New to Krav Maga

Posted by: bishop79

New to Krav Maga - 08/20/05 08:01 PM

Hello everyone! I'm new to Krav Maga , in fact I just took my intro class today and ran upon this board via Google.

I'd like to solicit an opinion on the dojo I decided to attend. It is the only one in my city ( Colorado Springs, CO ). I got the name of the dojo from www.kravmaga.com , which seems to be a reputable organization ( as much as can be expected in this world of McDojo's ). The specific school has two locations in my town, most Krav Maga classes are taught by the owner of the company. This dojo is also associated with the dojo's in norther colorado listed on both www.kravmaga.com and www.kravmagaco.com .

On to the more relevant stuff, the intro class! The class was 90 minutes long, did not have a stretching portion ( the instructor gave a little talk about this, " stretch before class, I don't want to waste your time with it during instruction time, but DO NOT for get to stretch " ) .

We went into a quick 3 minute warm up , the instructor stated this would be 5 or so minutes in normal classes, then onto the basic " passive stance " and " fighting stance ". Progressing from there to basic punching drills consisting of the basic jab/cross and combinations, emphasizing form and power ( quickness will come with practice ) .

From the punching drills we went into palm strikes and eye strikes, then onto basic kicking drills consisting of a front groin kick and a mid level front kick. From there we went into choke defense, front side and back, incorporating all of the offensive drills from earlier. ( i.e. front choke break, groin kick, step in punch like hell combo and almost every thinkable variation thereof ). Improvisation was also heavily emphasized.

We then hit the bags with our partners ( same ones we used for the above drills ) , and ended with wrist grab defense.

Overall , I'm impressed with this dojo, it is not exclusively Krav Maga but I don't see many of those anyway.

I know that was a bit rambling, but if anyway cares to wade through it and give an opinion I'd greatly appreciate it.

The prices are $80/month unlimited classes, fight classes(?) and free private instruction. There seems to be 2 Krav Maga classes every day , one for Level 1 & 2, and one for 3,4 and up.

Thanks all!
Posted by: CHOPPA23

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/20/05 09:29 PM

Yes i am also new to KM. I am attending a dojo similar to the one you are describing, i also got the name of the place from www.kravmaga.com. I just finished the intro which was almost the same format. We also recieved our wraps and white belt. I will be starting classes next week and am very excited. I'll let you guys know how i am progressing.
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/21/05 08:07 AM

Sounds like what we do. Did you have to sign a contract?
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/21/05 08:12 AM

I honestly hope you enjoy Krav. It does get a little bit of bashing from the other forms...but I can live with that. As a number of professionals have noted.. "There is what looks cool in the dojo...and then there is what works on the street" A good standup, and a good ground game are critical...most street/bar fights end up on the ground...

Let the nay sayers crack all they want... I am all about self defense...
Posted by: bishop79

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/21/05 11:19 AM

No contract at all, would have ran for the hills if there was one.

As for the bashing Karv gets in forums, I couldn't care any less. I came up a bit rough, and if I had a dollar for every " I'm a black belt in < insert sport MA here > billie badass " who's butt I saw whooped in a street fight I'd have enough money to put a down payment on a house :P Dont get me wrong, I studied Kempo and Aikdo for 5 years, but I always had the attitude even then that this is great and all, but in a street fight I'll do what it takes. Best advice my old man ever gave me ( ex army ) , " Son, there is no such thing as a fair fight or a dirty move " . I guess those attitudes and experances are what drew me to Krav Maga.

I'm planning on 3-4 times a week, plus the fight class and probably at least one private session every two weeks. Any advice besides " practice practice practice " that you vets can give me?

Thanks again!
Posted by: CHOPPA23

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/21/05 11:51 AM

Ya i dont mind the bashing at all. I think much of the bashing is due to the fact that it is a relatively new MA and nobody trusts it because of that. It has been self defense tested from people that i know and thats all that matters to me. And ranger are you also taking KM, Or are you a sensei in another MA?
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/21/05 01:26 PM

I train in KM. I also trained in TKD, Judo and Karate when I was in the Army. I heard about KM when I was in Law Enforcement, and finaly looked into it a while back.
Posted by: csinca

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/22/05 01:09 PM

Quote:

No contract at all, would have ran for the hills if there was one.




Contracts get a bad rap becuase they are used by some "less than good" instructors and dojos. But keep in mind that not all cotnracts are bad. After all, you probably expect your new instructor to show up for or provide instruction for every class. You probably expect him to provide the space and maybe some electricity and water. And you probably expect him (or her) to do so on an ongoing, long-term basis. All of that costs money.

The world or martial arts has very high student turnover and without a reliable student base all of the above can be a challenge to provide. If you take your training seriously and plan to train long term, then a 6 month or one year contract should not concern you.

Of course you do have to be careful about the school and the instructor and whether you are committed to training. Contracts really do suck when you get a few weeks in and find out that for whatever reason you aren't happy where you are.

Chris
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/22/05 04:39 PM

Point taken...
Posted by: csinca

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/23/05 11:30 AM

Bishop, please keep us posted on your training. I get back to the Springs once a year to visit and I'm always looking to try new places to train. Any recommendations you have would be great.

Chris
Posted by: CHOPPA23

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/25/05 12:57 AM

Had my first class the other day and it was great. What really impressed me is that the owner/master insructor taught all of the classes. I've seen other places where the owner was never around and had a couple of chronies teaching. I learned a lot just in one day and got a great workout.
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/25/05 12:08 PM

Awsome!!

I hope you enjoy Krav. I can say with all honesty, it has changed my life.
Posted by: ShikataGaNai

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/27/05 04:16 PM

i just moved to chicago almost four months ago. in the first three weeks, my dog was mauled by a vicious rotty, my bike was stolen and i was threatened three times with violence. this is a great city, but it has it's dangers. for the last two months, i have been training in krav maga and it has become an obsessive way-of-life practice. i even quit drinking to get in better shape for the rigorous training at my gym. the sifus are all incredible, highly experienced mma-ists and their instruction has elevated my conscious of my surroundings to new levels. i seem to have an aptitude for krav and intend to master it. i think that the most important lesson one can learn from it is that eventually, you will not be afraid of losing a fight, but of fighting at all.
krav has an incredible history and it is such an expandable art. this may be one of the best things i've ever done for myself.
Posted by: RangerG

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/29/05 02:39 PM

It was one of the best things I did for myself, so I understand your mindset.
Posted by: umsangil

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/29/05 06:05 PM

Wow. Thats a really powerful revelation. Its really interesting to see how martial arts can influence/drastically change someone's life. Good luck with your training. Sorry for hijacking the thread but what are some other reasons people decided to train in Krav? I did it because its specifically self-defense oriented and it brings me peace.
Posted by: ShikataGaNai

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/29/05 06:13 PM

same reasons, more or less. i've actually known about it for a while, being very interested in israel's history and coming from a jewish heritage where many of my relatives were wiped out in wwII. i also think it's the best form for urban self defense, especially when it comes to women.
Posted by: CHOPPA23

Re: New to Krav Maga - 08/29/05 09:39 PM

I started taking KM because i've always wanted to study a martial art but was worried about the relevance and the time needed to become proficient in that art. I do believe that other forms of MA have their place but krav is good for modern day self defense. I also like it because it is a great workout.