Month: September 2010

We had an outstanding self defense seminar  for women. A special thanks to those who attended, and a special mention of Vitalik Artur, who donned the man suit and took a beating from said women. Enjoy the pics!!!!

If you take the time to search youtube for martial arts defense against knives and guns, you will notice many styles offering complex bloated defenses against these weapons. The weakness in most of these styles and their defenses against weapons is that they were not found on the battlefield, nor tested in real life and death situations. If a self defense tactic forces you to think while applying said defense, then it is not a good defense. Self defense against weapons, chokes, ect… should be based on your natural instincts to particular threats. Most martial arts programs develop their weapons defenses from their own system, within the kata/forms of said system.

Krav Maga separates itself from most martial arts programs because every defense against weapons, or chokes was tried and tested in actual battles for life and death. Every defense is based on one’s natural reaction to specific threats. Krav Maga builds the defenses around one’s natural instincts. Defenses against guns and knives are kept simple. The over all philosophy against an attacker with a knife is run when possible. If that option is not  available then Krav Maga builds the actual defenses against the knife attacks around the 360 philosophy which is also utilized in defending against punches. The 360 defenses allow one to memorize and practice one set of defenses against both punches and knife attacks. Granted there are exceptions, but generally speaking the 360 defenses cover both bases quite well.

Is the self defense system in Krav Maga perfect? No it is not. There are several defenses that I criticize in my mind as not being easy enough for the novice person. But, I have to go back to the principal that I have been practicing martial arts for thirteen years and can sometimes be a little too critical. That being said, I must also remember that Krav Maga has been tested time and time again in very real situations where life and death are very much at stake.  No system offers the total answer versus all types of attacks. I know the leadership of Krav Maga.  I understand Krav’s history, Krav’s place in war, and it’s perpetual evolution. Krav Maga offers the most complete, simple, and battle tested self defense system in the world. This doesn’t mean to suggest other styles are worthless and poor. This simply means in my opinion when looking at the self defense side of martial arts, defenses against weapons, chokes, bearhugs, headlocks, ect., Krav Maga offers a simple system based on life and death situations and your natural insticts.

Back to the original point of the entry. Gun versus knife. When approached with a knife wielding attacker run when you can. If not execute the defense as quickly as possible. Knife attacks are very dangerous, extremely deadly, and can last less than thirty seconds. When approached with a gun as long as the barrel is not pointed at you it poses no threat. Krav Maga has a whole host of defenses against the gun (long and short) and the various angles and circumstances of each threat.

Cheers,
Jett

Jeff began training in our adult Krav Maga program in May of this year.  Below is his written testimonial. Many thanks to Jeff for training hard and allowing the program to work for him.  This story reinforces my thoughts about martial arts. One learns to punch, kick, and defend. The added value to acquiring this skill set is a healthier body and stronger mind. Keep punching and kicking Jeff! His diet and plan are listed below.

From Jeff:

Exercise: Krav Maga 3 times per week, occasional swimming, running, hiking

Diet: Cut out refined sugar and flour.  Replaced with more vegetables and lots of water.

Since May of this year I’ve lost 40 lbs, 2 pant sizes, very close to wearing XL shirts instead of 2XL.  My cardio-vascular health is way up.  I have a ton more energy and do more outdoor activities like swimming, running, and hiking.  My overall body strength is better than it’s ever been.  My confidence has gone up and my stress-level (especially in large crowds) has decreased.  My wife, co-workers, and friends all notice a big difference.  I still have a way to go to get where I want to be, but this is a huge step forward.  Thanks for your help.

September has begun with a bang. Krav Maga and Karate are enrolling students left and right.  So much so, that we’ve already added two more traditional karate classes- a class on Monday and Wednesday. Both classes are for kids ages 4-9, and occur prior to the adult Krav Maga classes. The interesting aspect to our growth right now is the types of students that we’re receiving. All of the students whom have signed up in the last few months are extremely passionate about training and martial arts.   The newer students in both programs have supportive families, which is the key to a long term martial arts pursuit. Whether, it be an adult or child the family has to sacrifice in terms of opportunity costs, transportation, budget, ect.. We’ve always been blessed with excellent members. But, we’ve never had this many. The growth we’re experiencing now is excellent and challenging. We have and will continue to experience growing pains. Large classes means that I must work harder to maintain the culture of the class and that I give every student my time for critique, encouragement, ect. I cannot allow quality to suffer due to quantity. These are the challenges that lie ahead. This is the obstacle that keeps me motivated and focused. I refuse to allow the quality of our classes, the quality of student growth, the quality of the programs we teach, or the quality of the atmosphere to suffer under the quantity we have. I will continue to strive for the excellence I have preached and taught for six years. This is my challenge. This is our challenge- to maintain our pursuit of perfection knowing we will not achieve perfection.

Cheers,
Jett