Learning about Krav Maga in Los Angeles Krav Maga has become an incredibly popular form of martial arts in Los Angeles. Not only is it taught by specialist schools and academies around the city and surrounds, but it is also offered as a fitness and self-defense class in many of Los Angeles’ gyms. Krav Maga is about getting into keen physical shape and learning to defend yourself in the quickest, most decisive and effective way possible. So, how does Krav Maga work and what can you expect to learn from this martial art form? What Is Krav Maga? Krav Maga was originally developed in Israel and its name, meaning “contact combat� was derived from the Hebrew language. Krav Maga was created as a system of combat and self-defense by the Israeli military, so unlike many of the Eastern forms of martial arts it tends to be more aggressive and direct in intent than Judo and Aikido, for example. Krav Maga teaches a combination of combat techniques that originate from martial art forms from Muay Thai and Judo to boxing and Wing Chun.
The first principle taught by Krav Maga schools in Los Angeles is the avoidance of confrontation. It is always better and safer for students to avoid a fight than it is to enter one, because even if you had studied a martial art form for years, you stand to get injured and you stand to injure others, which goes against many of its core philosophies. If it is not possible or unsafe to avoid confrontation, the goal of Krav Maga is to neutralize an enemy as fast as possible with quick, vicious strikes to vulnerable parts of the body. Krav Maga: Power and Intent Because Krav Maga was developed by the military, it is taught as a component of militia training and has very real life applications where the outcome of the combat can even be permanent injury or even death. In Los Angeles, however, Krav Maga has become adapted as a method of fitness, as well as a competitive combat sport where the use of rules and regulations protect the well being of the fighters. It does serve to bear in mind, however, that Krav Maga was developed for the real world and in situations where your life could be on the line.
Because of the potential for injury, even in military training, students of Krav Maga are instructed to use reasonable force and protective equipment so as to avoid harming each other during sparring.
Krav Maga Combat Techniques and Combat Philosophy As it was mentioned, the two core principles of Krav Maga are to avoid conflict, but that if it is unavoidable, to use quick and decisive force to neutralize the attacker. Krav Maga schools in Los Angeles therefore teach the following:
How to defend yourself against a great variety of attacks, strikes and kicks. Which parts of the body can be targeted for an immediate disabling effect. These include the ribs, throat, eyes, fingers, neck, knees and feet. Quick and dexterous counter-attack methods and pre-emptive counter-attack. Contextual awareness: taking in your surroundings without parting your attention from your attacker. This will help you to find an escape route or possible weaponry to use against an attack.
For its incredible fitness training and focus on self-defense, Krav Maga is a fantastic martial art for Los Angeles residents to learn.