Beginning Martial Arts

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Anazoth

Full Registered User
I've been looking at martial arts for a while and I've always wanted to take one up. I'm not exactly the fittest guy around but I was hoping this will help sort out that problem aswell haha.

I've narrowed it down and I think that I want to go with Krav Maga, I just want to know what to expect on a first day. I'm really nervous about signing up with a martial arts class and I am scared of making a fool of myself lol.

If this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it, couldn't decide where to put it :)
 
Just be prepared to work hard, take a slap or two and have a few bruises to show for it - nothing lasting and you will get use to it very quickly.

Don't be nervous - 2 minutes in and you'll forget where you are. Just remember that everyone in the class started at some point and will be more than happy to work with you.

Give the instructor a call and see what you need to take with you - water, towel, trainers, joggers, t-shirt and a good sense of humour are the basics.

Enjoy!
 
Everyone was a beginner once and there is nothing you will do they will not have seen before. Unless you go in giving it large with crane kicks and whatnot.

You should be made to feel at ease, be respected and given time to learn. You will be screwing everything up until you get a few hours under your belt but thats the same as anyone else. Taking a knock or two is to be expected but having said that there is a line to be drawn. Someone telling you to expect a broken nose or to be opened up from time to time is a dick and yes, there are instructors like that out there. That is not to say however; that much like taking a knock or two accidents like that don't happen. - So get insured. British Combat Association are pretty good for insurance. If you are training realistically then you should have appropriate armour and guards provided.

Now, you mention Krav Maga - sadly there are a bunch of slackhat half arsed wannabe-Krav Maga wannabe-instructors out there and it has lead to the system taking a lot of incoming for stupid stuff that is incorrect.

What organisation are you looking at training under?
 
anazoth - I absolutely agree with the earlier comments.
by all means dive in. i do recommend that you have some good basic fitness when you attempt this - but otherwise you will be fine. most martial arts these days do not bang people up very much. if they do - then the students don't come back. so have no worries about excessive force - the classes work on skills and conditioning.

i'm not entirely surprised to hear comments that there are some instructors out there who are degrading the Krav techniques. it happens in every discipline. but it's still very disappointing to hear about. BTW, Krav is a very good choice is you want some skills that are immediately useful. But I'd have to say the same thing about western boxing - it's also a fine way to learn how to look after yourself.

good luck and have fun!
KL
 
Hey KingLeonidas, there's a couple of threads on here where people have some pretty warped perceptions on what Krav Maga is and isn't and in every case the person says that was what they were taught / not taught... Seem's there is a lot more shit / not-Krav Maga out there than there is genuine Krav Maga.

You know about Commando Krav Maga - Moni Aizik, the founder of the system. It is basically Ju Jutsu with whatever Krav Maga Aizik has picked up along the way. Aizik was on record in print saying he helped Imi develop the system. The fact that Imi left the IDF when Aizik was a pre-teenage boy obviously should not be too relevant to the claim... - Yet CKM is a worldwide organisation that sells three or four day instructor packages with no requirement to have any martial art or Krav Maga experience.

Says it all...
 
Scab said:
...Yet CKM is a worldwide organisation that sells three or four day instructor packages with no requirement to have any martial art or Krav Maga experience.

Says it all...
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Re genuine KM instructor course relevant pre-requisites in Israel from the Wingate Institute of Sports (named after Field Marshal Orde Wingate btw):

Course prerequisites

High school graduation
A Minimum of Brown belt level, in Krav Maga
5 Years experience in Krav Maga training or, vast experience in other martial arts plus 2 years experience in Krav Maga.

In addition for a senior instructor:
Krav Maga Practical Senior Instructor qualification program:

This program consist of 50 hours of practical and theoretical studies, and, final practical examinations.

Entry requirement:

Holding a valid Krav Maga Practical Instructor Certificate.

Minimal age: 30

At least 5 years of experience as a Krav Maga Instructor

A person who will attend the Senior Instructor’s course and will not pass the final examination, will receive a “Krav Maga Advanced Techniques Course†participation certificate.


Israeli law, requires, from instructors who wish to teach in Israel to complete additional learnings. Therefore, “Practical Krav Maga Instructors†and “Practical Krav Maga Senior Instructors†will have to complete additional studies at Wingate Institute (taught only in Hebrew), if they will wish to earn license to teach Krav Maga in Israel.
 
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OK - I guess I lucked out. I was taught Krav by a guy from the Israeli Spec Forces. He had just come over to the USA from Israel. The IDF spec forces had taken Krav and ramped it up into a system they called Lotar. So that's what I was exposed to. It sounds as though the system has been diluted again as it has been taught and re-taught. I think the original IDF guys would be disappointed to hear that.

