We were fortunate enough to be invited along by Fraser at KM Scotland to one of their regular classes to get a taste of what Krav Maga, the Israeli special forces martial art, is all about.
So Sunday evening last we went along to their class at HMP Glenochil to find out first hand.
We were very warmly greeted by instructors Fraser and John and invited to join in or watch if we preferred, as we had come all the way on a really manky night from Glasgowshire we decided to take part.
The first set of exercises were about awareness and movement as we moved around a fairly small space trying to touch any other persons' head which they had to block, and then after that the same exercise with knees. We then did some of the more usual conditioning and stretching exercises that you would do at a regular martial arts class and then moved on to practicing self defence techniques. To say KM is 'in your face' isn't metaphorical, it really is the kind of self defence that's highly effective and efficient with no bull. I should point out at this stage that a groin guard would be mandatory for a man to practice KM as absolutely anything goes, groin strikes, eye gouges, headbutts the lot and there were plenty of strikes to the groin in practice. Something else about KM and something that we would recommend as good practice in self defence is the advice to never go backward in a self defence situation, as with sparring in martial arts if you start to move away from your opponent they will always follow you and you're instantly, and in most cases unintentionally, on the back foot.
KM with it's explosive and multiple simultaneous strikes is a really effective and unforgiving (to an attacker) method of self defence which an attacker would struggle to have an answer to if the techniques are carried out properly.
Now that we have a taste for KM and it's no-nonsense techniques I'm sure we'll be back to see Fraser, John and the KM Scotland guys very soon.
Here's a writeup on the origins and ideas behind Krav Maga I spotted on the web:
Krav Maga is simple and quick to learn. Krav Maga is fun and an excellent form of exercise.
Krav Maga is not a martial art requiring years of dedicated study or training.
Krav Maga does not require any previous knowledge or experience of combat sports.
Krav Maga is practised by more than 200,000 people across the world, including law enforcement agencies, security personnel, celebrities and ordinary people for self-defence, fun and fitness.
Self-protection is a basic human instinct and Krav Maga is a tried and tested method of sharpening those natural reactions into an effective self-defence system.
Krav Maga has been used across the world in all known situations against singular and multiple assailants, unarmed or armed attackers.
Krav Maga is based on real life not fantasy. It has evolved from experience and been tested in almost every possible situation.
Krav Maga always bases training methods on real-life scenarios. Self-defence techniques are often taught from a position of disadvantage. Victims of an attack can be caught off-guard while lying down, unable to move, trapped in a confined space or while stuck in a car, bus train or plane. The world is not perfect and such distractions are often present in real confrontations. Krav Maga teaches the techniques needed to escape from unpleasant situations, even while under severe mental stress.
The simplicity of Krav Maga, and the unique teaching techniques, allows participants to attain a good level of proficiency after only a short time. It provides a simple but highly effective way for anyone - male or female, young or old, with all levels of fitness, to protect themselves from the kind of dangers faced by thousands of ordinary people each day.
At a time when fear of crime is on the increase - one in six burglaries end in violence. Muggings, alcohol-induced assaults and knife attacks are all too frequent - self-defence has never been more of an issue.
Krav Maga is designed to give people the knowledge and expertise to avoid becoming victims.
