Enlighten me....Please.

Gun Fu?

Quoted: Gun Fu?

I have the Gun Fu part covered fairly well.

It's developed so the IDF so it has to be good, and it's next to impossible to find someone to teach it to you.

Doesnt emerson sell videos teaching it?

Quoted: Quoted: Gun Fu? I have the Gun Fu part covered fairly well.

Seriously I thought it was a disarmament study... Edumacate me.

No-frills, no flash, maximum pain if required.  End the fight and beat feet.  

Krav Maga

Quoted: No-frills, no flash, maximum pain if required.  End the fight and beat feet.   Krav Maga

Very cool. A low overhead ju jitsu.

Quoted: No-frills, no flash, maximum pain if required.  End the fight and beat feet.   Krav Maga

+1

a. use nike defense if possible

b. if not possible, be as vicious as possible to agressor to slow them long enough to use option A.

As I like to call it  <edited too.  dont' do that.>

or <edited.  don't do that.>

yes I made these up, yes if I said them to my instructors I'd get my assed handed to me.

Mike, before I moved, I was going here:  911 Krav Maga.  It's at the corner of Fredericksburg & Callaghan in the strip center behind the power station (entrance is on Callaghan -- go to the back of the complex).

I highly recommend it!  Go there one evening and just observe.  They'll let you take an introductory class free too.

Quoted: pstudios.ath.cx/images/forum/google!.jpg

Oh I can use it, but google doesn't give me any opinions from people I trust.

Quoted: Mike, before I moved, I was going here:  911 Krav Maga.  It's at the corner of Fredericksburg & Callaghan in the strip center behind the power station (entrance is on Callaghan -- go to the back of the complex). I highly recommend it!  Go there one evening and just observe.  They'll let you take an introductory class free too.

Hey Blammo!!!!! Good to hear from you.

How long did you go? Can you compare it to any other martial arts?

Quoted: Quoted: No-frills, no flash, maximum pain if required.  End the fight and beat feet.   Krav Maga Very cool. A low overhead ju jitsu.

I thought it was closer to Kenpo or something.

I don't have any other martial arts background to compare against, but lets say that Krav Maga is intensely practical.  What they say about it on the site is right on.  I only went a few months before the dreaded transfer happened, but in that time, I learned a LOT.

Your best bet is to make a long term commitment to yourself to go at least weekly.  You really get a lot more out of it by maintaining the discipline to go regularly.  I don't know about other places, but when you sign up at the place I linked, you have unlimited access to all their training -- not just Krav Maga.  You can go 4 or 5 times a week if you want.

Hey, I still have the parts to the unfinished reactive target I promised you a couple of years ago.  They're among the very few metal things that came with me to CT.  I swear I'm gonna finish that thing before I die.  

Quoted: I don't have any other martial arts background to compare against, but lets say that Krav Maga is intensely practical.  What they say about it on the site is right on.  I only went a few months before the dreaded transfer happened, but in that time, I learned a LOT. Thanks for the info sounds good. Your best bet is to make a long term commitment to yourself to go at least weekly.  You really get a lot more out of it by maintaining the discipline to go regularly.  I don't know about other places, but when you sign up at the place I linked, you have unlimited access to all their training -- not just Krav Maga.  You can go 4 or 5 times a week if you want. Hey, I still have the parts to the unfinished reactive target I promised you a couple of years ago.  They're among the very few metal things that came with me to CT.  I swear I'm gonna finish that thing before I die.

Thanks for the info sounds good. Expensive?

Well......as long as you're gonna finish it before you die.........the question is will it be before I die? J/K I just appreciate you trying.

My wife was a substitute instructor at her local Krav Maga place.  She would every now and then get me to go for a class, and begged me to join.  I have a policy of not getting equally involved in my spouse's daily hobbiy.  Weekend stuff is great, but I felt that she needed something for herself on this one.  Hard to explain I guess.

But, the Krav teaching is great.  Very direct and no BS, only self defence and attack skills is what it is about.  They have some moves that the local cops who attend the class were told by their supervisor they could not use on a suspect.  I like what I saw, and feel much more at ease knowing my wife is able to use it to defend herself.  

Thanks for all the replies guys. Does anyone out there have any experience in KM and other martial arts to compare it to?

The REAL thing is a reality based practical fighting system designed around the idea that you may need to fight to your weapon. As a simple, basic no frills combat system designed for an armed individual it is perfect for what it is.

