DISCOVER Krav Maga

Chris Ost Talks The Basics Of Self Defense

 BY NORA HESTON TARTE / D DAN HOOD

You may have heard of Krav Maga, but do you know what it is? It sounds like a form of martial arts, and in some ways, it is, but at its core, Krav Maga is a self-defense system, unlike martial arts used for sport.

Instead of learning katas, a series of pre-arranged movements, like in karate and jujitsu, Krav Maga focuses on awareness and reacting to immediate and unplanned threats to yourself. The system looks at the most likely threats, which for the average person may be parking lot attacks, hand to hand combat, and assailants with knives or handguns. Then, Krav Maga teaches you how to notice those threats and disarm them.

Krav Maga at its core is simple, says Chris Ost, a Krav Maga instructor at Sweat in Stockton and former coowner of American Martial Arts Krav Maga. Instead of working through an elaborate system of belt upgrades, the goal is to teach people how to defend themselves—and fast. That’s not to say belts aren’t available through Krav Maga, they are, it simply isn’t an emphasis, and never has been.

The techniques taught in Krav Maga work with your natural instincts to create easier ways to defend yourself against harm. All of the moves, created by Imi Lichtenfeld originally to train Jewish soldiers during WWII, are designed to be carried out by both men and women (and even kids). You don’t need to be big or particularly strong to complete these moves.

The other focus of Krav Maga is to teach the basics quickly, instead of over several years. While athletes may train six days a week for the better part of the day, your average person is likely only hitting the gym a few times each week for shorter sessions. In this abbreviated timeframe, they need to learn everything they can about protecting themselves in order to fulfill the motto of Krav Maga: get home safe.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Krav Maga and other martial arts is awareness. Once ranked number ninth in the U.S. for sport karate, Chris says when he first attended a Krav Maga class, the instructor was able to disarm him with ease. “Awareness drills are the most important,” Chris says, adding if you sense danger before it strikes you can either deter your assailant or be prepared to protect yourself.

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