When people consider starting martial arts and self-defense training, one of the main concerns they have is whether or not the training is the best self-defense for the streets. They want to know if their training will be effective if they really have to use it to protect themselves.
“Is this the best self-defense for the streets?” is really another way for people to ask if a certain type of training is going to help them in real life. It’s a common question. It’s not a surprise. Everyone wants to be safe. Everyone wants to be sure that, in some way, the training they start has real value.
The answer for any system should be simple. It should be, “yes”. However, backing up that answer and proving that a specific form of training is valuable is not simple. It’s something that is both objective and subjective. It has to be clear and logical to the observer but it also has to make sense to the person who is learning the self-defense techniques and involved in the actual self-defense training.
Effective self-defense.
The reality is that any sort of self-defense classes or martial arts classes that you take should be helping you build effective skills and an effective mindset. You want your body to know what to do, and your mind to understand why you are doing it. This is really what training boils down to; skillset and mindset. These are the things that will keep you safe and provide you with the best self-defense for the streets.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes focus on these two things. An effective skillset and an effective mindset. Our training reinforces these things in every self-defense class throughout all levels of the Krav Maga belt system. This approach is one of the many reasons Krav Maga is the best self-defense for the streets.
What are "the streets"?
The questions “what is the best self-defense for the streets” comes up so often that it’s almost a cliche. The scope of the question is almost too broad to really, actually, define or answer. In reality “the streets” are different for everyone. Even for people living in the same city. Even for people living on the same block. The “streets” are the environment you live in as well as the environments you put yourself in.
“The streets” are a different concept for everyone because everyone goes to different places, at different times, to do different things. The risk factors for everyone to be targeted by violence or crime is constantly changing in myriad ways.
The root of the question “what is the best self-defense for the streets?” is really about fear. Fearing for your personal safety and the safety of the people you love. That’s natural. That’s part of being human.
Why you should know your personal "streets".
Crime is sensationalized. There’s no other way to put it. It’s major news all of the time. In a way it should be because people should be aware of what’s going on around them. Awareness can be an asset and can help reduce the chances that someone is actually going to have to use any sort of self-defense training in real life.
Unfortunately the constant sensationalism of crime, violence, and destruction has really caused it to be something ubiquitous. It’s always there. It never goes away. So people learn to live with it and actually become somewhat desensitized or less aware.
The only way to really know how dangerous it is in your “streets”, or in your neighborhood, or in some place that you plan to go, is to research it. Get out ahead of it. Two of the best resources for this are apps like Citizen and NextDoor.
Reliable intel.
These apps are community based. They report on things like crime and police activity in real time. They can help you avoid problems or at least give you an idea of what sort of problems tend to happen in a given area.
Gaining this sort of knowledge will give you insight into what sort of self-defense training and self-defense classes will be valuable to you. If you live in an area where crime is on the extreme low end of the spectrum, self-defense training might be more of just a general interest for you. In contrast, if you live in an area where crime is on the extreme high end of the spectrum then self-defense training and self-defense classes should be prioritized as an absolute necessity.
Either way, the Krav Maga self-defense system is going to the be the best for you. The major elements of skillet and mindset in our training don’t change based on location. Krav Maga self-defense classes will train you to develop these things. It’s really in your best interest to understand how likely it is that you will need to use them.
There are exceptions.
Unpredictability is the advantage that the bad guys of the world have. Just because you live in a relatively “safe” area doesn’t mean that you won’t be assaulted or be targeted for a home invasion, etc. Just because you live in a relatively “dangerous” area doesn’t mean that you will be targeted.
Bad guys and criminals look for the easiest targets in any environment. It’s that simple. They want the path of least resistance to accomplish their goals. The only way to have any sort of defense against the unpredictable nature of crime is to be preparing for it. Take action to build the skillset and mindset you would need if you did find yourself in the worst case scenario.
Don't dig your own potholes.
Now, if you are deliberately, by way of your own actions and choosing, putting yourself in high-risk situations, you are being counterproductive. You are sabotaging yourself. One simple example of this would be going out with friends, drinking, and partying until it’s super late and getting mixed up in some sort of conflict or argument. Are those the sorts of “streets” that you are paving for yourself? If so, why?
The specter of "the streets".
For many people a situation like that isn’t a reality and when they think about self-defense for the streets it’s more about getting ambushed or jumped, robbed, carjacked, sexually assaulted, or being unwittingly involved in something like an active shooter scenario.
Those are the really dark, looming, somewhat terrifying, scenarios that most people consider when they think about why they need self-defense for the streets. That is the specter created by unpredictability. That is what Krav Maga self-defense training helps you prepare for.
Krav Maga for the streets.
If we understand and accept that “the streets” are really going to be different for everyone it’s not logical to think that each and every person should train in a different self-defense system or learn to fight in a different way.
We have the benefit of history and learning from it. Realistically the fundamentals of fighting and self-defense haven’t changed in centuries. Do more damage to another person than they do to you. That’s it. Do you physically know how to do that? Are you mentally capable of doing that?
Effective self-defense training and effective self-defense are really about skillset and mindset. That’s why Krav Maga Worldwide classes are the best way to learn self-defense for the streets. For any “streets”.
Survival. The roots of Krav Maga.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense training was originally created to train military units. At the end of WWII, when Israel was first becoming a nation, they needed to form an entire military defense force. The majority of people who were going to make up this defense force were immigrants to Israel who had little to know training in hand-to-hand combat.
One exception was an immigrant named Imi Lichtenfeld, a Nazi resistance fighter, who had spent his youth training in combat sports like boxing and wrestling. Imi had extensive training in hand-to-hand combat so Israel tasked Imi with training their new military recruits.
Krav Maga training.
Krav Maga Worldwide self-defense classes teach students a no-holds-barred system of striking techniques. We train students to use punches, kicks, knees, and elbows to target areas like the groin, eyes, throat, and the back of the head. The goal is to do maximum damage to an opponent in the most efficient way possible so we can survive, not just win a prize or earn points in a competitive setting.
Remember, there are no rules on “the streets”. There are no “fair fights” on “the streets”.
Krav Maga training and Krav Maga classes also teach Krav Maga techniques for specific self-defense situations like chokes, bearhugs, and headlocks. Students learn all of these things as beginners. Students who progress through the Krav Maga belt system and earn Krav Mag belts train on increasingly complex scenarios like ground fighting and weapons defenses.
The goal of self-defense for the streets.
The ultimate goal of Krav Maga Worldwide training goes back to our roots in Imi’s military training. Survival no matter what. That’s what your self-defense training should be emphasizing. Those are the sort of skills and mindset that you should be developing. It’s unpredictable out there in the real world. The bad guys have that advantage. What are you going to do to keep yourself prepared? Don’t let “the streets” determine your answer. Start training in the most effective self-defense system today.
Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers.
Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers are staffed by expert instructors who have dedicated their lives to training, to teaching, and to helping others. Many of our certified training centers will let you take a trial class for free so you can see what we’re all about.
If you’re interested in “krav maga near me” click on this link to find our searchable map, which will bring up the certified training center closest to your zip code. You can also give us a call at 800-572-8624 and we’ll help you find the certified training center closest to you.