Krav Maga

IzzyBooNZ1
IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
Hi there
So I have read a few posts and see some people here have trained in it. I am looking at possibly starting this , can you tell me about your experience, thoughts on it etc. what was the training like when you started ?
I have recently started Muay Thai which I enjoy even though I am still kinda crap at it, but I want to learn something else as well ! I know KM is a good form of self defence which is one of the reasons why I want to learn

I am also going to post this in the fitness board as well so I can get a broad range of answers. thanks !

Replies

  • shinkalork
    shinkalork Posts: 815 Member
    Krav Maga is a complete self defense martial art.....Becoming the attacker quickly and finishing the other fast.

    There's other style that are complete too.... like Hapkido.....Similar for the joint locks,takedown,pressure points etc ...different with kicks and jumps.

    I've been doing martial arts for many years. Doing Hapkido now but i also did for many years : Shorin Ryu Karate,TaeKwonDo and Ninjutsu. But never Krav Maga. Still, know friends who did and my master knows a lot about it.

    They all have something different. It all depends on what you seek.

    Good luck.
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
    I've never done KM. But I heard it works well. Fast and effective.
  • I started krav maga last summer but stopped because I was out of cardiovascular condition and couldn't keep up. So I stopped so that I could improved my cardiovascular strength and started KM again and found that I could keep up with the classes much better.

    I enjoy it but then I don't have any previous experience with martial arts. One thing i've noticed is that many people cross-train with boxing which allows them to punch harder, faster and better than I do. Their conditioning is better. I've begun to think about taking up boxing so that I can slow things down and learn the refined techniques. KM doesn't focus on complete proper technique, at least not at my school. Also, from what i've read, different schools teach different things. Some are more about conditioning and others are more about aggressiveness, fighting and thwarting an attack.
  • IsisCrisis
    IsisCrisis Posts: 13 Member
    Krav Maga is great! Especially for a woman. I took classes for about 6 months (until I couldn't afford them anymore). I liked that it prepared you for real world situations and not tournament fighting. Yes, you'll get into shape. But you'll also learn the right way to kick a guy where it counts. I loved the punching and kicking, but I also loved the basic knowledge I gained about how to protect myself on the street. I can't recommend it enough.
  • lcrayburn1
    lcrayburn1 Posts: 11 Member
    I train a couple times a week in a class that integrates Krav Maga with other styles. It's fun and interesting. It's not really (in my personal experience) a style that is going to translate to the cage well. However it seems to be a style that works well in real life situations. If you're not interested in training to compete then I think Krav Maga or some modified version of it is a great idea.
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
    thanks all. I am wanting to learn it for self defence reasons. Currently there are no schools for it where I am but according to a guy in another city there will be one later this year !
  • JBuck1914
    JBuck1914 Posts: 81 Member
    I have trained in a few styles (aikido, hapkido, karate and Krav) and over the last few years I 've been training in Krav on and off. I love what Krav teaches and it is a very complete system that pulls from a few arts. It's teaches you how to be the attacker if you are put in a life and death situation. It's a very aggressive system and it does put a big emphasis on cardio conditioning so, be prepared for that because one of the core rules of Krav is the fighter often in the best shape has the best chance of surviving an attack.

    Going from a relax state to an aggressive one takes good conditioning. The techniques are relatively simple to learn because it focuses on movements that don't require a lot of muslce memory but, are highly effective in a self-defense situation. Muscle memory is great for some arts but, under stressful condition you may have limited motor skills so, it tries to teach basic movements to counter being under duress and yet still ward off the attacker.

    Great for self-defense, it will cover stand up fighting as well as grappling. So, you do cover both in Krav as well as weapon dis-arming because this system was used in War. Hope that helps some and good luck with your journey. Enjoy the process of learning Krav or any art for that matter.
  • kravmark2
    kravmark2 Posts: 158 Member
    Hey Guys!

    Im just joining this group and am a Krav Maga guy. Glad to see there's a thread already for us. Im also a wing chun guy as well and run a couple schools in the Saratoga NY area. Looking forward to meeting new people. My weight is about 225 and Im looking to drop about 25 lbs in the next couple of months. I have a 12 mile spartan race to do in September... Need to kick my but into high gear. Eating is always been my problem but MFP has helped me before and I know it will again

    Mark.

    www.kelevrakrav.com
    www.kravinstructor.com
    www.youtube.com/kelevrakrav
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
    In the 1990s two people, Pat Tray (longtime US Navy SEAL team commander) and Steve Grody, went to Israel to teach. Thereafter KM looked completely different. Do you know what it looked like before? It was reverse punches and forward stances. Although it is true that KM draws from many different sources, that those many sources were so thoroughly distilled by those instructors prior to being received by the Israelis is not as well known.

