KRAV MAGA: THE BEGINNING

The start

About two years ago, I went to my first Krav Maga lesson; a self-defense system that uses elements from various martial arts, with the difference being that there are no rules and no competitions. Nauseous, nervous, and uncertain, I stood at the warm-up. But I was there. The years leading up to this had slowly but surely drained me entirely, both mentally and physically. With the best intentions, but not with good consequences for my own well-being. I went through a depression and on top of that came all kinds of physical complaints, which were the result of constantly overstepping my own boundaries. I transformed from an enterprising, enthusiastic person into a withdrawn and anxious individual.

Revelation

From my best friend, I received 10 Krav Maga lessons as a gift during that period. “Is that a good idea in that situation?” I hear you thinking. I also doubted, but I forced myself to go to that first lesson anyway. It turned out to be a revelation. Unlike what I had expected, it was not training for show-offs. There was no room for bravado or much chatting. Only for focus and practice. After the first training, I knew; This is it for me. In the first weeks, after class, I had such sore muscles that I could hardly walk down the stairs. It was also nice; my body noticed that it had worked hard. And there were bruises, but hey; that's part of it. It reminded me that I could defend myself and offer resistance. Even before I had completed my ten trial lessons, I decided to take out a subscription. Although the training started off with ups and downs, I still managed to pass my B1 exam less than a year later.

Headspace

The trainings had effects that I had not anticipated; within a few weeks, I was fit and strong again. But my mindset changed as well. Whereas at other times of the day I had been thinking and worrying a lot about things, Krav Maga gave me 75 minutes of headspace. After the lesson, I felt lighter and I slept better. The training demands that you maintain your focus on what you are doing at that moment. A nice aspect is that you can start right away. Whether you are a beginner or advanced; everyone can participate in the same training. This uniformity also motivates; everyone trains together and you learn from the advanced students, but just as well from beginners, albeit in different ways. Although Krav Maga is not a team sport, there is teamwork; you elevate each other to a higher level, and that gives positive energy. Techniques are clearly explained by trainers, but most is learned by simply doing. You create 'muscle memory'; your body knows what to do at a given moment without having to think about it.

Boundaries

A significant theme within Krav Maga, as I have experienced, is boundaries. To extend these, you first need to recognize them. On the other hand, you also learn to recognize certain boundaries and perhaps even more importantly; to accept. This occurs at a physical level, but certainly also at a mental level.

A few months ago, I broke my nose during training. Rest assured; this does not happen regularly! It was a result of a confluence of circumstances. One of those circumstances was that my opponent delivered an unfortunate, high kick where that was not actually intended. Another circumstance was that I did not have my focus. I had a lot on my mind and was not feeling good in my skin. Nevertheless, I kept pushing myself. Although I noticed that I could not handle this opponent at that moment, I did not indicate my limit because I wanted to be able to do it anyway. In doing so, I did not accept the reality of that moment. And I had a choice; I could have stopped and indicated my limit. If I had recognized and respected myself and my possibilities at that moment, I might have been able to prevent my nose from breaking in several places.