How Krav Maga Changed My Life

Being the victim of armed robbery on two separate occasions led me to want to learn Self Defense. I began to research the different schools of thought on the subject and settled on Krav Maga. It provided the most real world applicable defenses of all those that I researched. As a student of Krav Maga, I have seen changes physically, mentally and personally in myself.

Slowly as time passed, and I took the classes, I began to notice changes in my body and stamina. The classes are broken into two, one hour segments, Extreme Fitness and Krav Maga. In Extreme Fitness, the instructors run us through exercises using our own body weight, kettle bells, cardio and combatives on a heavy bag. I could hit the bag harder, do more pushups, and the cardio did not wind me like it used to. I saw changes in how much energy I had, waking up and not being tired and having more energy through the day. I saw a change in how my clothes fit me, my pants hanging looser on me, so much so that I had to buy a smaller belt so they would not fall down.

I also began to see changes mentally, in my thought process and how I approached obstacles in my life. When you are shown that you can do something that you thought was impossible, it is a boost to your self-confidence. It has also made me more aware of my surroundings and what is going on around me. There is a drill in the Krav class that the instructors usually end with. You stand in the middle of a circle with your eyes closed. The class is all around you and they attack you one at a time and you defend yourself against the attacks. This goes on until the Instructor calls time. Every time, the Instructor pushes you farther than you think you can go, making you dig deep to defend yourself. I learned that I could go beyond any limits that I thought I may have had and keep going.

On a personal level, it has changed how I interact with people and made me aware of the consequences of my actions. I am in better control of my emotions and less quick to get angry over trivial things. I know how foolish it is if I were to lose control over something trivial and the consequences of that action. I am also better prepared to physically defend myself or a loved one against someone who would do us harm. I know that if I have to, I will fight and do what is necessary so that I can go home at the end of the day and that I will no longer be a victim.

Krav Maga has been a very positive experience in my life. I have met some wonderful people and made some lasting friendships. It has shown me things about myself that I did not know existed. Becoming a student was the best decision that I made in 2011 and I recommend it to everyone that I know. I tell them that if they want to be in confident in protecting themselves, this is the best possible way to do so. My physical, mental and personal self has seen profound changes because of Krav Maga.