Krav Maga

I have always wanted to learn the Israeli self-defense system Krav Maga and finally got around to taking my first training lesson today. If you are not familiar with this technique, you are not alone--although it is becoming more common in the United States. "Krav Maga" is the Hebrew name for "contact fight." It was originally developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and various branches of the security services by its creator, Grandmaster Imi Sde-Or, and was later adapted for civilians.

According to the book I bought after my lesson entitled Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault, all Krav Maga techniques have been thoroughly tested in real-life situations. This sounded good to me. I listened to my instructor as he took me through a number of drills on various jabs, punches, and holds. I took Taekwondo years ago when living in New York and many of the movements came fairly naturally to me--but some did not and I realized that I would need a lot more practice.

What are the guiding principals of Krav Maga? From the book I mentioned above, they are:

Avoid injury! Carefully calculate the risks involved in a specific action, and avoid danger whenever possible; the Krav Maga techniques were developed as an extension of the body's natural reflexes; defend and counterattack in the shortest and most direct way possible, from any starting position, taking into consideration the safety and convenience of your action. Respond correctly, strike accordingly at any vulnerable point, use any tool or object available nearby for your defense and counterattack, there are no rules, technical limitations or sportsmanship restrictions, and finally, the underlying principal in training: advancing from closed skill to open skill (incorporating "mental training"), and from a single , specifically defined technique to improvised action in accordance with the dynamics of the situation.

Uh, okay, I guess once I have all of the above mastered, I will be on my way. It might take a while but I look forward to my next lesson!