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.

So, I was at another packed Krav class the other night. We were getting to the end (dear God, is it over yet!?) when something caught my eye. A couple of new girls were wearing shirts that showed more cleavage than a stripper! Okay, okay! I’m exaggerating, but it was a lot!

I don’t want to be a Ms. Judgy-Judgerton… but ladies, seriously. There is a time and a place for everything. This is neither the time nor the place for a shirt that magnificently displays your attributes.

So! Without further ado, here are some tips to make your Krav experience even more successful!

Do wear/bring:

• Loose, comfortable, lightweight, quick drying clothing. Not only is this a self-defense class, it’s also a great way to get in your cardio. You will be sweating.
• Shorts. Again, I can’t overemphasize that part about you sweating…
• Comfortable running shoes.
• If you have long hair, you certainly want it off your face and neck.
• Don’t forget to bring lots of H20! (To drink, not to wear!)

Don’t wear/bring:

• Rings or dangle-y jewelry. Your rings will carve up the punching bags and your jewelry will probably just get in the way.
• Any clothing you care too seriously about. You will be tugged, pulled, punched, kicked, etc. It generally won’t hurt, but (for example) when you start learning knee kicks, your shirt could get stretched out a little.
• If you can go without your glasses, I’d highly recommend it. I wear glasses to class and they have been sent askew on my face more than once. If you have a spare pair of glasses, I’d recommend wearing them for class.
• Anything that could get in the way. Remember: you’re here to learn self-defense… not how to be a beauty queen (or… uh… king!)
• Your cell phone. Yeah, leave that baby in the car. Nothing is more annoying than someone yackin’ on the phone while everyone else slaves away. It’s distracting for everyone.

Optional, but recommended:

• Guys should wear a cup. Your partner will be kicking, kneeing, and punching at a pad in your groin area. One little mistake and your guy parts could be feeling the effects.
• Hand wraps are a good idea if you don’t want nasty bruises, scrapes, and sores on your hands. They aren’t necessary, but they help you minimize any visible aches and pains. Trust me on this one, you’ll thank me later.

A Krav Maga class can be super rewarding if you come prepared. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll learn self-defense, improve your strength, lose weight, and increase your self-confidence.

Just like in other self-defense systems, Krav Maga has different belts (or levels) that identify you based on your experience and training. With each belt, you gain the ability to learn more advanced techniques/defenses. In Krav, the belt system is no belt, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, and so on. You don’t get a belt for just showing up for an hour long test/class. In Krav, you have to seriously work for it. We’re talking tests that last for days. Literally.

No seriously, I’m not kidding.

Chris and I talked to B and his son after class last week about the belt test they just took (and passed) a few weekends ago. “It was the hardest thing I’ve physically ever done,” he said. Yikes! That’s intense coming from a guy who is solid muscle.

The review was between six and seven hours long and then the test was another two solid hours. 100%. Non-stop. Full speed ahead. I’m thinking of taking the test at the beginning of November and I’m terrified.

With other kinds of tests, you’ll usually hear one or two people say “Oh, that was easy…” But I have heard NO ONE say that. Everyone has been worn smooth out.

Which makes me think I need to start preparing now. So, here’s my plan:

• I’m going to start running and working out with Chris on the days we don’t go to Krav.
• I’m going to work up to going to every Level 1 class I can. By the end of October, I will be going to every possible Krav class, including multiple classes per night.
• My birthday is coming up too. So in celebration of that, I’m going to treat myself to a one-on-one session with one of my favorite instructors (that is, if I can afford it).
• A week before the test, I’m going to hit the Krav and Crossfit classes hard.
• Rest up a few days before the test.
• Pass.

I’ve already looked over what we have to know for the test and there’s still a lot I’m not 100% on, but that’s why I’m going to train like it’s going out of style.

As far as nutrition goes, I’m already pretty good about what I eat. Over the next month, I’m going to try extra hard to consume less sodium, refined sugars, fried anything, etc. Drink lots more water. And eat lots more fruits and veggies (which shouldn’t be too hard, because I’m already a vegetarian.)

Any thoughts on this plan? What helped you guys prepare for your belt tests?

We can learn self-defense all-day long, but the best defense is to not be in a situation where you need Krav Maga in the first place. Here are some ways to play it safe:

• Choose to fight back if you are attacked. No matter what. Some figures estimate that 70% of women who are attacked, leave mostly unharmed if they put up a fight.
• Listen to your instincts. If you feel uneasy about something, there’s probably a reason for it.
• Walk purposefully and with confidence with your head held high. Observe what is happening around you and be alert. Don’t talk/text on your cell phone or wear head phones when you’re walking. These wonderful, awesome, amazing technologies eliminate valuable senses (hearing and seeing), which could make you more vulnerable to an attack.
• Have your keys ready before you reach your destination. Don’t be caught digging for your keys in your purse…
• Don’t leave drinks unattended and watch them being served. Limit alcohol consumption.
• When walking to your car (especially in parking garages or at night), walk with a co-worker or friend. Check the back seat before you get in your car. Immediately lock your doors and get rollin’. No balancing your checkbook or applying another layer of mascara!
• If you think you’re being followed, find a public place with lots of people and call 911. If there isn’t such an area, turn around and demand that the potential assailant tell you what they want in your loudest, most confident voice. Draw as much attention to yourself as possible. Get out your cell phone and start dialing 911. Let them know that’s exactly what you’re doing.

Follow these guidelines and be safe!

I was reading this blog post the other day about the difference between self-defense programs for women versus ones for men. And I’d have to say I agree with almost everything Ahmad Mutammim says. The short of it is:

1) Attacks against men and attacks against women tend to be very different. Attacks against men are usually about proving that they are stronger (and therefore better) than the other person. Attacks against women tend to be sexual in nature.

2) If you are being sexually assaulted, you will almost always be attacked in a close range. Therefore, long distance defenses are practically worthless for women. (I don’t really believe that long distance attacks are worthless, because you never know who you will be defending yourself against.)

3) The type of an attack against a woman is going to be very different from an attack against a man. Women need to know how to fight from the ground and in close proximity to the assailant (being able to defend against bear hugs and chokes, having your hair being pulled, etc).

This is what I love about Krav Maga. They teach you defenses for all sorts of situations in which you may be attacked: on the ground, in a choke, from the front, side, and back, with a gun, with a knife, in a car, on a plane… the list goes on. In other martial arts, you have to be committed to learning the styles and forms before you get to the real meat of self-defense. Even then, you may never learn how to defend yourself against a gun or knife attack.

In Krav Maga, I continually see self-defense courses for women and I’m impressed by all the girls who take the time to go to them. My introduction into Krav Maga was through a four hour women’s self-defense seminar at a local Krav Maga gym. After that, I was hooked. I saw all the ways someone could attack me and I was terrified of the billion other ways I could be attacked that we didn’t cover. So I became a member of the Krav Maga community and started going at least once a week.

As someone who has experienced both women-only and co-ed classes, I have to say being in a class with men has definitely helped my self-confidence and skill in Krav Maga.

In a women’s only class, you always pair up with other women. This is fine for awhile. Eventually, however, you should try to partner up with someone bigger and stronger than you, so you can prepare for the reality of being attacked. As a woman, an assailant will probably be stronger, taller, and heavier than you are.

With all that in mind, I encourage all women to take a women’s only self-defense Krav Maga class. But view it as an appetizer course and eventually take co-ed Krav Maga self-defense classes to really prepare yourself.