I get a lot of emails, posts, private messages on Facebook and also text messages from people asking about the Krav Maga classes we teach at Shield. The majority of those people say that they are going to come and give it a try. I’ve even had close friends tell me how they need to come and give it a go because it sounds awesome… (It is by the way)!
The thing is I rarely see these people, if at all and that led me to the question of ‘Whats stopping you?’ When I first started training in Krav Maga I did a bit of research on it, I looked online at clubs and classes; I bought Imi Sde-Or and Eyal Yanilovs book how to defend yourself against armed assault and read it cover to cover and I then chose a class to attend and went. The night I went I signed up at the end of the class. I wanted more so trained more, I loved it’s simple yet brutal and effective style. I wanted to learn even more so took the plunge and did the instructor course and passed. I now teach two classes a week to some excellent hard working students.
The majority of students that train with me train twice a week at both my classes and when we open more classes they will more than likely attend those too. They turn up every week ready to train unless there is something stopping them from coming like illness, work or the odd champion’s league fixture.
One of my guys took two trains and then walked about three miles to get to class because his car was off the road, now that’s dedication for you (nice one Dave). My students range from a 14 year old girl to a man in his late forties and they put the effort in let me tell you. So what sets these guys apart from the people who contact me but never show? I have messages from people saying that say they will be there the following week but never show up I had one guy that contacted me about training well over a year ago who then contacted me last month to say he was coming and still hasn’t shown up. I have people who come to a class once every 8 months or people who come once and buy all the gear and never come back. So what is so different about students that train and people that clearly want to but don’t and never will?
I am sure as an instructor reading this you will probably know exactly what I am talking about here.
If I ever want to try something then I go and try it. I book it or I just turn up and go for it. How often have you heard someone say “oh I can’t go to that myself, no one will come with me” “I’m too embarrassed to go myself” or the age old excuse of “I’ll go when I get a bit fitter” (I really hate that one). Life is far too short to not try something especially if there is a chance that you will love it and take a lot from it. You will never know if you like something if you never actually try it.
You have nothing to lose by going along to something be it a class, seminar or a taster session and giving it a go, you might like it or you might not but at least you had the balls to go and give it a try. From there you’ve either found something that is of value to you or you scratch it off as an experience and move on to the next.
So what about the people that never appear but tell you they will come and try it? Do they like the idea of Krav Maga but lack the where with all to come and give it a go. Do they fit in to one of the above categories of not wanting to come alone or will come once they are a bit fitter (did I mention I hate that one)! Why bother reaching out in the first place and saying you will come and never show up?? Is it an advocacy thing where they want someone to be on their back all the time to make them come to a class? My view is that you need to have your own motivation and your own goals. Most people that show up to train with me or to try a class do so for one or all of three reasons. They want to learn an effective and realistic self defence system that will actually help them if they are ever in a bad situation. They want to get fit or improve their physical fitness and lastly they want to learn some cool shit, which you definitely will.
So if you are reading this and you are one of the people waiting for the right time to try something new then stop thinking about it and go do it you have absolutely nothing to lose, and you will take something from it even if it is just to say you tried and it wasn’t for you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we would love to hear peoples thoughts and experiences so please do get in touch by leaving a comment or interacting with us through our web site.
Thanks
Chris
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