Krav What???
Krav Manga? …. Krav Mcgraw?…. ‘Kravmaggaaaa? I have heard just about every variation of the system I teach. It is actually called Krav Maga which simply means Contact Combat. There is a link at the end of this blog which will give you more information on the system.
I started training Krav Maga a few years ago. I was looking for something different, something that was practical and could actually be of use to me, if I ever needed it. Having worked in a hospital for a number of years and growing up in the West of Scotland, I have seen more than enough injuries, particularly associated with knives, to last me a lifetime. It’s true that you may go your whole life without seeing these (and I hope you do) however the fact remains that the threat of an assault or worse is something we have to consider, particularly for the younger community.
Most, if not all, assaults last seconds and involve multiple attackers using anything they can lay their hands on. In fact the only thing you can be certain of if you ever find yourself in this unfortunate position is that there will be no rules or fair play. You are on your own.
Traditional martial arts tend to miss this important aspect, and tend to concentrate more on moves that are either very technical, hard to learn or simply not applicable to modern situations. Martial arts place a lot of emphasis on complicated technique, different stances and patterns of pre-set movement, stuff that to be honest just won’t work in an encounter on the street. How high you can kick or the fact that you can do a jumping spinning Jean Claude Van Damme special ‘movie’ kick really makes no difference and in fact if it’s raining or icy might be very dangerous to you.
‘The trouser splitter’
Krav Maga is a self defence system built around the body’s natural instinctive movements and reactions. It is easy to learn and completely transferable to real life situations for all ages. The system attracts people from all walks of life from kids to adults, including people with varying fitness levels and body types, after all everyone has the right to be safe regardless of weight, size or fitness.
Lesson number one in Krav Maga is that we should always avoid or prevent dangerous situations. From day one we teach people the importance of self-awareness and also being aware of their surroundings. Things like not walking home alone at night, sticking to well-lit built up areas and not taking shortcuts to save time.
Another unique part of Krav Maga is the use of the voice as a form of weapon to de-escalate or escape a situation. We find that many people are very quiet and reserved when they start Krav Maga however in class we take you out of your comfort zone straight away and help you to get used to being more vocal. Projecting a loud and confident voice could be the difference between facing a threat and actually being attacked. Being able to confidently raise your voice to a dangerous situation can make people around you instantly aware and hopefully help!
If you are left with no choice but to defend yourself, Krav Maga teaches that you defend and counter attack as soon as possible using the minimal amount of effort to the maximum effect. We look at the timeline of events that may lead you to having to protect yourself always starting with avoidance and prevention. The ultimate aim of Krav Maga is to get you or your family to a safe place as soon as possible.
Our classes for children deal with serious subjects in an engaging, fun and non-threatening manner. They are about increasing the childs self-esteem, awareness and physical fitness, giving them the confidence to make the right decisions should they have to. this also goes for our teens and adult classes with an added emphasis on training for real life situations that can happen and have happened out in the real world.
to find out what Shield Krav Maga is all about just give us a visit.
Web Site: http://www.shieldkravmaga.com
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