In our Krav Maga level one class tonight we did a drill that was new to some of the less experienced students. The drill was one partner had focus mitts, while the other partner was in a fighting stance. The focus mitt partner was to unleash a flurry of strikes to the head or ribs. The strikes were supposed to be too big and exaggerated like a haymaker in a street fight. The other partner was to block said strikes with subtle elbow and body movements. The drill is to represent absorbing a flurry of attacks and then fighting back. What I saw in the drill was people being way too polite to each other. They were afraid to batter their partners, and said partners were not coming out of the gates trying to knock the stuffing out of the mitts. This drill requires aggression from both parties. It requires you to lose your normal everyday manners. What I saw was partners being way too polite to each other. Afraid to hurt each other. This robs the drill of its true intentions. Krav Maga is an art that is built on aggression. It requires aggression in training from both the fighter and the pad holder. Tonight’s class was way too polite. People were afraid to hit the pads hard because they didn’t want to hurt or bother their partner. This is Krav Maga and politeness should be checked at the door. In Krav Maga we assume that someday you will be attacked in a violent fashion, and to say your own life you must at the very least be able to get aggressive like a wild animal trying to save itself in the wild. In self defense manners and being polite have no place. Granted in class we strive to train with safety, but we also should take our jobs as pad holders and as partners extremely seriously. It is up to the pad holder to hold strong for the partner. It is up to the pad holder to keep the partner in check if they are going about things half way. Pad holders should motivate their partners to not give up and to give one hundred percent every moment of a drill. Tonight’s class was far too polite, and we will fix this on Wednesday. Krav Maga is aggression. Krav Maga is learning how to effectively destroy one who threatens your life.