    The concept of intellectual property does not translate well to the martial arts. Throughout history people constantly research new methods, reduce complex system to more simple forms and add their own spin. But a bit of intellectual honesty would be appreciated. And the lack of it has not gone unnoticed by Mr. Tray, Mr. Grody, nor their colleagues.
  • kravmark2
    kravmark2 Posts: 158 Member
    Interesting points ttippie2000, especially about the intellectual property. In over 20 yrs of martial arts Ive seen the same techniques in multiple systems all claiming to be the originals. I tell my students that there is only so many correct ways to move in a fight and that is the reason for the similarities.

    The reverse is also true that the Navy Seals also go to Israel to study Krav at counter terror training centers in Israel and my instructor was the chief instructor just a few years ago there.

    I pay more attention to what works and philosophy rather than who came up with the best idea. The reason Krav Maga is effective is that it doesn't have to format into a mold, like more traditional system. However even Krav can become outdated. In order for martial arts to remain effective it has to be constantly evolving. That is why I stay closer to the military/le methodology even though Ive studied with some of the larger Krav groups in the US as well.

    As my old kung fu teacher taught me, if my cup is always empty then I can keep learning. If it is full, even the best techniques will be lost to an oversized ego.

    Stay Safe,
    Mark.
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    I'm a Judo 3-stripe brown (1 notch below Shodan, 1st Black) and X-train BJJ. I am not a testosterone-filled meat head, need to make that clear before this....

    I have had a bit of experience with Krav at a couple different places and it is going to vary wildly from place to place with intensity, focus, instruction, etc. I"m sure there are great KM places out there but I have never really been impressed with what I have seen. It's very much a 'jack of all trades, master of none' thing, as is any discipline that tries to cover all the bases. The grappling instruction I have seen (including online by reputed 'master teachers') makes me want to pull out what little hair I have left out. I don't feel qualified to comment on the striking but I feel confident that it would make a Boxer/Muay Thay/Kyokushin etc. person shake their heads as well based on the quality of the grappling.

    I do like the philosophy and the aggression, those are great, but there has to be real sparring. All apologies if there are great KM places out there that really make their people fight, but if you aren't really sparring it's just not going to be worth a heck of a lot. Boxing isn't necessarily great because it has wicked awesome punches, it's awesome because a boxer can read from real experience exactly what you're going to do and put that simple punch right where it needs to be at that moment. Same thing with Jud/BJJ etcetera, it's the practiced instinct, timing, and feel that make them amazingly effective. I will teach someone a simple shoulder throw in an hour with the hope that in the next few months of practice they'll develop the ability to use it for real on a real resisting opponent. Imagine asking someone to learn baseball purely through drills and swinging at imaginary pitches.... how good are the really going to be vs. someone who just got on the field and played?

    In the end, if you really are looking to know how to defend yourself, aka fight, you need to go somewhere where you are going to fight. Not practiced repetitions with a compliant or semi-resistant partner, but two people genuinely trying to defeat each other. Without that, it's just dance class. If you aren't interested in actually fighting but want to be safer, get your running shoes and hit the road, because nothing in the world is more effective at keeping you safe than simply being able to run away.
  • I have been taking Krav Maga classed for about a year now. I can't recommend it enough. It is a tough class especially when you first start out. I have seen many people come and go because it was too intense for them. If you stick it out though and stay focused it gets easier. It has gotten my cardio in shape and my body has changed a lot. Not to mention the self defense skills you learn. I have a great instructor though and the Fight Club where I train has a great mix of people in different stages of training. Krav Maga has not only helped me to lose weight and tone but it really helps me relax (not during class though) and it gives me a sense of accomplishment.
  • You are right about the sparring. As my instructor tells us you can have great technique but if you have no actual sparring experience your training kind of goes out the door in an actual fight. We do spar a lot as part of our Krav Maga training and I will admit I don't like to spar but it is necessary. There's nothing like taking your first hit and trying to recover and remember all of your training.
  • Alehmer
    Alehmer Posts: 433 Member
    So glad to hear it! To quote the learned sage Mike Tyson:

    "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
  • default
    default Posts: 124 Member
    The value of each school is usually dependent on the training and aliveness and not an element of the style, although there are some styles that have tendencies towards effectiveness, in both directions.

    Real, "alive" sparring and limited rules competitions can be used as a quality control elements.
  • tweetyjf
    tweetyjf Posts: 48 Member
    hi I take lessons in krav maga too.
    check out on youtube : krav maga howcast

    i really enjoy it and i'm working on my endurance because
    my condition really sucks..

    it's really fun and you learn a lot of self defense

    so take a lesson or two and check it out for yourself...