…will only make me stronger. Well, at least that is what I have been telling myself as I nursed the sore ligaments in my foot. The injury was a result of my decision to try my hand at Krav Maga again. I signed up for classes at the New York City Krav Maga Federation training center located in John Jay College about a month ago. I needed to switch up my exercise program before the winter arrived since, as many would suspect, bike riding in the NYC cold can be a bit harsh. I wanted another indoor exercise option for the coming winter months. I needed an activity that would help me maintain my cardio and improve my overall strength and fitness. However unlike my wife, jogging has never been my cup of tea. This is especially true if it is on those motorized threadmills. Those things always reminds me of the little exercise wheels that people put in hamster cages. And since basketball had long since lost it’s lustre for me, I figured that I would try and get back into the swing of another of my old loves, the martial arts.
The idea popped into my head a few months back when I spoke to Sensei on an unexpected telephone call. Talking to him made me realize how much I missed the interaction and camaraderie of the dojo. It had been a few years since he and Rod moved away and the dojo was closed. In the subsequent years my training had fallen by the wayside because of family obligations and a lack of consistent workout partners. The talk with Sensei made me think that maybe it was time for me to change all that.
While my martial arts background was primarily rooted in Japanese Shotokan and Judo, I had dabbled with the Israeli fighting style a few years back before another injury forced me to take a long break. When I was first introduced to Krav I was intrigued by the simplicity of the style. No forms, katas, or any of the ceremony that many have come to expect from the more well known fighting styles like Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Krav Maga is pure self defense. It is a very practical style since it was designed and developed for use in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The basic principles of the art form seem to be fairly straight forward. Hit them hard, hit them fast, and do as much damage as necessary to get away and go home safely.
Pretty sound philosophy if you ask me. You can peep out some of the demonstrations from the Krav Maga Federation here.