What is Krav Maga?

What is Krav maga? Krav Maga is close combat fighting and effective self defense.

Krav Maga means "close combat" or "contact combat" in Hebrew. This powerful and simple to learn form hand to hand combat originates with a man called ‘Imre "Imi" Lichtenfeld (Imi sde-Or’) who developed his own efficient self defense techniques in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia in the 1930's. When Lichtenfield moved from Czechoslovakia to Israel in the 1940's he began to train the Israeli defense forces in close combat. Lichtenfeld's self-defense system developed here into what is now known as Krav Maga. 

It is still the official hand to hand combat training for the Israeli armed forces and it has also gained increasing popularity with various military and police organizations across the world including the British S.A.S. and the United States F.B.I. 

Krav Maga is all about preventing and neutralizing incoming violent attacks and dealing with the aftermath and in this way it is an intensely practical means of self defense. It is not strictly a martial art in the classical sense i.e. there are no katas, ritualistic displays, or forms. 

Rather it is one of the most efficient systems for fighting and self protection there is. Many of its techniques originated and have been assimilated from other more classical disciplines such as jiujitsu. There is also no sporting element unlike other well established arts. You won’t see Krav Maga at the Olympics any time soon!

Krav Maga training is pleasingly democratic with no distinction mad between men and women’s teaching. There is an emphasis on defending oneself in realistic situations and from the most common attacks you are likely to face, like grabs around the neck, choke holds, body hugs and so on. Also training would include preparation and practice in scenarios where there are from one,two and even, several attackers at once.

As you would expect from a system that has been tested on the battlefield and in numerous assault operations, the Krav Maga techniques and training will also prepare you for the ‘shock’ of fighting itself. Being attacked is probably one of the most stressful situations you can ever encounter in life and because it happens too infrequently, the average person has very little chance to get used to it the emotional fallout of the events.

Krav Maga deliberately uses stress inducing tactics such as several assailants, shouting, noise etc, in order to simulate this ‘shock to the system’. This isn’t done to put you off coming to class but to prepare your ‘nervous system’ for that violent reality, but to do it in a safe environment.

When, and if, you find yourself in dangerous circumstances you will have some valuable experience; this will then render you more able to deal with whatever comes next. If you are interested in a very effective combat style and useful self defense techniques Krav Maga training it is definitely worth looking into!