The principles of Krav Maga
As we are preparing for our annual visit from Eyal Yanilov, we wanted to discuss an element from a book that he wrote under the guidance of Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of Krav Maga. The title of the book is “How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assailants”. It is the only Krav Maga guide authorized by Grandmaster Imi in print to this date. As the name implies, the manuscript deals with defenses and fighting tactics against attackers that are armed with weapons ranging from knives to hand grenades. But the purpose of this article is not to discuss the tactical and technical aspects of the book, but rather to address the four main principles of Krav Maga that are briefly outlined in the book that should serve as a guide to all those practicing Krav Maga.
1. “Do not get hurt”. This is the number one rule in Krav Maga. The concept is to avoid injury at all costs. This refers to training and the street. In training you must be respectful of your own limits and that of your partner’s. It is unnecessary to go full force and full speed in training and suffer injury that will limit further training and restrict progress. Continuous training is essential to developing a higher level of proficiency that will limit damage during a confrontation on the street. Similarly, proper, supervised full contact classes are a crucial aspect of student’s development that must be practiced to condition the body to absorb strikes and train the students to handle pain and extend their physical and psychological thresholds.
2. “Be modest”. Although Imi went through a few wars, developed one of the most lethal fighting systems in the world and taught it to thousands of people, by Eyal’s account, Imi was a very modest man. He never boasted about his skills, nor did he look for confrontations to prove his might. Similarly, Eyal has the same philosophy in his approach to Krav Maga. Krav Maga should only be used when needed, not because you want to show off your skills or teach someone a lesson. Ego has no place in Krav Maga, whether it is in the street or in training. Students must learn to be respectful of each other and not try to show off their skills at the expense of others. Be confident in your abilities, but be ready to take criticism from those around you to better yourself. If you do not control your ego in training, it may prove to be your downfall on the street where there is no room for mental weakness.
3. “Act correctly”. This principle has a variety of meanings. From a self defense perspective it refers to developing the necessary skills needed to carry out the most appropriate defense for the corresponding attack. It also suggests that you should not bind yourself by rules common to sports fighting systems. Remember, in the street there are no rules, hence using anything and everything at your disposal is crucial to your survival. These skills can only come from regular training in a school that respects Krav Maga for its uniqueness and comprehensiveness, and does not restrict the student’s development by incorrectly mixing sports fighting curriculum into its syllabus. Acting correctly, also refers to the previous two principles of acting correctly in relations to others in the street and on the mats, i.e. respecting your partners, your training and being modest in your outlook on Krav Maga. And ultimately, acting correctly refers to the last principle…
4. “Become proficient, so you do not have to kill”. This is by far the most important element to Krav Maga. The ultimate goal in Krav Maga is to do the minimum damage necessary to break the attacker’s will and/or ability to attack. Your defense should be proportional to the threat at hand. (We touched upon this concept in a previous article titled “Aggression in Krav Maga“). If someone insults you, there are numerous ways to deal with this confrontation that does not involve violence. However, if someone is trying to kill you or your loved ones, your response should be immediate and assertive. Ultimately, the more you invest into your training, the better you are able to perceive the level of danger in front of you and more options become available to you to deal with the confrontation with the most appropriate level of aggression.
