Little Dragons
On my semi-monthly trips to Books-A-Million I always browse the Martial Arts section to see if anything catches my eye. Buying physical books is very much a spur of the moment thing for me. Although I listen to a lot of books ( http://www.audible.com ) now, I don't actually read that many due to time constraints. There are some books that I do find it necessary to hold in my hand to really appreciate, books on the Martial Arts falls into this category. Now Books-A-Million doesn't have a great selection of Martial Arts books (a full third was probably copies of Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do), but every once in a while they will have something inexpensive that catches my eye. This time it was David Kahn's ( http://tinyurl.com/2s2hcn ) Krav Maga. I am not a Krav Maga practitioner, and up until picking up this book I had read very little about Krav Maga. But my interest was spurred by the opening of a Krav Maga school just up the road from my house. The book is a good introductory to Krav Maga and after reading the history and philosophy of Krav Maga as Mr. Kahn lays it out, I can appreciate the art form, though at this time I use the term "art form" with trepidation.
As I have mentioned before, I am a practioner of the Japanese Martial Arts. This is my background and I will freely admit that I am a bit jaded. I like the fact that my chosen styles have been more than a way for me to defend myself in a physical confrontation. Krav Maga can claim the same benefits that traditional Martial Arts does in regards to exercise. Practicing the Martial Arts can reduce tension, anxiety, depression, and anger-hostility. It can counter feelings of lethargy, improve digestion and sleep. It helps to strengthen the heart and improves lung capacity, counters obesity and improves blood supply to the entire body which in turn helps the body feel better and more alert. It heightens one's sense of balance which can reduce ankle and knee injuries and falls.
Unlike some traditional Martial Arts though, I don't think Krav Maga can be as easily marketed towards other areas of personal growth and self-discipline, nor do I think it should. I believe that the practice of traditional martial arts also provides long term beneficial psychological change and encourages good moral and ethical development. Many traditional arts incorporate philosophical and ethical teachings, have a degree of ceremony and ritual, have a meditative component, and emphasize the integration of mind and body. There is empirical evidence to support these claims.
Krav Maga having been developed specifically for Military Application is absent in many of these aspects. Krav Maga was designed in such a way that its teachings can be conveyed quickly to new students (i.e. recruits in the military forces) during a short training period (typically three weeks of intensive training). Consequently it is also a harsher Martial Art and has much less of a sports attribute to it. You probably won't see students at a true Krav Maga school sparing for points, and if you do, turn around and walk out. I think of it as a more stream lined Martial Art. Easier to learn, easier to maintain, and effective. These are all positive aspects and make Krav Maga well suited for military, security and police application. As it was designed, Krav Maga is well suited for a more adult audience (I can't imagine training younger children in such techniques without the previously mentioned psychological aspects). I would hate to see this change due to commercial pressure. In other words, I would hate to see Krav Maga weighed down with the aspects of other traditional Martial Arts so that it can be taught to a younger audience (where the money is).
That being said, I look forward to learning more about Krav Maga and incorporating some of its teachings into my daily work outs. And for the record, the Krav Maga place up the road is now advertising classes for "Little Dragons".
