How to conquer your first Krav Maga class Even if you’ve Never Done Self Defense

Lena Lang
Lena Lang
Aug 28, 2017 · 6 min read

Find a great studio

There are many martial arts schools and dojos that offer Krav Classes in North America. Finding the right one for you is a key step to ensuring that your first Krav Maga experience will be positive. Aside from checking out the facility and asking about fees, it’s always a good idea to vet your teacher. Ask about how long he or she has been teaching there, what kind of credentials they have, and what kind of demographic their classes are geared towards. The answers to these questions will all determine the best fit for you.

Get the right gear

“A mouth guard is a must-have”

While no one should expect you to show up on the first day with a gym bag full of equipment, there are a few essential items you should have before starting Krav Maga. Due to the high impact nature of the sport, a mouth guard is a must-have. Luckily many of these are very cheap and easy to get either online or at a sports equipment store.

Grooming

“it’s helpful to make sure your bangs are secured away from your forehead.”

If you have long hair, it’s a good idea to tie it up in a bun. As the starting position for many Krav moves requires you to have your chin down, it’s helpful to make sure your bangs are secured away from your forehead.

It should go without saying but removing any jewelry prior to class is important as it will be an impediment during class. While its likely you will just stick to open hand strikes at first, it is advisable to trim your nails to ensure safety for everyone sparring with you.

Clothing

As there may be some occasional ground work where you might have to roll over or kick from a laying down position, short loose shorts may be a liability as you risk exposing your ..eerrr.. unmentionables to the entire class.

The copious amount of sweat that you are likely to experience in Krav means that moisture wicking, performance wear should be your go to choice of fabric for your Krav workout gear. Add to that a great pair of runners and a water bottle and you’re good to go.

Warm Up

“just a light jog on the way to class or perhaps a few minutes on a skipping rope go a long way in establishing a higher level of cardio stamina.”

One thing I’ve noticed about Krav is that there is often little time devoted to stretching. I highly recommend arriving 10–15 minutes prior to the start of class to do some stretching particularly of the hamstrings and shoulders. I have also learned through trial and error that if the Krav warm up in class is your first cardio of the day, you might find yourself gasping for breath much more so than if you had done a little cardio before class. While you by no means need to spend twenty minutes on a treadmill before starting, just a light jog on the way to class or perhaps a few minutes on a skipping rope go a long way in establishing a higher level of cardio stamina.

Inform your teacher of any injuries you might have

“While many people are conscious of physical injuries that may limit their participation in class, it is equally important to scan yourself for any latent psychological triggers that may be a barrier to full participation.”

Hopefully by the time you are ready for your first class, you have already vetted your teacher and found out a bit about what to expect from his or her class. Communication is a two way street so take the time to point out any injuries you are nursing as this will affect your ability to carry out the drills and conditioning exercises in class.

While many people are conscious of physical injuries that may limit their participation in class, it is equally important to scan yourself for any latent psychological triggers that may be a barrier to you as well. Krav Maga teaches its participants how to handle knife and gun attacks so the drills involve taking turns either attacking or defending against such attacks. Don’t panic just yet, the equipment is all plastic. However, the experience of having someone lunge at you with a knife, even a plastic one, can trigger unpleasant memories or even symptoms of PTSD in someone who has already been faced with a similar situation in real life. If you think this might apply to you, give your trainer a heads up so that he or she knows that you may wish to sit out for some of the drills at first before you feel totally comfortable.

Give Feedback


“Don’t be afraid to speak up. You have a right to be challenged at the level that is right for you.”

Much of Krav Maga involves one on one, two on one and three on one sparring. For a sparring drill to be effective, you need to be comfortable with the level of impact that you receive from your partner and he or she must be comfortable with the level of impact that you are giving as well.

Comfortable in this case doesn’t mean the hits shouldn’t hurt at all. One of the goals of Krav Maga is to learn to increase your pain tolerance. The drills are meant to get your body familiar with the sensations you are likely to experience if you happen to be attacked so that you can train your body to respond under pressure. That means there will be some pain. A fair amount of pain actually. Expect considerable bruising on your forearms especially.

The good news is the level of impact that you are able to tolerate will increase over time. You will find that those bruised forearms will get tougher and harder to bruise the more you practice. The rate at which your pain tolerance increases is up to you and your comfort levels which is why it is imperative that you communicate with your sparring partner(s).

When playing the role of the attacker, start by using 10% of your strength and ask if that is sufficient or if your partner would like you to increase it. The same goes for when you are defending. Start by asking for lower impact strikes and let your partner know when you are ready for them to use more force, a faster pace or more resistance. Don’t be afraid to speak up. You have a right to be challenged at the level that is right for you. Similarly pay close attention to your partner’s body language and ask for feedback consistently.

Have Fun

“Failure is a part of learning any new skill”

Because Krav Maga is based around preparing for “worst case” scenarios, it’s easy to attach a great deal of importance to your performance on each drill. Even if you think of yourself as someone who is quite athletic, when you are first starting Krav Maga, its guaranteed that there will be times that you’ll be confronted with the upper limits of your skill level which can be very difficult to digest. Try not be too hard on yourself. Remember that failure is part of learning any new skill. Sometimes the best you can do is show up, try it, laugh about it, and hopefully make new friends in the process.



Mind Fly Media Blog

Stories and opinions on health, self-development and fitness

)
Lena Lang

Written by

Lena Lang

Vancouver based nomad exploring stories from all corners of the Earth. Mastering the seemingly lost -but not forgotten- art of conversation based learning.

Mind Fly Media Blog

Stories and opinions on health, self-development and fitness

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade