“Krav Maga is a form of self-defence that deals with realistic scenarios where there are no rules. It deals with prevention from threat, psychological buildup to empowerment, verbal self-defence, soft and hard tactical defence against eve-teasing, groping, molestation and rape. It is an instant realisation and reaction to an action or attack,” says Frank J Wolf, instructor, Israeli Krav Maga Self-Defence in Richmond Town. Wolf is the only Krav Maga instructor in Bengaluru.

According to Wolf, this art of close combat was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, a trained boxer and wrestler in Bratislava in order to help protect the local Jewish community during the German military invasion.

Krav Maga trains one to be ready for any lethal situation regardless of age, size, strength and fitness. “The common attack targets in Krav Maga are chin, groin, throat, eyes jaw and knee. If you are attacked from the back and choked, you will not waste time resisting, instead when pushed back you’ll raise your foot to attack his groin,” he continues.

Krav Maga is popular because there are no esoteric martial art techniques that are put to use. Instinctive punches and kicks used in natural self-defence are polished. Krav Maga is an excellent fitness routine and helps in building stamina, confidence and helps to burn those extra calories. Many law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies like the FBI have adopted it.

The Bengaluru chapter of Krav Maga has trained around 300 people —among them men, women and children. For Kunga Uuangyal, 28, who is a student at the Krav Maga Academy of Self Defence, this art of close combat has pushed him beyond his limits, both physical and psychological.

“Learning this art form for more than two and a half years has been a huge help in building confidence. I now know how to react to situations that need quick thinking and action,” says Kunga.

“The fitness routine followed in Krav Maga is very intense. The workouts and exercises could be strenuous for a girl but constant resistant practice has equipped me with techniques to defend myself and I’m not scared of walking alone on the roads,” says Urvashi Raizada, 18, another student.

Stephanie Steiger, mother of a five-year-old is amazed to see drastic changes in her daughter Sanara’s attitude. “She is confident, she enjoys it and is ready to startle all the big boys with her defence moves,” says Steiger.

Age: 30 yrs

I first heard about Krav Maga from Ajit sir and Paul Devassy.

I would like to thank them and the Mumbai Krav Maga team to have given me a chance to fulfill my childhood dream of learning some kind of Martial Art form. I had almost forgotten about that for the last 20 years, but have always been fascinated by the thought of techniques to use one’s body as a weapon.

I have always been athletic by nature, but it is during the classes that I understood how much more fitter I could make myself. It’s a huge kick to surpass your own physical abilities.

Also, to learn some basic facts about our body’s natural movements, like all-round and 360 degrees defense, freeing oneself from chokes or executing perfect punches and kicks which can be fatal or atleast can shock the opponent.

I have always been a person who would like to stand my own against wrong doings and unfortunately some of that may lead to fights as well. But just the righteousness is not enough to defend. Now I know that I’ll be able to stand up for my beliefs and fight it out if need be. Conditioning of my body will surely help in self defense or rather a counter attack full of stamina would help me spring a surprise over the attacker.

I had read that Krav Maga was different from other forms of Martial arts. But now I know how effective it is, in it’s quick, minimal and lethal implementation.

Once again a big thanks to dedicated trainers and participants of this team. I see everyone in my class as a teacher and they help me learn something new each week.

Every chance I get, I would suggest my friends and relatives to learn and practice Krav Maga for the benefits that it offers.

Krav Maga
Push-ups, squats, kicks and stretching, after an intense 30 minutes of cardio and fitness training, the students are already grunting in pain and lying listlessly on the ground. Welcome to the world of Krav Maga, the Israeli system of self-defence and fighting, which teaches you the art of street survival. The system which means “contact combat” in Hebrew has devout followers who want that added confidence in their stride. Sadashiv M, a Krav Maga senior instructor, Mumbai says, “What is unique about this system is that it uses the body’s own reflexes. It works on instinct and natural movements. The body’s centre line — the imaginary line running though the centre of the body is the focus for defence and attack.” Ajit Verma, an instructor says, “Krav maga is a total fitness solution in itself. You burn about 800 calories in an hour.”

Capoeira
Brazilians have become famous for more than just their football skills and samba. Capoeira, the national sport, a mixture of dance and martial arts, is quietly catching up with children and adults alike. The class resonates with thumps, loud singing and the sound of a pandeiro (tambourine) and a berimbau (percussion instrument). Capoeirists of all age groups learn the fast and tricky movements in these classes. Trainer Reza Massah says, “This is the only sport which combines the co-ordination of a dancer, the strength of a martial artist, the flexibility of a gymnast, the endurance of a marathon runner and the beat of a drummer in a friendly, non-violent manner.” With its origins in African slavery in Brazil, the deceptive defence moves are light, but precision based. They build strength and balance, evident in the fluid cartwheels, kicks and twirls. Model Rosa Catalano has been practising Capoeira for a while now. “While living in Switzerland, I saw Capoeirists perform acrobats on streets and ever since I have wanted to learn. Capoeira is about rhythm and hardcore exercise. It is not about hurting somebody,” she says.

Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee may have died but his legacy lives on. Jeet kune do or the way of the intercepting fist is a street fighting concept and works on evolving according to the needs of the individual. Dr Komal, an exponent of this art says, “JKD helps in physical fitness, stress management and dealing with life’s problems.” It has no set fighting technique. It builds speed, power and co-ordination and involves kicking, punching, knee-elbow or trapping and grappling. Anjali Bhimrajka, a student, says, “In one-and-a-half years, I have lost 15 kgs. I had a ruptured ligament in my knee so any type of weight loss was not possible. But this was the answer to my problem.” Ritesh Reddy, who has been practising for the past six years adds, “I lead a sedentary lifestyle and started these classes to manage stress. I wanted to do tai-chi but found JKD more to my liking.”

Kalaripayattu
“There are 18 secrets in kalaripayattu, of which the highest is hitting your opponent and moving away. At this level, you are assured of your skill and do not need to show off,” reveals Pradeesh Raj, who has been teaching since the past 20 years. Originating in Kerala, the 3,000-year old martial art has three styles to it — one which focuses on weapons training apart from empty hand combat; another which teaches empty hand combat; and the last, which is a mixture of both. The master in this art also needs to understand the pressure points in the body and healing. One learns to wield the mind as adeptly as the sword, as you begin with training your body, then move on to weaponry, and ultimately spiritual training. Actress Upasana Shukla says, “The level of discipline kalari inculcates in you is great. This has helped me in theatre as well and I really look forward to these sessions.”

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That pretty much sums up what one knows about this new martial art form. But it seems to be the latest buzz, everybody wants to do it, everyone else is opening up a Krav Maga Center to train all those others who want to do it. There are reams of articles written about it and miles of TV programming on propagating it….But what is it??

Maybe the question to ask is how it helps you!

Imagine going for a nice dinner with your partner, romantic lights, warm music, great food, cozy weather outside…you two decide to take a long walk post dinner. And suddenly a goon jumps out from the darkness and flashes a knife at you. He’s not only interested in your valuables but is also intent on causing both physical and psychological damage. What do you do? Freeze with fear? Beg and plead with evil intent? Call the cops? Shout for help? Maybe you cooperate with the goon, but he anyway slashes your partner’s face and scars her for life and stabs you, leaving you grasping for life.

This is not an implausible scenario; it has happened many times in our beloved city and will continue to happen. Normal everyday things have become potentially dangerous for one’s life and limbs, let alone the valuables….withdrawing money at an ATM, traveling alone in an auto or a cab, walking in a park, going to a pub, even staying at home!!

It’s exactly for handling such real life situations that Krav Maga was created. It’s not as much a style or system of martial arts as it is a way, a thought, an approach…the basis of Krav Maga is simple “Don’t get hurt”. It assumes that in a real life situation, no quarter will be given, just like the goon in our story above. So it trains one to do whatever is required to get immediate situational advantage and to hurt the opponent with rapid, mixed moves. It also trains on using whatever is available at hand as an offensive weapon, maybe even a pen! Offence is the best form of defense. Krav Maga is for very close ranges of combat, which is what most street and real life situations are all about. Even the name “Krav Maga’ means “Contact combat” in Hebrew. It not only teaches self defense, but also gets one super fit with its focus on physical training and repeated muscle usage. Krav Maga uses a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercises as part of the training program. So one feels good and looks good too!

So step out and find yourself a Krav Maga center, learn the way of the close combat and know that you can protect yourself and your loved ones from evil intent.

Source: http://blog.mycitybuddy.com/

Q&A: Vicky Kapoor, Director, International Krav Maga Federation Aabhas Sharma / New Delhi April 19, 2008

Krav Maga, a martial arts form, has recently caught the fancy of fitness freaks – from Omar Abdullah to Shweta Nanda. Aabhas Sharma asks instructor Vicky Kapoor to demystify it.

How different is Krav Maga from other forms of martial arts?

Krav Maga is a martial art form with a simple, effective defence system that emphasises instinctive movements, practical techniques and realistic training scenarios. It not only improves your fitness but also trains you in self defence much better than any other form of martial art

Who are the kind of people taking up Krav Maga? Is it more for self defence or as a fitness booster?

A majority of people take it up for fitness as Krav Maga helps in toning muscles and it also improves body coordination.

While it does help in burning calories, people have realised that it is more suitable for self defence. Toning and losing weight is not the main goal but many women say they see these results too during training.

How exactly does it work? As in, are there any sets of rules that are applicable?

Unlike other self-defence and aerobic programmes, there are no required steps or rules in Krav Maga. Instead, here techniques are practised in simulated, ever-changing attack situations.

One thing that Krav Maga does is it helps one be in control of situations even when one is unarmed. It uses simple techniques that are part of natural body movements and reflexes.

Where did you learn the art and how popular is it globally?

I learnt the art in Israel and realised that it is not a sport which has martial arts but it is actually serious business. I always tell my students that if you genuinely want to learn and are serious about it, you should take up this form. It is no child’s play.

Probably, this is a reason why it has been officially adopted for training armies in 25 countries including Australia and Sweden.

What is the USP?

Krav Maga training stresses the ability to react when one is surprised. Techniques and training methods here emphasise the ability of the individual to function from a poor state of readiness and to move from a passive to aggressive state immediately, in order to defend yourself. Students are taught to react effectively under stress and to move efficiently from a position of disadvantage to a position of advantage.

Source: Business Standard