Principles of Krav Maga!

What makes Krav Maga different from other forms of or self-defense is the basic principles upon which the system is based. Knowledge of these principles will help you better understand why Krav Maga is different from other forms of martial arts. These principles form the heart of the system, and are the foundation of every technique taught in Krav Maga. Here are just eight of the basic principles that define Krav Maga:

1. The Ultimate Goal is Survival Krav Maga is not a sport! The objective of Krav Maga is not to win trophies or become a world champion, but to make it home alive. Let’s it, in the street there are no rules, no referees, no weight classes, no fouls, just the cold brutal reality of unrestrained violence. For this reason, Krav Maga trains a person to do whatever is necessary in order to survive. Many of the techniques taught in Krav Maga such as, eye gouges, strikes, and breaks; are considered illegal in sports like or MMA. The use of such techniques makes perfect sense when you take into consideration that an attacker in the street is not trying to win a competition, but to seriously hurt, rape, or maybe even kill you. Remember, Krav Maga training is a matter of life and death. Therefore, everything in Krav Maga is 100 percent focused on survival!

2. Simplicity is Key Unlike sports, in the street, there are no rules. Odds are, your attacker will be larger and maybe even armed with a knife or gun. You may even find yourself facing multiple attackers. In such situations you cannot afford to get involved in a lengthy, drawn out fight. The longer the confrontation lasts the less your odds are for survival. You must react precisely and as quickly as you can to eliminate the immediate threat. For this reason, Krav Maga techniques are not designed to be fancy or impressive, but instead simple, direct and violent. 3. Fight from a Position of Disadvantage If you are attacked, you can bet your money that you will be fighting from a position of disadvantage. You need to expect and accept the fact that your attacker or attackers will be larger, stronger, and possibly armed. This is why Krav Maga always trains a person to fight from a position of disadvantage. The effectiveness of Krav Maga does not rely on strength, size, or athletic ability. Instead, Krav Maga relies on economy of movement, the element of surprise, and the effective targeting of weak points on the human body. This allows a smaller person how to prevail over a larger attacker. 4. Based upon the Body’s Natural Reaction! Krav Maga is different from other martial arts, in that most other systems attempt to reprogram your natural reactions so you can perform the techniques under stress of an attack. You have to relearn everything: walking, , striking, etc. This is why it takes so long to become combat proficient in other systems. In Krav Maga, we begin with the body’s natural reactions to stress, then build techniques and combinations from those reactions. The result is Krav Maga feels more natural, and students are able to learn the movements faster. 5. Universal Effectiveness! In , every person must serve in the military. When Krav Maga was created the techniques had to be effective for everyone, regardless of body size, shape or gender. Techniques that worked for the 250-pound male athlete had to also work for the 135-pound female. There wasn’t time in training to modify the techniques for each person’s personal needs. Instead, the techniques had to be universally effective for everyone. Even today, as Krav Maga evolves, this principle governs the direction of the system. This is why Krav Maga is an effective system of self-defense that is truly for everyone. 6. Simultaneously Defend and Counterattack! When attacked, timing is essential. In order to insure your survival, you must gain the advantage as soon as possible. The fastest way to do this is by defending and counterattacking simultaneously. As a result, Krav Maga techniques are faster and more explosive than other systems that teach you to block first and then second. Eliminating the time between defensive movements and counterattacks, Krav Maga is able to overwhelm the assailant and take back the initiative. 7. Reality Based Scenario Training! Krav Maga is a relatively modern system of self-defense. Therefore, it deals with contemporary weapons and violent scenarios. The goal of Krav Maga is to focus on finding solutions to the types of violent attacks students are most likely to encounter in their day-to- day lives. Instead of training how to defend against a person attacking you with a samurai sword, Krav Maga focuses on training you how to defend against guns, knives, and sticks. In addition, Krav Maga recognizes that in the modern age a person needs to also be aware of the legal ramifications of self-defense. Krav Maga teaches practitioners to use only the acceptable amount of force required to defend themselves thus helping to protect them from criminal charges and lawsuits. In order for any system of self-defense to be effective in today’s society, it must take into consideration both the application of force and the legal use of force. 8. Efficiency of Training! The primary objective of Krav Maga is to get practitioners to a high level of self-defense proficiency in a relatively short period of time. In order to do this, training time is used to its optimal efficiency. Every movement, every exercise, and every drill has been thoughtfully selected in order to accomplish the primary goal. Krav Maga training is designed to push you to your limits and beyond, while focusing everything you do on developing your ability to successfully deal with a violent encounter. In short, Krav Maga training is challenging, it’s intense, and it’s effective. This is where reality keeps you safe!