Classes designed for both level 1 and level 2 students are harder than classes designed for just level 1 students. At least, that’s what it felt like.

I don’t usually go to the Thursday 1/2 level classes, but since I’ve missed several classes the last two weeks, I thought I’d go in for some make-up time. I was also curious to see if it would be harder than what I’m used to.

I won’t say it was harder, but it was definitely a little more intense. D had us really work.

It was a roller coaster ride of kicks. Straight kicks, GO! Roundhouse kicks, GO! Knees! Advancing straight kicks! Squatting straight kicks! Yes, you heard that correctly. You squat down low and when you come up, you throw a straight kick. Ugh. My favorite. Squats.

Right kick. Squat.
Left kick. Squat.
Right kick. Squat.
Left kick. Squat.

I got rocked.

At the end of class, D presented us with the idea of advantage. When you’re fighting someone and trying to get them off you, it’s a good idea to put yourself in the best advantage possible. Which sounds like a no-brainer, but I think this is especially important for women, because we’re (generally) up against bigger and stronger opponents. If you can do anything to make the fight swing your way, do it. So when he started talking about the importance of building up advantage, I immediately perked up.

When you’re standing face-to-face with someone, you each have the same number of operating weapons (arms, legs, head, etc). When you stand facing their side (perpendicular to their body), they have only half their weapons (the side of their body facing you), while you still have all your own. When you stand behind them, you have all your weapons and your opponent has much less, including the ability of sight.

Now when I’m defending, I’ll be trying to maneuver myself into a position where I have the upper hand. I think it’s something they stress in higher level classes when you start sparring. And if they don’t, they should.

I missed class on Monday night, so I knew I had to come in tonight, even if I took it easy. Since I’m trying to prepare for the test in December, I’ve gotta step it up.

It seems like there’s a lot to defending a choke from behind. When someone puts their hands around your throat, you have to reach behind your head (hopefully clawing your assailant in the process) and pluck down on the weakest part of their grip. This happens all while stepping to the side. With the force of the pluck behind your swinging hand, you slap their groin, bring your elbow up to hit them in the jaw, and then turn around to face them. Finally, go crazy and let ‘em have it!

This defense is really awkward to practice, because you’re taught to throw your hands up behind your head and pluck down in a quick, solid movement. If you’re not careful, you could easily poke out your partner’s eye!

Safety is the most important thing in Krav Maga. Instructors want you to learn defenses to as close of a real life situation as they can present you, but that doesn’t mean you should harm your partner in the process. So, although I worked really hard at it, I’m not sure if I “get it” yet. I’ll have to sleep on it and try practicing on Chris tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll love to hear that…

On the plus side, my back didn’t hurt at all the whole night! We’ll see how it feels tomorrow though!

Hello all! I’ve been fighting a sinus infection and a sore back this week, so things have been a little slow on the Krav Maga front. I’m starting to feel a lot better though and I’ll (hopefully) be back to training on Monday! In the meantime, I thought I’d update you on some of the latest news:

• My gym has recently expanded their operation, by adding nearby 3,000 square feet of space dedicated to Crossfit. This is great news, because it allows for more (and hopefully smaller) Krav Maga classes!
• Chris and I attended our gym’s Krav Maga Halloween Party last weekend and met a bunch of really great people. It was a ton of fun dressing up, seeing people outside of class, and casually chatting about chokes and other defenses. I’ll have more on that next week!
• My Level 1 test was rescheduled to December 6, giving me an extra month to train. I can’t say I’m upset, especially since the test would have been today! I don’t think a sore back and a sinus infection are optimal conditions for putting my body through the stress of an eight hour test… so I’m just thanking my lucky stars that it was postponed!
• And speaking of tests, I recently found a great blog post on how to prepare for a Krav Maga test! It was actually posted by Pam, the woman who first taught me Krav Maga at a Women’s Self-defense seminar in San Francisco (she was the assistant instructor at the time). I remember watching her defend these moves against Barny and thinking “Man, I want to be just like her…” She was flawless, ruthless, and fluid in all her movements. It was truly inspiring. Anyway, I’ll definitely be using this list to prepare myself for my upcoming test!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Hopefully I’ll have more to report on Monday, when I head back to the gym!

So, you’ve signed up for your first Krav Maga class! Good for you!

Feeling a little apprehensive? Don’t worry! What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger (or some equally motivating slogan designed to make you feel less like you’ve signed up to be thrown into a pit of snakes…)

I can promise you there won’t be snakes. I can also promise that you will sweat and you will be sore the next day.

In any case, here are some tips to make your first Krav Maga class as successful (and hopefully as painless) as possible!

• Drink lots of water the day of your class.
• Drink lots of water the day of your class.
• Drink lots of water the day of your class. Hydration is extremely important when you’re exerting yourself. By drinking plenty of water, you can ensure your body is running at peak performance.
• Don’t eat any major meals within an hour of class. I’ve eaten a banana or a granola bar 15-20 minutes before and been okay. Anything more than that and you’ll seriously regret it.
• Let the instructor know if you have any injuries before class starts.
• Start breathing even breaths as soon as you walk into the gym—in through your nose and out through your mouth. If you can start breathing early, you’ll be better prepared for the intense workout.
• Never stop breathing. When you throw a strike, breathe out as you make contact. This will make your strikes faster and stronger, because your body will be more relaxed.
• Try not to be too self-conscious. I can assure you the only people who will have the time or energy to notice you will be the instructors and your partner. That’s one of the beautiful things about Krav Maga, you literally can’t think about anything aside from what’s happening at that moment. I’m convinced it’s physically impossible.
• Give it all you’ve got. Hitting the pad is not the goal, just like punching someone in the face is not meant to hurt their skin. You want an assailant to feel it in their bones. Hit the bag like it’s the outer layer to something you want to penetrate. You shouldn’t hurt your partner if they’re holding the pads correctly (which they’ll teach you) and paying attention.
• Oh! And come prepared with water.

If after the first class you ask why anyone would ever want to endure that, go one more time. If the cardio totally kicks your butt, imagine how great you’ll feel in a month or two when it doesn’t.

The first class is hard. The second class will be hard too. But if you stick with it, you won’t regret it.

I almost didn’t go to Krav tonight. I had a rough day at work and wanted to veg in front of the TV. Instead, I pulled my butt up off the couch and went anyway. And I am so glad I did.

We started off with the shoulder tap game, switching partners a few times.

The shoulder tap game is where you try to lightly, but firmly hit your partner’s shoulder, while blocking or dodging their attacks on you.

I almost always try to pair up with guys that are bigger and stronger than me for this exercise, because
a) I want to be challenged,
b) I want to know where I stand on technique and speed, and
c) I want the boys to know that just because they’re up against a girl, it doesn’t mean they can go easy. Tonight was a prime example why I choose to do this.

I paired up with a guy I haven’t seen before. He was pretty buff and more than a little cocky. We started circling each other. He would tap me, but instead of falling back into an active fighting stance, he would continue to tap my shoulder, like a little kid trying to get my attention. He kept smirking like he was so much better than me and it was infuriating.

My aggression and speed instantly increased, but I still maintained the best fighting stance I could.

When Sir Smirks-alot would tap my shoulder with his multiple little taps, he’d drop his protecting hand, exposing most of his side. So I’d block his obnoxious tapping and throw a fast, firm slap to his shoulder. Rinse and repeat.

As far as I can tell, the major reason to do the shoulder tap game is to work on perfecting your fighting stance and movement (and get more cardio in). On more than one occasion the instructors have stopped class and had everyone freeze in their current position, so they could point out our poor fighting stances. Guess my irritating partner didn’t realize what an ass he was making of himself.

We also worked on front chokes with a push. They’re pretty different from stationary chokes, but they are a ton of fun to practice. As your assailant lunges at you, you lift your right arm up over your head, rotate your body to the left, and bring your right arm down to meet your left arm, temporarily pinning their arms. Of course, this is when you start delivering blows until they’re down and you can safely get away.

As Chris and I were practicing, W came over and made some minor tweaks to my technique. It felt good to have him only talk about small, optional corrections. I definitely feel myself improving and now that I’ve stopped putting so much pressure on myself, I feel more successful in my skill.

When we got home I also noticed a complete transformation in my mood. I’m happier, have more energy, and feel better prepared to tackle these work issues… Man, I love Krav.