Fighting Fit
Why do we stress fitness at a self-defense studio? Aren't you just here to learn the techniques? Well, the answer is very simple. The better shape you are in, the better fighter you will be and the better chance you have to get home safe.
Everything we do is for a reason. Sure, some instructors get creative and add their flare to the tried and true format of a Krav Maga class, but it all has a purpose.
For example, when we do push-ups we like to keep our elbows close to the body. This is a tricep push up vs. the more common chest push up. The motion is the same as how we throw punches. Elbow down, straight out. A strong pushup means a meaner punch, so we do them in class.
What about all the jogging, running or drilling? This is to get your heart rate up and induce stress. Training under these conditions simulates what happens to your body during real-world confrontations, at least as close as we can safely get. When you are exhausted, stressed, and worn out you will resort to muscle memory and this is when we know if you truly know the technique or not. The more you drill it, the better it gets. This also builds up your cardio and endurance, and as that improves you can last longer in the fight.
In general, one of the Krav Maga principles is to 'do whatever it takes to get home safe', and knowing the techniques is not good enough. You need to drill them over and over with different partners, under stress, exhausted. You need cardio, endurance, and general fitness to survive the fight.
There is a quote that summarizes our approach to training perfectly:
'Somewhere someone is training to kill me, so I need to train harder so I can be better and when our paths cross, if they ever cross, I can win.'
KIDA!