What is Krav Maga and Why Should I Learn It?

Krav Maga has become the preferred self-defense system of U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, from the FBI to local police departments. This martial art combines the most impactful techniques from an array of others and various additional defense training types. Originally, Krav Maga was a specialized form of defense used by the Israeli military. Since the late 1970s, a civilian form of Krav Maga training has been offered to the public. United Studios of Self Defense provides the original Krav Maga training for military-level use.

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is an advanced self defense system that can be used effectively by people of any age, size, or strength level. The skills learned in the practice of Krav Maga are intuitive and many can be mastered comparatively quickly. The central focus of Krav Maga skills development is on counter-attacking soft target areas, such as the throat, eyes, and various pressure points. Training to overcome assailants with weapons is a part of the course that is relatively unique to Krav Maga and not typically featured in other martial arts classes.

What Does Krav Maga Training and Use Involve?

As a beginner-level student of Krav Maga, you can expect to learn the basics of advanced self-defense. Those include various stances, striking movements, choking, holds, and other movements, falling techniques, and essential strategies for countering extreme attacks. As students progress through the training levels, they learn to manage confrontation by multiple attackers simultaneously as well as assailants with weapons and other complicated scenarios.

Why is Krav Maga Only for Advanced Self Defense?

Training in Krav Maga is focused on striking. There are marked levels of achievement, but the study of this discipline does not feature events to celebrate milestones or exhibit students’ progress. Krav Maga is a skill set learned to help people straightforwardly avoid the worst of violent confrontations and physically manage life-threatening attacks calmly.

That is a more specific purpose than those which students often have for involvement in other types of martial arts training. For example, people often have goals of improving general fitness, coordination, self-discipline, etc. as their motivations for other forms of self defense training. Krav Maga is a skill set for people who want to help ensure that they can be maximally effective in the worst of unavoidable physical confrontations.

When is Using Krav Maga Most Advantageous?

Krav Maga training emphasizes developing an instinct of preparedness for life-threatening encounters. Training in this discipline is designed to cultivate the instinct to respond with Krav Maga methods in situations in which less intensive options are insufficient to overcome a potentially life-threatening attack.

Applying Krav Maga strategies and tactics in such incidents is frequently more efficient than other martial arts alternatives. The constraints observed in other martial arts and the calm, deliberate mental state developed in Krav Maga students gives them greater potential control over the outcome in an extreme physical confrontation.

Ultimately, training in other martial arts can reach this high level of effectiveness in self defense. However, Krav Maga begins with it in the initial phases of learning. Students are, above all, conditioned to adopt the necessary mental state for a fully effective, though not excessive, response to various forms of violent attack.

Differences Between Krav Maga and Other Martial Arts

A primary distinction of Krav Maga is that mastering it requires learning on a foundation of its constituent skill sets. Some of those combined bases of training, which together largely constitute Krav Maga, include other powerful martial arts, such as Judo, Aikido, Karate, and Jiu-Jitsu. Because this advanced defense methodology combines multiple martial arts forms, naturally, skill-building in those disciplines is ideal for more complete mastery of Krav Maga.

Another departure of Krav Maga from other self-defense disciplines is that, as mentioned, its practice does not impose rules as other martial arts do. That makes it a much more openly forceful approach to countering a violent attack. The Krav Maga training emphasis on countering attacks by assailants with weapons is another area of instruction unique to this martial arts course.

Self-Enrichment Through Study of Krav Maga

At each level of increased physical ability, an avid student of Krav Maga, discovers naturally greater introspection, self-confidence, self-control, and physical ability. With that growth, he/she also becomes aware of a broadening range of choices for managing the most adverse situations. With his or her knowledge and skill further elevated, the individual’s likelihood of making the best decision under the most stressful conditions is also improved.

Krav Maga is understood as a premier life-saving resource of knowledge and skills. As such, its mastery empowers the individual to de-escalate conflict peacefully or physically neutralize threats as necessary. It is a powerful combination of other martial arts and self-defense techniques, simply applied, in a maximally efficient way.

Skills training in this incomparable methodology further benefits students with deeper insights, sharper instincts, and optimized physical capabilities.

United Studios of Self Defense

The United Studios of Self-Defense teaches principles of practical, time-tested self-defense methods. We encourage students to overcome personal obstacles to their optimum mental, emotional, and physical conditioning and ultimately become their best selves. They are guided through these objectives through our Krav Maga training and other martial arts programs, which are directed by highly qualified, extensively experienced USSD professionals.

Contact USSD Vancouver

The United Studios of Self Defense (USSD) Vancouver offers world-class instruction in three different types of self defense and martial arts: Tai-Chi, Kung Fu, and Shaolin Kempo. We offer both group instruction and one-on-one classes to fit your schedule and instruction needs. We offer classes for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced in each of the above three disciplines. Classes are available for both adults and children.

Contact us today to learn more about our martial arts programs or to set up a time to visit one of our classes in person. Our instructors work with students at every age and stage of martial arts development and are dedicated to helping you cultivate self defense skills that meet your goals and make you feel great about yourself.