FREQUESTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
-WHAT IS KRAV MAGA? Krav Maga literally translates to "contact combat". It is used by the Israeli Military Forces and many branches of law enforcement here in the U.S. It is a self-defense system that capitalizes on the body's natural reflexes. It is technique based as opposed to strength based. We teach strikes, kicks, defenses against chokes, bear hugs, weapons, multiple attackers, ground defenses, 3rd party protection, hair pull defenses, active shooter, gun retention, and much, much more. Krav Maga is not a martial art and is not for sport, it is for surviving a violent attack. We specifically teach that when fighting for your life there are NO RULES. We do not do competitions or tournaments as we teach things that are "against the rules" in MMA and traditional martial arts- such as eye gouging, groin kicks, throat strikes, and knee blows- whatever it takes to save your life.
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-DO I NEED MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE? Absolutely not! No experience whatsoever is needed. Krav is designed to be easy to learn and works with the body's natural reflexes.
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-DO I NEED TO BE IN SHAPE? I HAVE AN INJURY/PHYSICAL LIMITATION, CAN I STILL PARTICIPATE? You do not need to be in shape! Simply coming to class will get you into shape because it is a workout as well as self-defense. Classes are designed to be challenging, yet easy enough so that everyone can participate. We can work around any physical limitation or injury. Situations will not be perfect when it comes time to defend yourself, we can work around any limitation you may have.
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WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN AN INTRO AND WHY DO I NEED IT BEFORE I TRY A CLASS? An intro is 25 minutes long and lets you experience the basic fundamentals of Krav Maga at a slower teaching pace before your first class. It is for beginners and gives you a foundation for going into your first class. You will learn fighting stance, palmheel strikes, groin kick, stomp kick, and a choke defense (time permitting). You will learn how to hold pads safely and properly. You will also be able to ask any questions that you may have before class starts. After your intro you will go straight into the Level I Krav Maga class. You only need to attend an intro class one time.
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-WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN CLASS? A 10 minute warm-up designed to challenge the most fit, yet be easy enough for any fitness level (you go at your own pace). We then work on various strikes & kicks, combined with self-defense techniques such as chokes, hair-grabs, weapons defenses, ground defenses, bear hugs, and much, much more (depending on level). You will get a full body workout. Class is different each day so you will always be learning something new along with the basic fundamentals. You will be drenched in sweat and having a blast!
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-IS KRAV MAGA LIKE WHAT I SEE IN UFC FIGHTS? NO on many levels. For one, the guys that are choosing to participate in a regulated and sanctioned mixed martial arts fight are not fighting to save their life, there is no danger of weapons being pulled, there is no danger of multiple attackers, there is a very strict set of agreed upon rules, there is a referee, the fighters are being paid, and so on. Krav does take elements of boxing, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu, but we also teach choke defenses, knife defenses, handgun and long gun defenses, baseball bat defenses, how to protect a loved one, carjacking scenarios, long-gun defenses, active shooter training and much more.
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-ARE CLASSES VIOLENT? CAN I GET HURT? We train to address sudden violence and end it as soon as possible. We do not train for sport or to keep a fight going, we train to protect ourselves, our children, our loved ones. One of the first principles we teach is to either walk away or run. Engaging with an attacker is the last thing we want to do. If one must fight for one's life, it is necessary to counterattack quickly and ferociously. Injuries sustained in class are extremely rare. Our atmosphere is of the utmost respect for our partners as they allow us to practice and train. We all have a family to go home to, jobs to go to the next day. You may be sore from push-ups or get some bumps or bruises from blocking strikes, but that is about it. Safety is the number one priority.
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-HOW DO SCHOLARSHIPS WORK? I never want cost to prohibit someone from learning how to defend themselves. You should not be prevented from learning self-defense simply because you are a starving student or you are coming out of a bad relationship etc. If you are having financial hard times talk to me. Together we can figure out a price that allows you to learn self-defense and still be able to pay your rent and eat. My goal is for as many people as possible to experience Krav Maga. I have chosen to dedicate such a large part of my life to this system because I so deeply believe it is practical and effective, and I want people to try it and see that they have the power to defend themselves.
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-I TAKE BOXING/JIU JITSU/MUAY THAI/MMA ETC. WHAT COULD YOU SHOW ME THAT I DON'T ALREADY KNOW? Very legit question! Each discipline has their merits, as previously stated above we take our strikes and kicks from boxing, Muay Thai, and Tae Kwon Do. We take our take-downs and throws from wrestling and Judo. Much of our non-weapons ground defense is from Jiu Jitsu. Offensive stick and knife is in part taken from Kali. We try to take the most real-world useful techniques from each martial art then add in areas where they might be lacking an answer. We have the utmost respect for martial arts, but there are gaps that need to be supplemented; examples being a strong ground game but having no knowledge of what to do if the opponent pulls a knife or gun- or if the bad guy's buddies start kicking your head in; another example is if you are a boxer and someone chokes you with a pull from behind; or perhaps you rock at elbows and kicks, and someone puts a knife to your throat from behind. Grappling/fighting for sport or tournament where there are usually rules is vastly different from having a knife coming at you from 3 different attackers at once.
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-I'VE SEEN SOME YOUTUBE VIDEOS, DOES THIS STUFF REALLY WORK? There is a very good reason that Krav Maga is the official hand-to-hand combat system of the Israeli military- it is battle tested and street tested in very hostile conditions. The Israelis quite literally fight for their lives every day. If it were not effective, direct, and practical it would have been abandoned long ago for something more useful. It is an evolving system- if something does not work, we change it. There is decent stuff on YouTube, and there is plenty of crap. I invite you come to a class, try it, and ask your questions. You will never know unless you try it yourself! Follow Combat Krav Maga on social media for free self defense lessons and videos using the links below.