- This topic has 25 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Though I ask the question, I can’t honestly say I myself have an official answer yet. I have a couple of ideas.
What pushes you into class? What pushes you *during* class? What about when you’re on the treadmill at home, logging in that last mile (or running that last set of stairs, lifting those last two reps, etc.)? Is it more than just physical fitness and/or self defense?
Re: What pushes you?
When I started, the thought of getting into 2 and sparring pushed me. Now that I’m in and am, what’s pushing me is to bone up and smooth out the techniques I learned in level 1 so that I don’t get owned in fight class. 😀 Also, whatever workout I do outside class is for krav now, rather than for asthetics or whatever as was the case prior to getting into this.
stress
After a really rough day or week, being able to get out and do something that is difficult and demanding both physically and mentally is really refreshing.
I think the best motivations are when a goal is involved and that could be anything. I want to be ready to spar, I want to pass the next level test, I want to be able to complete a class or a drill without throwing up, I want to be able to survive a street encounter, I want to lose weight, I want be in the best shape of my life, it could be anything.
The best goals tend to be the ones that are measurable and have a timeline. But sometimes just something simple to survive or push yourself in a drill can be beneficial. One more punch or kick or 10 more seconds of all out effort.
Also be aware that when you reach a goal, it is also time to set a new one. I’ve seen alot of people get to Level 2 or 3 and then stop comming to class. They achieved what they set out to do but didn’t take into consideration that there is still more to accomplish.
In class
I think about someone that is actually trying to kill me. That will motivate you to punch, kick, elbow, etc. harder than you would normally.
Fooling your mind is what you must do, but remain focused to not hurt your partner.
the fact that i’m in my mid-forties, and need to stay on top of my body or it goes to sh*t in a heartbeat pushes me. i’m deathly afraid of feeling and looking my age(vain huh???) so i strive to really be hard on myself and give 100%+ in my workouts all the time. I’m actually in the best shape of my life right now. I have been athletic my whole life, and generally in OK shape. Since I’ve started Krav it has kicked it up several notches. It’s not boring(ever) and to me, by far the most integrated workout i’ve ever done. I think it’s also nice that there are always adults in their 40’s + in my classes, and not just a bunch of youngins(no offense intended kids). we’re all striving to do our best and beat back \”father time\” a little. that also pushes me, when i see others, in the same boat as i am. just my 2 cents.
Protecting my family is my motivation. Hopefully I never need to, but if the time comes that I do, I do not want to let them down.
This is a long post, but many of you will probably find it worth the read. It’s not mine, but was posted on another site. It was pointed out to me by a DEA agent who has spent several years doing UC work.
I suppose that virtually any martial art or fighting system will work if your opponent is a moron, but how does it fare when you have to go up against the rare \”black swan\” event—the perfect storm opponent situation?
Since you cannot control who you will run into, maybe it is prudent to create a template for a worst case opponent and assume that is who you will have to face in a fight for your life? Let’s call him \”Todd.\”
Physical fitness? Discipline? Motivation? Todd is a former Division I-level athlete. He benches over 350 and runs an all-out quarter-mile in just over 50 seconds. Todd spends his mornings pounding out miles of hard roadwork, pumps iron like a maniac in lieu of eating lunch, and spends his evenings dry-firing his EDC handgun, studying ways to hurt people, and beating the hell out of his Spar-Pro and heavy bag. He maintains an extensive library of books and videos on combat and survival-related topics.
He goes to bed tired but satisfied every night, satisfied because he has no other hobbies and because he looks at training as money in the bank—he will cash in his full paycheck on the fateful day that he faces you in a fight.
Todd spends his weekends doing strenuous physical activities and competing in IPSC Limited or IDPA matches. He spends his vacations going to places like Crucible, the Rogers Academy, and BSR. Todd has no other hobbies and he is not really concerned with being a \”weird, paranoid freak\” in the eyes of many normal people. Todd does not really hang out with \”normal\” people, anyway—he prefers to hang out with people like himself.
Warning of an attack? Deception? Good luck trying any Jedi mind tricks on Todd: he studies NLP and evolutionary psychology. Todd does not dress like some kind of thug, either: he knows that a clean-cut appearance increases his time/distance window of opportunity to ambush his prey. Pay very close attention to Todd’s choice of boots, belt, and watch—they may be the only warnings that you get.
Todd knows that anonymity is the most important weapon in his formidable arsenal. He does not threaten, he does not warn, he does not talk * or insult—those things take time and telegraph intentions. Todd just makes a binary decision and then acts.
Training? Background? Todd trains in the most effective fighting and survival techniques that he can. He is open-minded and non-judgmental, caring only that techniques fit within an overarching framework of logic and ruthless pragmatism. He lives his whole life this way—it is his structure, his discipline, his religion. Todd may have a black belt from Rickson Gracie, may have been a Golden Gloves boxer or a freestyle wrestler or a linebacker, may have trained in the famous Muay Thai gyms of Holland, maybe a student of WWII Combatives or battlefield jiu-jitsu methods. Maybe—and now the plot gets chilling (as Marcus Wynne describes in his books)—Todd has been the recipient of millions of dollars in government-sponsored training…money that was specifically spent to turn him into some kind of professional shadow-warrior badass, like John Macejunas or Kelly McCann.
Maybe Todd is all of the above: operator, martial artist, fighter, contact-sport athlete.
