Over the past few months I have been training pretty hard in preparation for promotions in the various martial arts styles that I am studying. Last month, I successfully tested for my 1st degree Black Belt in IPS Shotokan, and today I successfully tested for my Orange Belt in Krav Maga. I have been studying IPS Shotokan for a number of years but I am relatively new to Krav Maga. As a result, I am forced to admit that I was a bit anxious about the testing.
Krav Maga is different than other martial arts styles in that there are no complex forms and katas. Instead, Krav Maga consists of a series of self defense techniques for open hand and armed combat. It was designed to teach Israeli soldiers to defend themselves quickly. My nerves about the test revolved around my belief that being tested on forms and katas can sometimes be easier than being tested on self defense techniques. The main reason is that in forms you are working alone. The self defense techniques you are tested on in Krav Maga are against live opponents attacking you at full speed. If you slip and forget a motion in your kata all that might happen is that you could look foolish. However, if you mess up a self defense technique against a live opponent, at full speed, you could get kicked in the balls. Luckily for me and my testicles, no such mishap occurred today.
