The short answer to what is Krav Maga: It is a system (originally developed in Israel) for surviving violent confrontations. Lots of martial easy on the art.
Krav Maga is different from traditional martial arts in several ways, but most importantly it aims to avoid fighting if possible. The only street fights you win are the ones you avoid. If this is not possible the emphasis shifts to ending it as fast and efficiently as possible, leaving and going home safely.
Maybe you did not grow up as a Samurai or warrior monk and don’t have a lifetime to dedicate to learning ancient and beautiful martial arts? What if you want to be able to ask and receive answers about what actually works? Does effective matter more than thousands of years of cultural refinement?
What is Krav Maga taught in London like?
All martial arts have a fair amount in common if you look at the purely physical elements. In Krav Maga we are brutally honest about our willingness and desire to learn physical skills from whomever has refined their teaching and execution to the highest level. Here at Kinetic Zen Krav Maga we take that to the next level and have superb Judo, BJJ, Boxing, Thai boxing, wrestling and Karate practitioners and coaches. Why reinvent the wheel?
Weapon defence is a little different. Here we have relatively few pragmatic sources to borrow from and most of the techniques are developed and tested by military and paramilitary organisations just because they have the most data. All weapons are rubber and foam in our classes by the way!
The single biggest difference noted by people who have trained other arts and sports is our approach to training and drills. There are no points for style or historical accuracy. In fact there are no points at all. Our drills all focus on outcomes and improving reactions and decision making incrementally.
Where is Krav Maga from?
The words translate as contact combat in English. Its all about fighting at touch range and it was born out of the struggles of men and women fighting for survival. So its Israeli, but why does it look so much like the system William Fairbairn developed for Shanghai police officers and British commandos? Lets pretend you did not ask that one and we will move on swiftly…
Who is it suitable for?
Everybody. Sure the internet is full of images and stories of seriously impressive people who are Krav experts. While that is true, its also not really the point of Krav Maga. The founders of Krav Maga needed quick and easily replicated solutions to the problem of physical violence. most importantly they needed it to be useful for everybody. So it’s designed to work with your instincts and it shamelessly borrows good ideas from anywhere they can be found.
It just works. However in the spirit of Krav Maga don’t take that on blind faith. Come train. Pressure test it.Ask us questions. Have fun!
