Martial Vitality

Ip Man (2008) Tonight at Krav Maga practice I experienced a sensation I hadn't felt in a long time. It happened at the end of class when we were performing what some call a "summary drill." Such drills try to incorporate several elements of the class in one exercise, usually with added complexity or stress. This is often accomplished by involving multiple attackers versus tired students. The drill we ran tonight was simple but effective. Two students each held focus mitts. The third student squared off versus one of the focus mitt holders. That holder called out combinations for the striker, involving hand, elbow, knee, foot, and other options. At just about any time the striker performed the combination, the other focus mitt holder jumped in. He or she jostled the striker, then called out new combinations. Alternatively the second mitt holder swung at the striker, forcing a defensive reaction. Similarly the first focus mitt holder also swung at the striker, forcing yet a...

I've been studying Krav Maga for two months, so this post represents a beginner's point of view. I'm a subscriber to the mailing list run by Mr .Eyal Yanilov, head of the Krav Maga organization in which I train. Last week he sent a message titled "Combining Krav Maga with other Martial Arts." It contained the following: Krav Maga is not a martial art.. it is a reality based self defense system.. there is a huge difference between the two which people often misunderstand. Asking “ which is better “ is asking the wrong question. The correct question is  "what is your goal? and which one is better for achieving that specific goal?" In addition.. combining the two has advantages and disadvantages which you should be aware of. Watch my videos below on the difference between Krav Maga and traditional martial arts.. and the pros and cons of combing the two. I thought this was an interesting perspective, especially since I just listened to episode 41 of the Whi...