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Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
I’m dying to hear your thoughts too! Yeah, so I may be the instructor’s girl friend, but half the time I don’t take his class b/c I don’t want to give him a big head and tell him how great class was! 🙂
Regardless…I hope you liked both schools! Can’t say I wouldn’t LOVE to see you at AKMF though!!!
Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
LoL…Sorry to leave you all hanging. So here’s the scoop.
Both of these Krav Maga training centers (Droege’s ATA & Atlanta KM & Fitness) are very comparable and there are a lot of great things to say about both of them. For the record, I would refer either one of these places to anyone…really.
Without having to post a thesis on both of my experiences with each training center I decided to shorten it (a little) and get straight to the point. But I will say, quickly, that the staff, students and instructors at both places were polite and professional. I had no problems with fitting in and getting into the mix at each class. The people were all cordial and were not afraid to shake a hand of a new face. That meant a lot guys. Stuff like that goes a long way.
Ok, so enough of the fluff. Let’s get to the bottom line and to do that I have to start with the instructors. There is no doubt that both of these guys really know their stuff, Jack at Droege’s and Jesse at AKMF.
Jack came off as a no nonsense kind of guy who is accustomed to leading. I like that. Enough with the small talk let’s do this, kind of guy. Basically I could tell he had been around the block a few times and he meant business. His instruction was easy to follow and he focuses on the fundamentals first before he gets to the big picture. I need that. Even with a big class that night he scanned the room well and gave personal and detailed correction when needed.
Jesse at AKMF is also the man. Very intense in his demonstrations and triple checks to make sure you understand what he is asking you to do. He doesn’t assume anything. I like that too. He has a keen eye for technique and his instruction is concise and to the point. Being a computer guy, I can deal with concise and to the point. It makes no room for error or confusion which I think is very important when you’re learning how to fight for your life.
From what I could gather, the classes at Droege’s are never the same. Jack is always mixing it up and keeping it fresh. We warmed up with some running then pushups, squats and lunges. After that we put on gloves and did “a lot” of punches. We then quickly moved to standard kicks then knees with you holding the back of your partners neck with both hands and elbows down and in for control. That was cool. After that I was spent. I was glad he slowed it down with a session of standard front choke hold defenses. This class with Jack was a great workout. He communicates the techniques well and easy to understand. If you’re not doing it right he’ll let you know. One thing that I liked was if someone else wasn’t correct in their technique he would share the solution to everyone in the class. So you’re theoretically learning from everyone. It was a great class and I was dripping sweat coming out of there.
Jesse at AKMF seemed to have a more structured approach. Again, you have to remember that I’ve only been to one class a piece so I’m sharing what I “think”… I got there a couple minutes late (traffic) and jumped in at the end of the warm up. I noticed Jesse threw some yoga stuff in there for good stretching. After that we partnered up and went straight into punches, then hammer punches, then a sideways kind of hammer punch with the attacker standing on your side in your blind spot. Then we did something I thought was kind of interesting but not sure how effective it was for training…Jesse had us straddle the punching mats. Our partners are behind us pulling on a rope that is around my waist for resistance. He says “go” and you beat the mat to death until he tells you to get up and run across the room and back with your partner holding you back with the rope. I as I think about it now I guess it was an exercise to toughen you up and simulate a real situation where you have to fight for every inch. We then went into a rear choke hold defense session which Jesse demonstrated and explained well. Again, Jesse makes absolutely sure you understand what he’s saying. He’s good at communicating the techniques and as an instructor that’s a strong point of his, besides his intensity.
To whoever is reading this, there’s no question that both Droege’s ATA Fitness Center and Atlanta Krav Maga & Fitness will meet your training needs. Just after two consecutive sessions I have walked away with way more than I knew going in and more confidence that I can train somewhere and actually “enjoy” learning the art of KM.
So here’s the verdict:
I really don’t have one yet. I’m seriously stumped here. The staffs at both places are cool. There’s no doubt the instructors are VERY knowledgeable. The facilities are basically the same but, Droege’s does have hanging punching bags and a weight room “I think”. I’m afraid it’s simply going to come down to basic logistics. One is way cheaper (special offer only) and the other is more convenient. One has a more flexible schedule and the other is…more convenient. Like I said before, I “will” make my decision this week. I’ll be showing up somewhere Friday or Saturday to sign. Either way it was a pleasure of having the opportunity to sit in on both of these talented instructor’s classes. Considering these are two of the only three certified KM training centers in the Atlanta area, Atlanta can’t go wrong when it comes to KM.
Keep swinging thumbsup,
NetkilRe: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
Cool, sounds like we have some good schools here in the A. Hope to see you in Saturdays class!
Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
Netkil,
Compliments to you. That was an excellent comparison between the two schools, both their simularities and unsimularities. You have done good research. No doubt you will pick the school that best ssuits your needs. I knew you would be pleased with Droege’s because I had trained there for a few years. I’m not familiar with AKMF, but have heard nothing but good things about them. Good luck in making your choice.Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
Glad to hear you had such a positive experience at both schools! I think it speaks volumes for the Krav Maga Worldwide program, and how they stress the importance of really nailing the technique and teaching it in a way that is applicable to every day life.
Jesse is definitely an intense instructor and very fast paced when it comes to his classes, so kudos to you for not throwing up or collapsing! I think, as you saw, Krav is great and we are so lucky to have options in the Atlanta area!
And not to rain on The Ambassadeer’s parade, but I hope I see you in MY Saturday class! rofl2
Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
I signed with Droege’s yesterday after I thought long and hard over the weekend on what I was going to do. I committed to 6 months. Nothing against AKMF but Droege’s was way more convenient for me as far as location and all. After taking another class at Droege’s last night I felt more comfortable and confident that I made a good choice for me.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement. You all welcomed me in the KM world well and I’m very appreciative of that. I’m sure we’ll be in touch soon one way or another.
Netkil
Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
Good deal Man!
I missed class last night, my hip has been hurting. Ill be there Wed for sure(pain or no pain)
Re: A big "WHAT’S UP?!?!?!" from Atlanta, GA
Good for you netkil. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your training there. Whenever I’m in Marietta to visit my kids, I always stop by Dreoge’s to say hi and visit one of Jack’s classes. Next time I’m in Marietta, I’ll try to make qa visit again. I would like to meet you and AmBASSaDEER in person. I might even bring my gear and join in a class. I miss those beat downs – I mean greeat training I got there.
Brad
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