Sadly 90% of what is taught in most Krav Maga schools is a sad, pathetic parody of the actual fighting system. The instructors in the "flavor of the month" schools would be horrified by the notion that a Krav Maga student might be armed or that the techniques would be based upon accessing your firearm. After all Krav Maga is so ultra superior you won't need a gun, just ask them.

Shop accordingly.

Quoted: Enlighten me....Please.

Distilled and refined street fighting. Disarm, put him off balance, and beat him down! FAST.

Krav Maga is an israeli defense fighting system and is very user friendly.
In Texas, Matser Al Garza (League City) has weekly classes at his do-jo there...





____________________
Righteous men sleep peacefully in their beds each night, because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf....George Orwell

So Krav Maga is an Israeli martial arts?  Then wouldn't it be considered Jew-do?

Quoted: So Krav Maga is an Israeli martial arts?  Then wouldn't it be considered Jew-do?

It's a martial art form developed by the IDF and supposedly all U.S. federal agents are exposed to it

somewhat during their self-defense training. It is much like Jiu-Jitsu in that it relies on joint-locks,

chokes, and throws, however, I don't know all that much about it.

Quoted: Enlighten me....Please.

industrialgothic.com/safety/kravmaga.html



Krav Maga
(krav-ma•ga) pronounced (kräv) (megä´) n. [Hebrew.] for “contact combat”, is the official self-defense and hand-to-hand combat system of Israel. Krav Maga is a very modern and practical style of self-defense that is the only style worldwide known as an art of self-defense and not as a martial art. Krav Maga isn't about being a tough guy, it's not about learning how to fight in a ring, it's about going home alive no matter what the situation. Krav Maga is a survival system dealing with personal safety issues in the context of defending against both armed and unarmed attackers. Krav Maga integrates instinct based self-defense tactics, with a strong curriculum that trains aggressiveness, fighting spirit, situational awareness, and verbal de-escalation of conflict. Its anti-terrorist roots make it aggressive by design, with only one objective, to eliminate the threat in the fastest way possible. It is considered a highly refined, street fighting system, designed to be utilized against street attacks, muggings, and sexual assaults. Krav Maga was developed for use in the street. When an individual is attacked in the street there is no way to know how many opponents or weapons you might encounter, therefore Krav Maga training is based on a system without rules. This Israeli system emerged in an environment where extreme violence was common has been continually refined and developed in light of actual modern combat and self-defense experiences. Krav Maga has received international recognition for its unique approach in bringing self defense to civilian, military, and law enforcement alike. The Krav Maga symbol consists of the Hebrew letters K and M surrounded by an open circle because the system is open to improvement by adding techniques, exercises, and training methods.


The Israeli System of Defensive Tactics
Krav-Maga is not just another reformatted martial art; in fact, it has been around for some fifty years longer than most eastern martial arts have been around in the west. Krav Maga has its origins in military combat where it was forged on the anvil of some of the most severe combat settings of this century—amidst Nazi terrorism, the combat of World War II, and the very violent military confrontations of the Middle East. Krav-Maga was created and developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, Israeli Grand-master (1910-1998) who started it in the late 1940's when serving as Chief Instructor for hand to hand combat and combat fitness training for the Israeli Defense Forces. Imi, as a young man growing up in Bratislava, Slovakia, was a champion heavy weight boxer, a top-level wrestler, and an expert in judo/jujitsu. Imi's father was a police officer in-charge of the detectives in Bratislava, taught his detectives (and Imi) police defensive tactics. Imi grew up in an environment where combative sports, law enforcement, and ferocious street fights played equal rolls. Imi took part in numerous street fights defending the Jewish quarter against local fascists and Nazis before and during the first phase of World War II. After 2 years of travel, Imi immigrated to Palestine (1942), which became Israel in 1948. Due to the political situation, Israel was immediately at war with its neighbors and did not have the luxury of six-month boot camp for its young soldiers, who were literally conscripted and sent to fight. Because of this situation, the Israeli military needed an effective hand to hand combat system that could be learned very quickly, easy to retain, and very effective. This was the birth of Krav Maga in Israel. Beginning with Israeli special forces units like the Haganah, Palmack, and Palyam, Krav Maga became the official combatives training for all military personnel, Israeli police and security forces. Since then it has been studied, tested, improved and developed extensively so that now Krav Maga techniques are applied in areas such as law enforcement, elite military units, VIP protection and civilian self defense programs for men, women and children.


