a bit of a dilemma with Krav Maga training.....

[tlhfirelion]

Hey guys. I've been wanting to take KM for a long time but there were no schools anywhere near me where I could realistically be a student long term. There is now a local school that teaches it and some research on who they obtained their KM training from gives me pause.

The dojo locally has a good reputation and my friend and his kids study karate there. I've visited and liked what I saw. A strict but encouraging school that doesn't just give out belts but helps you earn them. Instructors without an ego and a genuine desire to help people learn. In the words of Martha Stewart, "that's a good thing".

Their km training was thru the Krav Maga Association in Fayetville Arkansas and the instructor named Marty Cale. Now I would guess I'm not getting the real deal IDF training and I'm not a diehard martial arts student. I'm wanting to learn a new skill to help me protect myself and my family and if need be in my line of work where altercations can sometimes happen. I started researching the instructor above and found some rather negative comments and accusations about how an "association" was created to add legitimacy where none was present before hand. I realize the Internet has good and bad about everything/everyone but before I spend my time and money, I felt it best to inquire.

If his website is accurate he has received his training from Ran Nakash which from what I can gather, if true, is a legit source. It goes without saying I could learn something from his courses, even if his stats are inflated, but I don't want to think I'm learning one thing only to learn down the road it was a tactical version of Billy Blanks Boot Camp Workout.

I Considered attending a few classes since they offer that for free but I'm even wondering if I should. I don't want to waste my time.

I'm not attempting to bash the school or instructor above, I'm simply wanting to be as efficient as possible with any training I do.

Thank you for any feedback you are able to provide.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Definitely try out the free classes. Those should tell you a lot.

 

[tlhfirelion]

Definitely try out the free classes. Those should tell you a lot.

Thank you for your reply. Is there anything I should look for that would be either a red flag or a green flag?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Thank you for your reply. Is there anything I should look for that would be either a red flag or a green flag?

Yes, I was going to say watch out for schools that are heavy on the work out and light on actual martial arts information, but that is exactly what you are getting yourself in for. I guess you should be worried if it isn't like that.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Thank you for your reply. Is there anything I should look for that would be either a red flag or a green flag?

If you don't have a martial arts background, it's going to be hard for you to evaluate the martial skill of the instructor. What you can evaluate is their teaching abilities:

Do they explain and demonstrate the movements clearly?
Do they provide helpful feedback on your movement?
Is the class organized well, so that you have enough time to practice each technique?
Are the techniques practiced in a safe manner?
Is the class atmosphere one you would enjoy?
If there are any senior students in the class, do they appear to move well?

I'll let the folks who have a Krav background comment on specific aspects of that art you should watch for.

 

[tlhfirelion]

Yes, I was going to say watch out for schools that are heavy on the work out and light on actual martial arts information, but that is exactly what you are getting yourself in for. I guess you should be worried if it isn't like that.

Thank you for your reply. I wanted to clarify something. I'm not looking for a workout as in a bunch of conditioning stuff. I lift and do cardio on my own schedule. While I realize a martial art class will be exercise, I'm looking for heavy on the martial arts skills and less on the "lets workout" class. If that's how it is I'll quickly remove myself from the class. I have no desire to pay for a group exercise class is my point.

 

[tlhfirelion]

If you don't have a martial arts background, it's going to be hard for you to evaluate the martial skill of the instructor. What you can evaluate is their teaching abilities:

Do they explain and demonstrate the movements clearly?
Do they provide helpful feedback on your movement?
Is the class organized well, so that you have enough time to practice each technique?
Are the techniques practiced in a safe manner?
Is the class atmosphere one you would enjoy?
If there are any senior students in the class, do they appear to move well?

I'll let the folks who have a Krav background comment on specific aspects of that art you should watch for.

Thank you for your reply. That's a good list of things to look for. I like to think I have a good BS meter and I have had some martial arts training but many, many moons ago. Hopefully the training is solid and I should give it 2-3 classes before passing any judgement unless it's just catastrophic from the word go. Lol

 

[K-man]

Thank you for your reply. That's a good list of things to look for. I like to think I have a good BS meter and I have had some martial arts training but many, many moons ago. Hopefully the training is solid and I should give it 2-3 classes before passing any judgement unless it's just catastrophic from the word go. Lol

I give guys two weeks free training in my Krav class. If they like it fine, if they don't well that's fine too. We give them a pretty good snapshot of what the training contains and what we are trying to achieve. We don't do much in the fitness area apart from a warm up. The guys generally get a sweat up on the pads but most of the training becomes technical once you master the basics.

As with all MA training, I would suggest a prospective student always looks at and talks to the existing students. They should give a pretty good appraisal of the training.

 

[Hanzou]

I would recommend Judo over Krav simply because it's easier to find good Judo gyms, and Judo tends to be cheaper. There's a lot of bad KM out there unfortunately.

However if you have a good KM gym near you, knock yourself out.

 

[Hanzou]

Whoops, posted in the wrong thread. Sorry about that.