How fit do I have to be?
To learn Tactical Krav Maga, you don't need to be super fit. If you aren't in great shape, the training will help you lose weight and get in shape, but you should have normal mobility and average flexiblility. As the training becomes more realistic as you get more advanced, you will become fitter as you will learn to fight or flight. To participate in Tactical Boot Camp, there are no level of fitness requirements to start but once again you need to have good mobility. We will work with you according to where you are, but make sure first that your doctor is happy with you doing physical exercise.
What do I wear?
You can wear a t-shirt and some jogging pants or shorts. Wear whatever you would wear for a normal exercise session. No uniforms. No 'angry white pajamas' :) In winter, layered clothing, a long sleeve top, beanie and some jogging pants would be good. A pair of good cross-trainers are also essential. On cold and wet days a wind and rain proof jacket and/or pants would be excellent.
Do I need any equipment?
Not at the start. For Tactical Krav Maga you can turn up for certain basic workshops without anything, but if you want to keep learning through our longer courses you will need to purchase a few things for your protection such as a simple groin guard, mouth guard and shin guards. They are inexpensive (around $15 mail ordered). As you improve and if you want to take the training to another level of realism in more advanced training you must purchase extra equipment such as 16oz boxing gloves, head guard with grill and forearm guards. (Talk to us and we will direct you to the right place for these things.) We will provide all other equipment such as kick shields, tactical vests and training weapons such as rubber guns and rubber knives. LOTS of WATER and towel.
For Tactical Boot Camp you will need a good pair of cross training shoes, we will provide some light punching mitts if you want to protect your hands when we do combatives on the pads. LOTS of WATER and towel. We may ask you to bring a backpack for load carrying. Be prepared to get down and dirty!
I dont like violence, will this encourage violence?
Absolutely not. Tactical krav Maga was designed to neutralise violence. We strictly do not encourage violence. We are purely here to help train everyday folk like yourself effective survival skills. The point is survival and getting home safely. You will however need to be willing to apply appropriate force where necessary during your training. We will teach you how to neutralise a violent situation, not start one.
What kind of people will I be training with?
Tactical Krav Maga has attracted people from all walks of life from doctors to teachers to mums to executives to police officers. In the US, Krav Maga has become very popular with certain actors and actresses. You will train with normal folk like yourself. We only accept people of good character.
What’s the difference between Tactical Krav Maga & other Martial Arts?
Tactical Krav Maga is an integrated system, meaning that it has taken the most effective aspects of all the other martial arts such as karate, muay thai, BJJ, boxing, wrestling and judo and developed it for purely survival needs in one system. Therefore Tactical Krav Maga shares similar striking & grappling techniques with other asian martial arts, however what differs dramatically is our training methodology - Krav Maga was developed in war-torn Eastern Europe and Israel, where effective training methods was crucial for the survival of a nation. One of the central concepts being that techniques should flow from a person's instinctual reactions, rather than teaching the student to control their natural reactions as most martial arts do, and thus is learned more quickly than other martial arts. Our techniques are also often learned from a position of disadvantage (surprised, lying down, limited ability to move). We also teach you how to use the techniques even under mental duress- such as in minimal light, surprised, or when under stress- because such distractions are often present in violent confrontations. You are also taught defence against clubs, knives, and guns. Our training incorporates scenario & environmental training outside the comfort of a training hall. Many Martial Arts also often involve forms, religious rituals, traditions, rules, sport point scoring and may contain many techniques that have never been proven on a battlefield. TKM on the other hand was designed to be learnt in a short time - soldiers don't have much time to learn hand to hand combat - and is kept as simple as can be to solve as many problems as you may face in the field. We use proven methods of training as used in the armed forces, including solutions to modern day problems such as firearm threats and terrorist attacks on public transport.
Do I need previous experience for the Tactical Krav Maga training?
No you do not. Tactical Krav Maga can be picked up by anyone willing to work hard. If you have previous martial arts experience, that's great and you can come and apply what you already know to Krav Maga, but some people have commented that they've discovered stuff learnt in previous traditional martial arts classes don't necessary work in real life under pressure.
