Krav Maga Classes Boston

Just because a self-defense program refers to itself as being a Krav Maga program, it doesn’t mean that it actually teaches Krav Maga. Those who describe what they teach as being Krav Maga are not necessarily being disingenuous as they may genuinely believe that they are using the term/title correctly e.g., if they are a competent martial artist in another system, and have watched videos and/or read books about Krav Maga etc., and are teaching Krav Maga “techniques” they may honestly believe that they are teaching and/or training Krav Maga. However, this may not be the case.

Most martial arts are defined by their techniques e.g., in traditional martial arts, such as Karate, the techniques are contained in the Katas (a pre-arranged, choreographed sequence of techniques), whilst in a combat-sport, such as Muay Thai, the – permissible -techniques are defined by the rules; knees and elbows are allowed however headbutts aren’t etc. Krav Maga is different in this regard as the system/approach isn’t defined by its techniques, and in fact, over time these often evolve with adaptations being made, and new – and improved - “solutions” to attacks and threats replacing older/existing ones. This occurs for a number of reasons e.g., it was found that In South Africa, muggers often push the knife an inch or so, into their target’s stomach, meaning that to knock the knife to the side (part of an “old” solution/technique) would cause a potentially serious injury. Because of this the knife is now pushed directly forward (part of the “new” solution/technique) – one of the ideas of Krav Maga is that its technique/solutions are universally applicable, regardless of geography and/or other factors.

So, what is Krav Maga? At its heart, it is the “art” of Imi Lichtenfeld, who consolidated his and the work of others into a conceptual framework, that defined a certain approach to fighting and self-defense. If those concepts aren’t adhered to both in practice and teaching, then as potentially effective a certain self-defense system/approach may be, it is not Krav Maga. It is these fighting concepts, which define what Krav Maga is – and isn’t. One concept is that of having a “hand-defense” and a “body-defense”. This can be seen in the evolution of the solution to a knife threat to the stomach (mentioned above); the body still pulls back from the knife (body-defense), but the hand-defense now sees the knife moving forwards rather than to the side etc. If a “new” technique had neglected this idea/concept, such as leaving out the body-defense component it wouldn’t be considered a Krav Maga solution.

This means that Krav Maga isn’t simply a collection of the most effective techniques from various different martial arts, which is a common misconception, but rather a distinct approach to fighting, based on a set of concepts. This means that a lot of Krav Maga, taught by different instructors and associations may look the same e.g., Krav Maga is based on what you will do (untrained responses) when attacked, rather than what you might want to do (trained responses). If somebody tries to sucker-punch you with a swinging punch, if you were ready and prepared for it you might be able to respond using a trained technique, however if you are caught by surprise/off-guard, you will naturally/instinctively flinch, bringing your arm up to protect yourself and pulling your body away etc. This means that if this way of blocking isn’t taught – which will work against knife attacks as well as circular punches, as it’s reaction to a movement – it’s not Krav Maga.

Why is this important? Krav Maga, as a hand-to-hand fighting combat system, became standardized in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Before then, different units had taught variations and interpretations of the KAPAP program, taught to Jewish resistance fighters in the HAGANAH, which was ostensibly the precursor to the IDF. The IDF has around 40 000 new recruits every year, and a standing army of around 100 000 conscripts at any one time. Whilst not every one of these individuals is taught Krav Maga, most undergo some form/degree of training. When you consider the number of people who train in the approach and find themselves having to use/rely on their training, there is probably no reality-based fighting system that is better tested than Krav Maga. Solutions that have been shown to consistently work remain, whilst those that have performed in a sub-par way are either improved or replaced etc. The goal being to develop an effective hand-to-hand fighting system that can be taught in a relatively short period of time.

Whilst there may be instructors who may make the argument that they are improving Krav Maga by taking “new” approaches by combining it with BJJ and/or Muay Thai etc., if they don’t have the understanding and/or experience of the “original” Krav Maga, and are ignoring the concepts upon which all Krav Maga techniques are based, then what they are developing/creating is not Krav Maga – it is something else. Whilst that “something else” may be effective, it is not something that has undergone the degree of “testing”, which takes place within the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). It is because the IDF takes a scientific approach to effective self-defense/hand-to-hand combat, based on the “art” of Imi Lichtenfeld, that Krav Maga is both effective and reliable: two things you want to know/be assured of is you ever have to physically defend yourself.

If you are interested in experiencing why Krav Maga is such an effective fighting system, you can attend one of our beginners Krav Maga classes, at Krav Maga Yashir Boston. You can register using the form below, or learn more about the class by clicking here.

Google Author Talks

Krav Maga Books