The Hidden Benefits of Training Krav Maga

When selecting a new physical activity, whether it’s Krav Maga or anything else, people usually have a few questions that they want answered prior to joining.  Some of the common questions include the background and qualifications of the instructors, safety concerns, environment at the gym, structure of classes and of course the types of benefits one may experience from training.  The question of benefits to training Krav Maga is the one we will address in this article.  There are numerous benefits that students training Krav Maga experience and we will do our best to discuss some of these here.  Also, feel free to comment and share your personal experiences to help others better understand the advantages of this unique system.

Many of us started training Krav Maga for one of two, or both of the following reasons: to get and stay in better shape and to learn effective a realistic self-defense.  When it comes to self-defense and fitness, Krav Maga is a great solution.  It is a no-nonsense self-defense and combat system that prepares students to deal with a variety of common attacks one may face in the real world.  And as students advance in their technical training they also see tremendous improvements in their strength, stamina, agility, coordination and overall fitness.  But Krav Maga has other unanticipated benefits that students often don’t experience until they invest a bit further in their training.

The first significant benefit that comes to mind is confidence.  Confidence of knowing how to protect yourself and loved ones translates to all aspects of life outside of the gym.  Being more confident changes the way you walk, talk and present yourself in public.  One perfect example of how newly found confidence has changed the lives of some students is in the workplace dealing with conflict resolution.  Students that were once afraid to voice their opinions to their boss or their colleagues have suddenly found it easy to express their concerns and opinions in a calm and collected demeanor, which has significantly improved their working conditions.

The other often overlooked benefit of training Krav Maga is awareness.  Although training may seem simply a means of getting the technical and physical knowledge to deal with violence, with it comes exposure to variety of attacks and scenarios.  Being exposed to these problems increases students’ awareness and knowledge of potential threats and dangers one may face under various circumstances.  Awareness in conjunction with confidence diminishes the chances of being a victim of a violent crime, since most predators tend to prey on weak, less confident and unaware targets.

The other unforeseen benefit of training Krav Maga is comradery and friendships you develop with your fellow students.  Krav Maga is not a competitive style where your successes and failures are defined in relations to others.  Rather your goal, as a practitioner of Krav Maga, is to be better, stronger, sharper, faster and more prepared then you were yesterday.  Your fellow students help you reach these goals just like you help them achieve theirs.  This creates strong bonds among likeminded individuals that can last for years.  We have had students that have met in training and went on to start companies together, room together, stay in touch with each other despite one relocating to a different city and much more.

Krav Maga is unique!  Unique in its fighting style, unique in its approach to teaching, unique in the environment it creates, the confidence it gives and the bond it forms between the students.  It is more then just self-defense and fitness, it’s a lifestyle.

Please feel free to share with us your unique experiences in relations to training Krav Maga.  Why you started training and what keeps you coming back?  What kind of unforeseen benefits you noticed since you started training?  And anything else you feel is relevant in relations to your training experience with Impact.  We look forward to hearing from you!