Geelong Krav Maga – What about it?
Krav Maga – What Is It and the History of the Art
Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art which is used by Special Forces in Israel to neutralize any type of threat as hard and fast as possible and to use any technique and means that is necessary to win against one or more opponents. It is not primarily a fitness program, and its main purpose is to help practitioners pick up combat skills to win and survive in a hostile scenario. But practitioners can get leaner and fitter with regular practicing of this martial art form, as the combat techniques help build a lot of stamina and physical strength. Other than physical strength, it also helps build mental strength as students learn how to thrive even in stressful and dangerous environments.
What is Krav Maga?
The term Krav Maga actually stands for “contact combat.” It is actually a type of martial arts which was developed to teach self-defense and offense moves to members of the Israeli military. It includes techniques adopted from various combat forms, such as wrestling, boxing, military training and even gymnastics. It was initially only taught to soldiers but with time, it has been modified to use in everyday situations. In classes across the U.S, techniques of this martial art are taught to students and make them learn various types of strikes to hold their own against one or multiple attackers. The techniques basically consist of striking at the most vulnerable spots of the body, such as eyes, face, throat, groin and solar plexus, to put an end to combat situations as fast as possible. Instructors also teach students how to defend themselves from attacks that involve knives, sticks and even guns.
History of Krav Maga
The exact origins of Krav Maga are not known. However, it is believed to have been founded sometime around the 1940s by Imi Lichtenfeld, a Hungarian-Israeli martial artist. Lichtenfeld is regarded as the founding father of Krav Maga and he helped defend Bratislava, a Jewish quarter, from fascist attacks during the 1930s. After World War II, he emigrated to Israel and started to teach combat training to a group that would later be known as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). It is from here that Imi developed a street fighting combat system which later came to be known as Krav Maga. Since then, Krav Maga has been used by cops, military personnel, Special Forces and even civilians who are eager to defend themselves.
For more information on when Main Event run Krav Maga classes in Geelong, check our Timetable or Contact Us