Krav is not some unique system. The Israeli's did what they do best - they looked at various systems around the world and took bits and pieces that they thought were practical and effective. Then they tried to assemble it into a practical system they could teach their people. So my suggestion with Krav is this - learn it from the Israelis, or someone who has truly dedicated themselves to getting their system right.

When we learned Krav and Lotar - we started straight off with defenses against the most common kinds of attacks. Like what to do if someone throws a haymaker punch at you in a bar, or tries to choke you from the front (or side), or charges you with their head down. Really basic useful stuff. I still remember those moves - because the Krav system used good common sense.

Good luck with whatever system you can find that will work for you.
Try to avoid the BS artists. Too many instructors get a basic qualifiation in these systems, but don't stay with them long enough to really know them well.

KL
 
KingLeonidas said:
OK - I guess I lucked out. I was taught Krav by a guy from the Israeli Spec Forces. He had just come over to the USA from Israel. The IDF spec forces had taken Krav and ramped it up into a system they called Lotar. So that's what I was exposed to. It sounds as though the system has been diluted again as it has been taught and re-taught. I think the original IDF guys would be disappointed to hear that.

Krav is not some unique system. The Israeli's did what they do best - they looked at various systems around the world and took bits and pieces that they thought were practical and effective. Then they tried to assemble it into a practical system they could teach their people. So my suggestion with Krav is this - learn it from the Israelis, or someone who has truly dedicated themselves to getting their system right.

When we learned Krav and Lotar - we started straight off with defenses against the most common kinds of attacks. Like what to do if someone throws a haymaker punch at you in a bar, or tries to choke you from the front (or side), or charges you with their head down. Really basic useful stuff. I still remember those moves - because the Krav system used good common sense.

Good luck with whatever system you can find that will work for you.
Try to avoid the BS artists. Too many instructors get a basic qualifiation in these systems, but don't stay with them long enough to really know them well.

KL
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Lotar is a very pure form of Krav Maga and as you saw from what you learnt, a lot of it is not suitable for a civvie environment as you'll get into court for excessive use of force.

There are no belts, bells or whistles in Lotar KM. There is win or lose.

All the LM Federations and Organisations are commercial. The KM taught has not been diluted, it's been bloated.

m

m
 
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Much respect for Krav Maga as a martial art. However, Muay Thai, wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu in my opinion are a potent combination. As you learn to use your hands, elbows, knees and kicks. If you want to see what an ass kicking machine Buakaw Banchamek aka Buakaw Por. Pramuk on youtube. Look at the video of him vs Mark Hunt. To see the little guy knock out the big guy. Now the martial artist is a complete martial artist with several martial arts under his belt.

tapmaster
 
tapmaster said:
Much respect for Krav Maga as a martial art. However, Muay Thai, wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu in my opinion are a potent combination. As you learn to use your hands, elbows, knees and kicks. If you want to see what an ass kicking machine Buakaw Banchamek aka Buakaw Por. Pramuk on youtube. Look at the video of him vs Mark Hunt. To see the little guy knock out the big guy. Now the martial artist is a complete martial artist with several martial arts under his belt.

tapmaster
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Krav uses knees, elbows and hands to most potent effect in places those systems don't teach you to use them. Just saying. ;)
 
Anazoth said:
Thanks for the posts :)

I was looking at this one Pure Krav Maga - Belfast
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Ok, objectively there is not a lot to go on on that page, but a few alarm bells ring. The instructor refers to himself as 'Master' - which is not a title often bounded about in Krav Maga. Indeed Darren Levine who is considered shit hot was 'only' awarded the Founders Diplomas in Krav Maga - no mention of 'Master'.

And there is a picture of him executing a jumping kick which is definitely not Krav Maga. Some of the pictures show him in some... Erm... Interesting(?) positions I must confess to have not seen in KM before. Looking at the instructor bio I notice CKM mentioned - CKM is most definitely nothing I'd want to see associated with a Krav Maga instructor.

Not a lot to go on really, maybe just some poorly chosen images, but well.. Give it a go. Let us know what sort of things you were doing.
 
When I was training Muay Thai in the states using knee's elbows was a part of the curriculum. It may be different over here as you point out it's not used here. The success of any art is what knowledge the instructor is to impart and the amount of the work the student can pick up.

Tapmaster
 
tapmaster said:
When I was training Muay Thai in the states using knee's elbows was a part of the curriculum. It may be different over here as you point out it's not used here. The success of any art is what knowledge the instructor is to impart and the amount of the work the student can pick up.

Tapmaster
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Whhhaaatatt!?!!? I have never heard of that. My love for elbows and knees came from my Muay Thai and their effectiveness is embraced by any credible fighting system!
 
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