What’s the difference between Tactical Krav Maga & other Krav Maga groups?
In our opinion, Tactical Krav Maga is simply the most realistic form of Krav Maga available today. The reason is that we train in full tactical vests, head gear and protective equipment as soon as possible so that all our techniques are pressure-tested. We have also removed any superflurous techniques from our syllabus which means you won't have to make split second decisions on how to defend if you are given too many options. We must test whether our techniques work against a fully resistant partner and not just in 'demos'. Remember, true self defence doens't always look good and must be simple to learn. On another note, it is also important to look at what the head of the system is doing. Itay Gil is not involved in heavily marketing himself to civilians, but rather only training security professionals in Israel, keeping a low profile. This is an excellent sign of the system's integrity, as demonstrated by his involvement with the IDF counter-terror unit, seen on the Human Weapon show on History Channel.
Am I too old?
Only you can decide that. Krav Maga was designed for young soldiers as well as reserves in their 40's and 50's. Come check out a training session and make your own mind up.
Do you offer children's classes?
No. We do not offer this training to children. This training is limited to 16 years and up. However, we will consider running personal protection workshops for children under special circumstances. Contact us.
What if I have a health problem?
If you have any health issues, you MUST consult your doctor before joining. Also contact us and let us know what your issue is and we can tell you whether it will affect your training or not. If you have an injury or joint problem, see your doctor first.
I want to train in Tactical Krav Maga but aren't fit enough?
If you want to learn Tactical Krav Maga self defense and you don't feel confident or fit enough, come for a 'Introduction Class' first, or join our Tactical Boot Camp sessions and get fit first.
Can I train full contact? What if I don't want to train full contact?
Full contact training is a part of advanced Tactical Krav Maga. If you don't want to train with contact but would still like to hit pads, join Tactical Boot Camp. In Tactical Krav Maga we encourage both men and women to train in 'pressure drills' with full safety protective gear against a resisting training partner, so that you can learn to function under stress. This will ensure our training prepares you for reality as much as possible. It will be safe and fun. Remember though, Tactical Krav Maga is NOT Kickboxing or MMA. Therefore we are not aiming to train sport fighters for a ring, so 'sparring' is not what we are really about. What we offer is "Pressure Training" which is about surviving a real life incident, neutralising the attack and removing yourself quickly. The objective is to 'strike and run'.
Can I grade?
In Tactical Krav Maga we don't give belts like other martial arts. We do however have a syllabus of U1 - U10. Unit 10 students is the equivalent of a 'black belt'. Grades ultimately do not prove that you can defend yourself in real life. If you want to become proficient and for the techniques to become instinctive, you should join our courses which runs for several weeks at a time, and each course will take you up 1 or 2 units, depending on ability. If you want to grade, we offer grading sessions by request, if you pass we will give you a Tactical Survival Unit 1-10 tag as well as a TKM Certificate of Completion for that Unit. These are official records of training hours you have undertaken and once you have completed the entire syllabus, the certificates can open doors to more advanced tactical training you may take overseas in Australia, Thailand and Israel.
Why an Israeli system?
Because of Israel's volatile situation in the Middle East, and it's history of having survived against all odds, Israel has acquired experience in combat unlike any other nation. In an environment of having to face the threat of terrorism on a daily basis, their military and security groups have had to think outside the box to come up with solutions for very complex problems. The result is that as a nation they have developed highly innovative training in all areas of security, umatched in most parts of the world, including self defence.
Is it safe?
We place safety as our first priority in all our training. Avoiding injury whether in training or in reality is one of Krav Maga's main emphasis. We highly stress that training is done in a safe and sensible way, which is why we use protective gear. Our safety records overseas have always been excellent, so you can rest in the fact that our instruction is top quality.
Will I get hurt?
With the right training, instruction and protection, then the answer is not likely. For those who want to train full contact, we only train under correct protection, safety and instruction.
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