Krav

Maga: What it is and What it isnt

by Natalie Jacobs
April 1, 2015

Krav Maga is not a sport. There are no weigh-ins, international competitions or black belts. Krav Maga
is also not something you do for >itness and its de>initely not something to be taken lightly. People
civilians come to Krav Maga (the Israeli self-defense method developed in the mid-20th century for
the IDF) to learn how to defend themselves in real-life situations. There are still Krav Maga trainings
for military and law enforcement in Israel and across the globe, but many who come to Krav Maga
schools these days are just like you and me. Some have been mugged or attacked on a city street.
Others have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Others still have just been watching
the news and are concerned about a rise in extremist threats.

Its not fancy, says Drew Goodwin, owner and chief trainer of Warrior Elite Krav Maga.

What Krav Maga is, though, is a defensive tactical system designed to teach people how to be more
aware of their surroundings, and, surprisingly, to >irst try to avoid the threatening situation all
together. Once its clear that the attack is happening, Krav Maga teaches students how to use whats at
their disposal their legs, the palms of their hands, and what are known as common
objects (anything quickly found in their viscinity) to successfully escape the threat. Its not about
beating the attacker to a pulp, its about escaping to safety. So it might look scrappy, but it is more
appropriate to real-life situations than say Brazilian Jui Jitsu or traditional martial arts.

The increase in video taping has shown people what >ighting actually looks like, Goodwin, who
operates two Warrior Elite studios, one in Rancho Bernardo and one Downtown, says. People are
realizing they arent ready for that.

Goodwin and his Warrior Elite schools are members of the International Krav Maga Foundation
(IKMF), based in Israel, which monitors global attack trends. Goodwin is also the IKMF California
Director. As the methods of attack change, from country to country and from year to year, the IKMF
adapts their training to address those new kinds of attacks.

In Brazil, they have a very speci>ic type of attack, Goodwin explains. And in Africa, for example, they
use machetes that they hide behind their back. How do you defend against a machete attack?

When car-jacking became popular in the U.S., Krav Maga worked to develop tactics that could help
students in that situation. IKMF is now seeing a rise in knife attacks in the U.S. and are adapting their
training methods accordingly.

Goodwin came to Krav Maga 12 years ago, when his kids were attending the JCCs Nierman Preschool.
A trained EMT, he is currently going back to school to get a bachelors degree in emergency
management and homeland security. The Rancho Bernardo location of Warrior Elite has been running
for >ive years, while the Downtown studio was opened this past October. Goodwin travels to Israel
twice a year to keep up-to-date on the training methods and recommends that people who are
interested in studying Krav Maga make sure the studio they choose has a connection to Israel.

For Krav Maga, its important to have the context, he says.