Why is Self-Defense Training Necessary?
Self-defense has become a concern for many people as the world has become more tumultuous, this year in particular. This kind of concern is a natural reaction to the violence we see every day on a worldwide and local scale.
This reaction is about fear. Mostly the fear of the unknown and, really, that’s never going to go away. We’ve seen wars break out this year and violence become stirred up as a reaction to those wars. What people fear is how that violence will somehow, some way, find and target them
This is also a natural reaction. In a world that, at times, seems to be igniting in violence with increasing frequency there’s a tendency to feel like you are in imminent danger. In some ways you are in imminent danger, even when the world is not being turned upside down by wars that are constantly on every form of media.
There is always going to be danger, crime, and violence. Things like politics and religion will always incite passionate reactions in people. One of the most common ways people react on that passion is by becoming violent as a means of expressing their belief. It’s not really logical, but that’s the way people react. That’s the way people have reacted since the beginning of time
Wars may end. Everyday danger won't.
Hate crimes and rioting are an entirely different form of crime. Global circumstances and political conflict often have no connection to the every day crime and violence that is carried out in situations like assaults, sexual assaults, robberies, home invasions, abductions, etc. Those threats are also always going to be around us. Always.
The fear of violence somehow finding people becomes magnified as violence and terror become a staple of what we see and hear about all day, every day. The reality is that the only way to counteract that fear is to do something about it.
What should I do?
No amount of worrying or stressing about how dangerous the world is, or will become in the future, is going to change your level of ability to protect yourself. If the worst case scenario becomes your reality and all you’ve done is worry about it, you are going to be in danger. There’s no other way around it.
Self-defense training is the only way to improve your self-defense skills and your ability to keep yourself safe. Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense training is the absolute best way to train for overall self defense.
What is Krav Maga?
Krav Maga is a self-defense system that was developed in Israel by a man named Imi Lichtenfeld. Imi was a boxer and a grappler in his youth and he was a Nazi resistance fighter during WWII. When Imi emigrated to Israel after WWII he quickly became involved in helping the newly formed nation develop a military to defend itself from the enemies surrounding it.
Imi’s experience as a fighter gave him keen insight into training soldiers. He was asked by the Israeli government to develop a system of hand-to-hand fighting that would be easy for people with no experience to learn. Since most of the people emigrating to Israel had no experience in the field this was a major challenge. The limited time frame that Imi had to work with made the pressure on him even greater.
Easy to learn in a short period of time.
As a result, Imi developed a system built on principles of self-defense. Essentially creating a set of rules and standards to apply to any self-defense situation that, if followed, would give the defender the best chance to overcome an attacker and survive.
Imi also knew that a hand-to-hand combat system for soldiers had to stress survival above all else. That meant that there were no rules like illegal strikes or techniques to be considered.
Krav Maga was developed for self-defense and for, more than anything else, survival on the battlefield. Krav Maga Worldwide maintains that way of thinking and continues to teach the principles that Imi developed to this day
Stand up fighting skills.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes teach stand up skills that are essential for self-defense. This starts with “combatives” or striking techniques that are necessary for self-defense when a person is on their feet.
Krav Maga is a no-holds-barred system, so we teach students to strike using punches, kicks, knees, elbows. Our self-defense system also teaches things like eye gouges, throat strikes, and strikes to the groin.
Self-defense training at Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers also teach techniques and tactics for defending against assaults in the form of chokes, headlocks, bearhugs, and being pushed or pulled.
Survival Mentality.
Imi Lichtenfeld was a boxer and a grappler as a young man so he knew that being able to fight back for self-defense while on your feet was incredibly essential. Imi’s knowledge of self-defense while on your feet was a crucial part in developing Krav Maga self-defense because, as mentioned before, the system stresses survival above anything else.
Sometimes survival, in terms of self-defense, means the ability to get away from an assault or attack. Krav Maga self-defense starts with training on the feet because, generally, getting away or escaping an assault is much easier if you are standing.
Ground fighting skills.
That’s not to say that Krav Maga self-defense does not involve training on the ground. In fact, it’s a crucial element of the Krav Maga self-defense system.
Ground fighting training in Krav Maga self-defense starts at Level 1 and becomes increasingly technical as students progress through the Krav Maga belt system. The system builds skills through each level, though so the skills that students learn in Level 1 apply to what they learn in Level 2 and so on.
Survival Mentality.
This too comes from Imi’s experience in boxing and grappling as a young man. There’s a saying that’s common in martial arts, “all fights start on the feet but end up on the ground”. That’s true to some extent.
Krav Maga self-defense training on the ground is not aimed at taking a fight to the ground. Remember, we stress survival above all. Krav Maga self-defense training on the ground focuses on escapes, sweeps, and gaining and advantageous position so we can make damage, and get away.
It’s the same survival mentality that shaped Krav Maga self-defense overall. It’s an integrated system. Krav Maga does utilize and teach some joint locks and strangle holds for self-defense on the ground but, ultimately, the aim is not to stay on the ground so long during a fight or assault that other people jump in or other factors affect the encounter.
Weapons defense skills.
Imi knew that soldiers who were going to fight in the IDF to defend Israel were going to be armed and, more importantly, facing armed enemies. If a soldier in the IDF lost their own weapon, they had to have a chance to fight back, win, and survive against an enemy who might still be armed.
Krav Maga self-defense teaches students to defend against attackers armed with blunt objects, knives, handguns, and long guns. There is no other system that has as comprehensive a weapons defense curriculum as Krav Maga Worldwide.
Systematic approach.
Krav Maga Worldwide uses Imi’s principle based system to teach students self-defense tactics for when weapons are involved. The learning process for this starts in Level 1 even though actual weapons defense training for self-defense doesn’t start until Level 3.
The Krav Maga system is integrated and principle based so that as techniques become more intense and complex in higher levels, students already have an understanding of the “why” and “how” things are done.
This goes back to Imi’s challenge of teaching soldiers to fight in a short period of time. Learning self-defense in Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes is a logical progression. That’s why Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense is easy to learn and easy to recall under stress.
Start training today.
The only way to become more skilled at self-defense is to train to defend yourself on a consistent basis. Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense was created specifically to teach people with no fighting experience how to fight for their lives. Start training today and you’ll be that much better prepared tomorrow.
Krav Maga self-defense teaches all phases of hand-to-hand combat and includes the most comprehensive weapons defense tactics and techniques in the world.
Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers.
Our training centers are staffed by expert instructors who have dedicated years of their lives to training and improving their skills so they can help other people become safer and stronger.
If you are interested in finding “Krav Maga classes near me” check out this link for a searchable map of our certified training centers around the world. You can also call us at 800-572-8624 and we’ll help you find the certified training center closest to you.