Born and brought up in the slums of New Delhi, Krav Maga trainer Franklin Joseph was exposed to violence in the street at a very young age. Perhaps, it were those rough days that made him learn the art of self-defence, particularly Krav Maga. “In my youth, I was part of street gangs which usually used to get into fist fights with rival local gangs. Whether, I got beaten up or managed to beat the rivals up, one thing was sure—I learnt that the only way to survive on the street was to cheat. So, even enrolling into martial arts clubs was unsuccessful as I never understood the concept of rules and regulations of martial arts. So the yearning to learn something that did not follow rules was always there,” says the no-nonsense Bengaluru-based martial art practitioner. He has dedicated his life to spreading Krav Maga training to anyone who’s interested, especially women who are unfortunately more vulnerable to sexual and physical assault out in the streets or even within the confines of home.
Krav Maga (means ‘contact combat’ in Hebrew) is a self-defence system developed for the military in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques and fighting styles. It is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks. Practitioners of this form of martial art are taught to defeat threats and avoid harm through a variety of means or by any means necessary. They are also taught to never give up.
Krav Maga was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Hungarian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler as a means of defending the Jewish quarter against fascist groups in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), who went on to develop the system that became known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for civilian, police and military applications. It is used by Israeli intelligence agencies like Mossad and Shin Bet.
In Krav Maga, it is emphasised that in any given situation, the defence or counter-attack must be fast, strong, short, natural and direct. The basic idea is to first deal with the immediate threat, to prevent the attacker from continuing attack and to neutralise the opponent. “Attacks and defences are intended to inflict the most pain possible on the opponent. So brutal attacks on the groin, the eyes, and other vulnerable vital targets are emphasised. Yet, it is also considered acceptable to run away, the so-called ‘tactical withdrawal’ if the situation dictates that,” says Joseph. Krav Maga can be used against opponents who are armed and against multiple opponents. Given the small area of movement required to execute a technique, it is also good in closed areas, such as moving vehicles and when cornered. Although many techniques used in Krav Maga are similar to other contemporary pugilistic or grappling martial arts, the training is quite different. “Stress is placed on the real-world practicality, fighting under worst-case scenarios. There is also heavy emphasis placed on stamina and concentration. Training is meant to condition the students to ignore extraneous input and focus on causing as much damage as possible.
Unlike a cardio kickboxing or a martial arts class choreographed moves, this type of training encourages you to move and execute different movements instinctively. You’ll be practicing in combat mode with an opponent or a weighted bag so that you know how to fight. You can improve your balance, coordination and agility by executing these movements at a fast pace and learning how to use your body weight to your advantage. Bodyweight calisthenics are also an integral part of Krav Maga training.
For the weight-watchers, Krav Maga boosts metabolism and help lose weight too. “If you’re stuck in a fitness rut and aren’t getting the results you want with your usual cardio or strength training routine, Krav Maga could help you burn more calories. Since you engage both large and small muscle groups to execute each move, your entire body works hard to support you through each movement and the sequences will rev up your metabolism,” points out Joseph.
In addition to everything, you also develop better balance and coordination with each kick and punch. This can help to improve your overall fitness level.
