
As far as specifics I can only speak for my school but I believe all of the ones affiliated with Krav Maga Worldwide are standardized. There a 6 levels (belts if you will). The level one curriculum typically last 6 months depending on your commitment, I went 2 times a week and it was just about right. Level 1 teaches you the basics. How to punch with power. How to use your elbows and knees. Defending against punches. One of the things I like the best is that it teaches ground fighting right away. The ground techniques are loosely based on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu but unlike BJJ its Krav's intent to get up and away, not live on the ground. (You don't know that the guy you just got in an armbar doesn't have five friends with baseball bats around the corner).
Level 2 (which is where I'm at) includes knife defenses, gun defenses, club defenses, fighting from the ground (notice not "on" but "from", also in comparison to defending on the ground in Level 1). It also includes more kicks and defenses against kicks, etc.
Levels 1-4 are considered to be the "self defense" levels while 5 & 6 (6 being black belt) are considered to be the "fighting" levels, typically for military and police. As for credibility of the style, just ask the FBI, LAPD SWAT, and multiple other agencies across the globe. Personally I train with several SWAT officers from my local county sheriff.
If you haven't figured out yet, I believe in this system. What other style (except perhaps MMA) will put you all in a room, turn off all the lights, crank up heavy metal (hearing and vision sensory deprivation) and tell you to defend yourself against multiple attackers? Oh, did I mention that was within the first 4 months?
Just some history and my .02 cents.
MC
