Since I was a kid, I’ve always been interested in self-defense and fighting techniques. I tried aikido when I was a teenager but the class was not meant for real beginners and I felt out of my depth. I stopped attending and carried on with my life.
I’m now approaching my forties and have come to the decision of seriously learning how to disengage from a dangerous situation. Whether you might find yourself walking on your own after work, meeting friends at a pub, going to school or even sometimes staying in your home, you might (I hope it won’t be the case) find yourself attacked by one or more assailant. When you’re attacked, you can sometimes freeze and feel out of depth. Your might feel disorientated, you might want to escape and lose your balance, you might want to shout for help but feel tongue-tied,…
So after having been attacked more times than I care to remember, I decided to join AR Krav Maga Norfolk. I was intrigued by Tony Robinson’s school and figured that as an ex-army man, his courses might be more engaging and professional.
I first started with a Personal Trainer (Jack Gunton) as I was concerned about my level of fitness and worried I might not be able to follow a class. After the first lesson, I was hooked and already benefiting from my training.
Practicing Krav Maga is beneficial on so many levels. Of course, my physical fitness is improving. I have now a better stamina and am able to push some boundaries as my strength and speed are increasing. Every session starts with a warm-up and the techniques are broken down in understandable steps so that you learn good form from the get-go.
During the training, your instructor/trainer will explain why a certain move might be appropriate to a situation more than others. Yet you train to be always ready. You are taught to assess your surroundings and to come up with your own combination of moves in order to react to a threat.
The psychological benefits of Krav Maga are numerous. I’m now finding myself trying to be always ready. It’s almost as my vision of the world changes the more I train. In the past, I have felt quite powerless in my ability to flee or even to defend myself. I also felt extremely slow during attacks. I could be protecting my head, but before I knew it, I would be kicked in the stomach. Krav Maga helps me to protect myself whether learning how to block moves or dodge them. So even if you feel you do not have it in you to strike back to defend yourself, you at the very least learn how to protect certain vulnerable parts of your body.
Also during your training, you will be imagining situations where you are attacked and train to recognise the first signs of threatening behaviour. It almost works as a stress inoculation therapy, where you are learning in order to go through challenging times with the least negative repercussions. In my case, I’ve been suffering from nightmares for decades. I would dream of being attacked and unable to defend myself. Of course, I’d wake up tired and feeling weak, whether physically or mentally. After 16 hours of KM lessons, I had my usual nightmare but this time, I saw myself move toward the attacker and defend myself. I did wake up but it was because it was the first time in my life that I had actually manage to ‘beat’ one of my usual nightmares. I definitely felt empowered.
Moreover, I find myself using KM techniques in all sorts of situation now. Waiting in line at the supermarket and for a bus, I will position myself so that I can cover most angles of attack, I will identify where my exits are, I will look not ahead of me but more so down in front of me so I can increase my peripheral vision.
With KM, I’m learning more about myself and also what is surrounding me. I noticed that I’m starting to care more about myself… whether it’s choosing better food to eat to enable my body to be stronger and lighter, or choosing to cut my nails down so I can punch better, or deciding not to wear headphones when walking to work or school so that I stay aware of what’s around me.
All in all, I would recommend to anyone to try Krav Maga. You will become stronger mentally and physically, as well as more street savvy and if you choose to do it with AR Krav Maga Norfolk, it will be in a fun, respectful, dedicated and caring environment.
Name withheld