Todd Cont…
It does not really matter where he got his start, because he has synthesized his approach into a combination of very destructive, attack-oriented techniques that he can perform with maximal effort without much fear of hurting himself in the process. He can strike and he can grapple, and most importantly he always tries to hit first.
Weapons? Equipment? This is the best part: trying to beat Todd in an unarmed fight is largely an academic exercise, because you will never, ever catch Todd unarmed. He carries a Glock or 1911, Fox OC spray, and a fixed-blade with him CCW every single day of his life. Todd is not interested in hitting you with his hands or feet—given even the slightest provocation, his opening gambit will be to present his handgun from the holster and to demand that you remain very still and quiet. If you then try to disarm Todd, strike Todd, or reach for your own weapon to attack Todd, Todd will not hesitate to shoot until slide lock.
Todd also trains in ways to use his knife to great effect—maybe pikal, maybe more of a Kni-Com technique, maybe both. Names like James Keating and the Dog Brothers are very familiar to Todd.
Todd will run you over with his SUV if you give him reason to. If you are more of a distant problem, he keeps an M4 or a DSA FAL in a Pelican case in the trunk, next to his trauma med kit and bugout ruck.
Forget trying to get to Todd at home: his place is like a fortress, complete with crazy locks (Todd studies B&E, too), a large dog, and the ubiquitous Scattergun Technologies 12-gauge with Sure-Fire light.
Remember that Todd likes to move first—his first move is to draw a weapon on you. Todd is not stupid. This isn’t Bloodsport or a Sho Kosugi film. Todd wants to win…period.
Todd sounds like a nightmare, doesn’t he? Well, let’s all take heart—while we cannot control whether or not we will ever have to face a Todd, we CAN control our own training and preparation. We can become \”Todds\” (!). Many of you probably consciously found similarities between your own lifestyles and habits and the ones that were described above. I think the idea is to imagine the most ferocious and skilled opponent that you could face in a nightmare, then try to become that person (within whatever constraints that you face). If you are not willing to become a Todd, then you need to ask yourself who it is that you believe you are training to face.
I think Todd lives next to my parents. 😯
Initially I started because I’m asking my daughters to take Karate for self defense, and I couldn’t ask them to do something I wouldn’t do. So I literally forced myself into my first Krav class (it took every nerve in my body to walk in the door).
I’m noticing that other motivations are popping up though. I have a deeper sense of respect for myself. Not because I think I’m tough ~ faaar from it ~ but because I can pull myself out of my comfort zone and *make* myself do things I never thought I could do.
That kind of attitude translates into all areas of life, and I’m enjoying this new degree of self confidence on many levels.
Thanks Lor good post
along those lines
I was at a party recently, and some arrogant punk thought he would insult me jokingly. After the third or fourth time, I said \”enough\”, and I walked away. Before KM i probably would have punched this guy. I know i could have taken him easily, but having the self-confidence and self-control is something that KM has taught me.
Walk away unless there’s imminent danger….
Re:
kravmaga1 ~ \”Before KM i probably would have punched this guy. I know i could have taken him easily, but having the self-confidence and self-control is something that KM has taught me.\”
That’s a great point.
I have a 20 year old nephew who I would love to get into class. He’s a big kid, but he has zero experience and really doesn’t know how to handle himself. He would benefit greatly by being around Krav veterans who could mentor him and show him not only how to throw his weight around but *when* it’s appropriate to do so.
I started Krav at the suggestion of my father, knowing I was reasonably competent in 1-on-1 H2H, but that went out the window with multiple attackers, that I could use a knife but couldn’t take one away from somebody, and wasn’t sure what to do if a gun were pointed at me, except that if it somehow came into my posession I’d be better off throwing the gun at their head than trying to shoot them with it. I started out skeptical of what Krav could offer, having been recently unimpressed with TKD, but got a 2-month once a week introductory offer that made sense to try, and I was pleased with the intensity from the first class. While it took past the introductory offer to address any of my real concerns, I learned a lot during that time, and fell in love with the system.
I’m still learning, have addressed each of the original concerns but have room for improvement in areas that didn’t even occur to me at first.
What really keeps me coming back now, however, is how FUN it is. Sure there’s the odd frustrating class, but more often than not, I’m smiling and laughing through most of the class. It’s the one place where physical contact isn’t merely acceptable, it’s expected. Where, being tiny as I am, it’s expected that I figure out how to deal with somebody literally twice my size…it’s a challenge to get everything right, because there isn’t much room for screwing up with that much of a weight/height difference, but it’s also a thrill. I used to think that my only way of dealing with a size difference like that was getting in the first shot, and making it count…I still think that’s the best way of dealing with it, but I know what kicks and punches and elbows from a much larger guy feel like, and I know I can keep going, I know it’s not much harder for me to hurt him than for him to hurt me, and that while my nose is easier for him to reach, I can keep going after tasting my own blood.With lifting, I started because I wanted to be stronger for Krav. Then I saw how strong Krav has made me, and I figured I’d go for powerlifting. I’m pretty new, having just started over the summer, so I’m still experiencing some of those beginners’ gains, even though they’ve started to taper off. It’s always so exciting hitting a new PR, for reps or weight, even when I’m stalled out for a few weeks it’s plenty of motivation to keep going back. And I have gotten stronger for Krav, which adds to the fun 8)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
