Have you been looking for a way to learn to defend yourself? To get yourself in shape? To be more confident in all areas of your life? Krav Maga is the workout for you! In this series, I’ll introduce the system of Krav Maga and show you new techniques every week to help you defend yourself from many different situations that may arise in our unpredictable world—especially on college campuses! As the founder Imi Lichtenfeld said, you learn Krav Maga, “so that one may walk in peace.”
Until this summer, I had no idea what Krav Maga was, or how much it would benefit and enrich my life (and how much it could benefit yours too!). Anyone can do Krav Maga; from the most petite college woman, to the girl who cries when she stubs a toe (my life in a nutshell), to the toughest, most athletic girl out there. I sat down with Chris Hollingsworth, owner and Head Instructor at Nashville Krav Maga to shed a little light on the subject.
Q: What is Krav Maga?
A: It’s an Israeli self defense system that was originally designed for their military and law enforcement. Basically, it’s not fancy; it’s simple, practical, and effective, and based on natural human movements, which makes it easy to learn and easy to use under stress
Q: That sounds awesome. Is it effective?
A: Yes. It’s based on the instincts of the body—so it’s based on what the natural human response is to certain stimuli. When you train, you teach your body to respond to a threat in a way that is not dependent on your strength for effectiveness. We train under high stress that is created by physical fitness in order to tire you out to refine your flight or fight instincts. Most assailants are physically stronger and/or larger than their victims, but we use speed and technique to ensure that you have a way to go home safe.
Q: How many classes do I need to take to learn to protect myself?
A: This depends on each individual. After one class, you should have learned something that would help you if you were in an unfortunate situation. Every class after that will help you refine skills to better defend yourself. The more times you do something, the more automatic your response is going to be. Think of learning self-defense like buying car insurance. Even if you have the safest car on the road, you still buy insurance to protect yourself in case someone runs into you. The same thing applies here. If you never “buy insurance” or learn some self-defense techniques, you’re out of luck if you are ever in a compromising situation where you may need them.
Q: Is it dangerous? Will I get hurt?
A: Because Krav Maga is not a competitive sport, the training risks decrease significantly—we are not training to go to competitions. In a Level 1 class, you are not actively fighting people, you are training using equipment in order to learn techniques like a groin kick without actually kicking a person. Training injuries do happen, but usually nothing more serious than other athletic training injuries. Your worst day in the gym will be your best day on the streets.
Q: Why train Krav Maga? Why take self-defense classes?
A: Everyone is unique and worthy of being saved. Your material possessions can always be replaced, but you cannot. You are a one-of-a-kind and you are worth saving. You have to be willing to protect yourself, and be personally invested in your own safety. With that comes the responsibility of looking out for your own self and taking responsibility for your own awareness and behavior. For safety tips on and off campus, read this article.
There is more info about Krav Maga to come in future articles, in addition to self-defense techniques step-by-step! If you have any questions, or would like to know more, feel free to email saintm@bc.edu and I will be happy to talk about them in this series!
Special thanks to Nashville Krav Maga, and Shawn & Chris Hollingsworth for all their help!
Article Sources:
http://nashville-krav-maga.com/
http://www.kravmagaalliance.com/
Image Sources: