Krav Maga Addiction

If anyone has been following along with the posts, you would notice a common thread of Krav Maga throughout each installment of our journey from Fatness 2 Fitness. Krav Maga has become quite addicting, inspiring confidence, greater physical strength and endurance, speed and awareness....not to mention the rather quick loss of weight in comparison to typical dieting.

Each class has taught us a new lesson about ourselves, our physical strengths and weaknesses, our habits, our fears and also our aspirations toward Krav Maga excellence. I never once thought that I would place so much value on a simple cloth belt...aspiring to reach each new belt with increased skill, power and technique....yet here I am planning how long it will take to reach the next belt, wondering what kind of training I need to go through to move to the next level. Without searching for some sort of Zen or peaceful frame of mind, I still find that after a great training session I reach a pleasant state, without concerns or problems...only reflection on my moves, how I can get better and what I've done well. This side effect was not in the brochure....and I've spoken to others who feel the same way. Conclusion: I'm not crazy.

Carrie has progressed in so many ways, as I have also, but she has transformed the way she punches (no girlie punches anymore) and kicks/knees (look out genitals...she's lethal). Her confidence in the ability to defend herself if danger came her way is a perfect example of how important a defense system like Krav Maga is for any individual. For over an hour each night (3-5 nights a week) we train; sweating, punching, kicking, blocking and throwing our bodies all over the mat. At the end of the night everyone is smiling, drenched with sweat, but floating on a euphoric high that we've all become just a bit more deadly. It's a great feeling to have.

It must be noted that this is not a basic cardio kickboxing course, not a typical karate course or even a typical boxing course...but is a combination of all these movements, stripped down to their bare essentials and taught to us in the simplest terms and moves possible. It's not about beauty but about effectiveness....or as one of our instructors Eddie puts it, using offense as a defense. I guess in my opinion Zapata had it right when he said, "I'd rather die on my feet than live a lifetime on my knees"....of course I have no intention of dying....that's something my attacker should be worried about.