Who Uses Krav Maga Today
In 1964, Grandmaster Imi Lichtenfeld finished his military service and adapted Krav Maga to civilian frameworks. In Israel, the style has become an important part of the educational system and is taught to elementary and high school students on the national curriculum along with being taught at the Wingate Institute, one of the world’s leading physical fitness centers. It is taught to men, women, and children under the auspices of the Israeli Ministry of Sport and Education. Krav Maga is the official system of hand-to-hand combat and self-defense employed by the Israeli Defense and Security Forces, the Israeli National and Military Police and its Special Operations and Anti-Terrorist Units. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) including their Special Forces Units, Israeli Police, and Internal Security Branches currently uses this style on a day-to-day basis. Krav Maga is taught all ages and abilities, at community centers, schools, and clubs throughout the world. Krav Maga is taught to Sky Marshals, commercial airline crews, and has expanded outside the borders of Israel and is very successful in the United States, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Poland, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. Many United States local law enforcement, federal agencies, state police, SWAT and other special operations teams have been taught Krav Maga to include, but not limited to the following:

• Federal Bureau of Investigations
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
• Drug Enforcement Administration Arrest & Control Unit
• U.S. Treasury Department
• U.S. Immigration Service
• U.S. State Department
• U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
• U.S. Coast Guard - Port Security Unit
• U.S. Coast Guard - Tactical Law Enforcement
• U.S. Coast Guard - Drug Interdiction
• New York City Police Department
• Illinois State Police
• Chicago Metro Police Department
• Alabama State Police
• Connecticut State Police
• Pennsylvania State Police
• Texas Department of Public Safety
• Ohio State Highway Patrol
• Florida State Highway Patrol
• California Highway Patrol
• California Department of Justice
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
• Los Angeles Police Department Academy
• Santa Monica Police Department
• El Segundo Police Department
• Beverly Hills Police Department
• Burbank Police Department
• Pasadena Police Department


Krav Maga is Different from Traditional Martial Arts
A common criticism of some traditional martial arts is the lack of real-life applicability – will all those fancy moves hold up against thugs on the street? A lot of people when asked why they study their particular Martial Art will answer "So I can look after myself", or something similar. After awhile most people seem to realize that most Martial Arts in their traditional form are not realistic self defense systems - and were never meant to be - but a sport, whereby a modern Karate practitioner (for example) can compete against another karate practitioner. There are rules to prevent illegal moves and foul play; and that is how it should be. This of course is a very basic view as most martial arts offer the serious student a lot more such as self-awareness and character building, fitness, friendship and so on. Unlike most martial arts that are formal, ritual-oriented, and difficult to learn, Krav Maga is all about fighting dirty and learning no-holds-barred moves in a realistic environment. Indeed there are some similarities between Krav Maga and traditional eastern martial arts. The style consists of street survival tactics that includes a hybrid of mixed martial arts techniques also utilized in boxing, karate, judo, ju-jitsu, muay thai, as well as a number of less well-known styles. However, it is one of the few fighting styles in the world which adapts to the student rather than expecting the student to adapt to it, teaching students to build on their natural reflexes. In an assault situation an individual has the right to use whatever techniques necessary to defend themselves. For this reason, there are no competitive tournaments, katas, rituals, or choreographed routines in Krav Maga. Instead, Krav Maga relies on retzef or "continuous motion" to complete the defense. Krav Maga was developed in an environment where the Israeli military could not devote many hours to prolonged hand-to-hand combat training for their personnel. Therefore, the Krav Maga system was created with great importance placed on bringing students to a high level of skill in a relatively short period.

Krav Maga uses a simple approach to learning through constant practice and repetition. The most effective defenses against each kind of assault become almost second nature and automatic, so that in actual “street” confrontations they will be immediately utilized. In its military capacity and highest levels of learning, Krav Maga teaches not just defenses against armed and unarmed attack, but how to initiate an attack. Krav Maga training stresses the ability to react when surprised. Techniques and training methods emphasize the ability to function from a poor state of readiness, and to move from a passive to aggressive state immediately in order to fight back and survive. By emphasizing and practicing a few key defense techniques for each assault the style is able to consider a wide range of defense options hardly ever found in other styles, making Krav Maga a complete fighting system. Instructors incorporate realistic reenactments, teaching students how to operate under the stress of an actual attack. Students learn to defend against common chokes, grabs, and bear hugs, as well as weapons such as guns, knives, and sticks. Just as important, students learn to function during the stress and shock of a sudden, violent encounter. Krav Maga is easy to learn and suitable to everyone who needs an effective way of self-defense. In addition to self-defense, Krav Maga teaches hand to hand combat. This is a more advanced and sophisticated phase, and shows how to neutralize an opponent quickly and effectively. It embodies elements related to the actual performance of the fight including tactics, feints, powerful combinations of different attacks, the psychological dimensions of the fight, and learning how to use the environment to your advantage.


Principles of Krav Maga
• Avoid injury.
• Devise drills that take advantage of natural reflexes.
• Defend and attack in the minimum time required.
• Use of the human body’s vulnerable spots.
• Use of the body’s natural weapons as well as ordinary objects that may be nearby.
• No Rules, use everything you have


Characteristics of Krav Maga
According to law enforcement trainers, the most striking characteristics of the system are:
• Students are instructed in state-of-the-art defensive principles that apply to a variety of threatening attacks that occur during commonly documented street crimes.
• Students train from a position of disadvantage in real time and real speed.
• Defensive maneuvers are combined with simultaneous counterattacks until all potential danger is eliminated.
• Unique training methods are employed to simulate violent street encounters. This is necessary to place students under extreme stress  while performing Krav Maga techniques. Students learn to go from a passive to an aggressive state quickly.
• Krav Maga also teaches students to function with their attention divided; while fatigued; and when they are faced with a multitude of spontaneous attack scenarios.


Benefits of Krav Maga
Awareness
Students of Krav Maga use basic moves in various combinations to fend off violent attacks. This means that students adjust to new situations through improvisation, an important and unique feature of this style. Of course, this requires using the “head” as well as the body, and thus Krav Maga addresses the thought process as well as the physical action.

Confidence
Improvisation also allows for limitations in physical abilities. Not everyone can bring his or her leg up to a 180-degree angle, and thus the system is geared towards the average person. Students are taught a variety of possible defensive reactions for each possible attack situation, building upon an actual framework of useable techniques. They are then encouraged to utilize the responses that are appropriate to their capabilities. This allows the student to develop a sense of confidence in their abilities.

Self-control
The mind and body self-control are developed through practice. The student will learn how to control his six senses (he develops the 5 basic senses and the sixth, the ability to foresee the movements before they are made, and is also the ability to sense the environment around him). Many types of exercises make the student able to control any muscle or part of his body. If we think on movement as a sequence of moves passing quickly from one to another like a movie, in Krav Maga we develop the perception of the move in its first frame. The instinctive movement is worked to exhaustion, because is essential in dangerous situations. The instinctive movement is very fast, and it is apart from the emotional state, which the brain controls the movements just by reflex.

Physical Fitness
Being physically and mentally prepared to handle confrontation is why so many people, as well as hundreds of law enforcement agencies, train in Krav Maga, it keeps them from becoming victims. Because physical fitness is closely interwoven into the system, the workout includes a number of cardiovascular and strength building exercises, as well as stretching to increase flexibility. Emphasis is put on speed, endurance, strength, accuracy, and coordination, especially for intensive Krav Maga training.

Movements
All Krav Maga moves were created based on natural body movements and are all very simple. This is what makes their use easier on danger and surprise situations. The moves are short, and by consequence, fast. There are no rules, the techniques was created for real-life situation application. The strikes are intended to body sensible targets, what makes the Krav Maga practitioner and his adversary even, independently from their physical strength, and makes the defense more objective. In short: Krav Maga is a simple personal defense system, fast, and objective, accessible to anyone.


Technique of Krav Maga
The technique is based on mind and intellectual force no matter what the physical strength you have, and had as a goal the transference of weight as explosive force. As physics tells us, strength is equaled to mass multiplied by acceleration. The strike brings to the target the striker’s bodyweight. The strike’s movement works as a spring released: the speed does not have continuous acceleration; it is released at maximum speed. The techniques practiced in the style must be in terms of actual defense situations. In fact students of Krav Maga are taught the vulnerable points (i.e. back of neck, temples, eyes, throat, knees, groin, etc..) on the human body and are encouraged to use this knowledge to fend off an attack.


Components of Krav Maga
Techniques of Self-Defense
• Defense against punches and kicks
• Releases from bear hugs and chokes
• Defense against knifes and clubs, etc.
• Defense against guns
• Defense against multiple attackers

Face-to-Face Combat
• Various types of kicks/arm blows
• Sparring under pressure
• Controlled fighting


Groundwork
A Krav Maga student is as comfortable in a ground confrontation as standing confrontation. (Note: a student does not necessarily want to be situated on the ground during a confrontation for several reasons including the threat of multiple attackers. Nevertheless, the reality is that many fights do end up on the ground.) Krav Maga incorporates extensive groundwork tailored to the Krav Maga philosophy of quickly disabling or neutralizing an opponent. In other words, a Krav Maga practitioner does not necessarily intend for a "submission" or "tap out" from an opponent as common in sport fighting. A Krav Maga student will execute a joint dislocation or worse to end to the confrontation. (On this and related points, use of force and legal issues are important considerations. A defender must not exceed "reasonable" force or use excessive measures once the threat ceases to be a danger. Use of force issues vary considerably and it is incumbent for a defender to know what is legally acceptable.)


Belt Sequence
At the modern times, the human being needs symbols to feel that he is going forward and progressing - for many different reasons. That is why Krav Maga follows a graduation system of colored belts, like the martial arts. One thing you will notice in classes; however, is that no one wears their belt. Plus, although students must successfully pass a belt test to reach the next belt level, students are not required to belt test. The teaching of Krav Maga is divided in two parts: the first goes from the white to blue belt, where one learns the self-defense techniques. The second, that goes from blue to black belt, where one learns the face-to-face combat, combat techniques and more complexes exercises. Krav Maga belt ranking system is as follows: (Time frames are for the average student.)

• White belt – 2 months to advance.
• Yellow belt – 3 months to advance.
• Orange belt – 6 – 8 months to advance.
• Green belt – 1 year to advance.
• Blue belt – 1 year to advance.
• Brown belt – 1 year to advance.
• Black belt – 1 year to advance.

White/Yellow Belt
In this initial stage, it is important to learn the movements with much attention to details. The student will encounter the first movements of releases and attacks. Most of these moves can be applied in any type of short-range aggression. The student must practice the strikes many times, in slow moves. When the student has already learned the moves in all details, speed increases to the maximum as possible, to give more power to the strike.

Orange Belt
When arriving at the third phase, the orange belt, the student must have all control over the first attacks already known and must be able to use them with great efficiency and speed.  Here, he will learn moves more sophisticated for short range, which will require a faster reaction. The student will know strikes for all directions, with answers to aggression to middle range, and at the end of this phase; he will have the first face-to-face combat contacts.

Green Belt
In the first three stages, the student learned releases and attacks, and in this, he will learn faster and objective defenses to all kinds of attacks. The student will need to go back to practice all the moves he learned until then and execute them with the maximum of efficiency. The fitness exercises have the difficulty increased and will have a great need for the speed on the moves.

Blue Belt
In this phase, the student needs to show speed, coordination and explosion power. In the blue belt, the student will face for the first time defenses against weapons, and firearms. He gets into the second part, when practicing face-to-face combat, with or without weapons and objects.

Brown/Black Belt
In these phases, the student will demonstrate a complete understanding of all techniques of the other pervious levels with consternation on exercises against 2, 3, or more attackers. The student will acquire the first basic knowledge of military style face-to-face combat.


Krav Maga Level Classes
Although the curriculum set forth by Krav Maga is logically organized by way of a progressive belt testing (level) system, the promulgation and distribution of belts is certainly not the goal of the system. Instead, the most important goal of Krav Maga is to help you develop the ability to quickly and efficiently defend against any conceivable threat to you, a friend, or a family member. With that, Krav Maga groups its students in level classes usually ranging from level 1 to level 4 that equal belt levels. Level 1 Classes are typically consisting of students in the first few belt levels and its focus is on core Krav Maga moves and defenses. Heavy emphasis is placed on developing proper Krav Maga techniques. This includes fighting stances, punches, kicks, punch defenses, knee strikes, and basic self-defense moves. As the student advances to higher belt levels, levels 2-4, quickly builds to include additional punch combinations, kicks, kick defenses, self-defense techniques, and weapon defenses.

Yea, it's a good system if you can find an instructor. Stick to the tried and true: Hap Ki Do, Jiu-Jitsu,

Muay Thai.