Violent to the Core

Report by Mike James

Krav Maga, a brutal but effective defense system is the hottest new fitness regime in New York health clubs.

It is 12 noon in Times Square. We are in the heart, or should we say core, of the Big Apple, New York City. Three doors up from 90th Street on busy Columbus Avenue. a small third floor dance studio is the site for some violence and mayhem that even native New Yorkers would find unusual. While one of the busiest cities in the world goes about its normal chaotic routine. lawyers, professors, teachers and office workers are exchanging punches, eye gouges, head butts and joint breaking wrist locks.

These new Yorkers aren't arguing over a company takeover, negotiating a Wall Street stock deal, or debating the merits of Seinfeld's last episode. They are practising the Israeli self defense system known as Krav Maga.

Classes in Krav Maga are now being held in health clubs and specialist teaching academies in a number of American cities. But this particular self defence system isn't just another gimmick to lure the trendy health club member searching for the eternal body beautiful, or the martial artist trying to be the next Bruce Lee. Many police and law enforcement agencies are also learning Krav Maga to help subdue suspects without resorting to weapons, and as a self defence system for their officers. Average citizens are learning the discipline to improve their confidence in dealing with physically threatening situations.

Krav Maga (pronounced khrav ma-gaah) literally means contact combat. Originally created for use by the Israeli self defence forces, Krav Maga originated 40 years ago when its founder Imi Lichenfield, an accomplished wrestler and boxer, sought to devise a simple, yet deadly form of self defence. The style itself is a hybrid of techniques using punches from boxing and escape and submission ground fighting skills found in wrestling and jui jitsu.

Krav Maga teaches a beginner defences against punches and kicks and releases from bear hugs, chokes and shirt holds. When individuals become more confident and skilled, they are taught how to defend themselves against knives, clubs, guns and multiple attackers. At advanced black belt level, Krav Maga teaches strategies that deal with terrorist and hostage situations. Because of the deadly nature of these methods, Krav Maga is not considered a sport. It has no competitions nor is it suitable for tournaments like other martial arts.

Rhom Mizrachi, 30, principal instructor at the Krav Maga academy in New York. explains that the self defence techniques used are based on 5 major principles. First the style is designed around a person 's natural reactions. "We try to teach skills at the spinal level", he says. "That way a person will react to a threatening situation immediately without having to think about complex moves. It's no use teaching fancy high kicks to a person whose flexibility doesn't allow them to kick high."

Secondly, Krav Maga is not based on a person's strength and power. "A weak person should be able to beat a stronger person or a female beat a male if the correct techniques are used", Mizrachi explains.

Thirdly, a defensive motion is not executed without a countering offensive motion. "If you can avoid a threatening situation, by all means do so, but if you are cornered it's no good just defending, defence must combine with offence."

The fourth principle is fairly self explanatory. Attacks are launched at vulnerable areas such as the groin, knees and fingers. The fifth principal is not to use overwhelming force, only sufficient force to stop the attack and not cause disabling injury.

Katrina Koghe, 25, a keen cyclist and runner, began learning Krav Maga in 1995 after she learned about the brutal rape and murder of a female jogger in Central Park. "I had passed that area many times while doing my laps. I had also heard of 6 other rapes in that vicinity, so it got me thinking", Koghe says. She originally attended a weekend seminar on Krav Maga. After that she became so interested she is now studying to become an instructor. "It's a very easy art to learn and doesn't have the complex forms and many high flying kicks of other arts", she explains, "Krav Maga also has other benefits, It has increased my confidence and overall fitness level. My upper body strength has improved significantly and that has been a great help for my cycling and jogging,"

Haim Zout, 60, president of the Krav Maga Institute in Israel. is the highest ranked individual in this technique in the world, An amiable bear of a man, he has been teaching the art for 35 years, "It's not a pretty art", he explains, "It's designed to defend and attack in the minimum time required."

Even though Krav I aga is certainly not for the faint-hearted, health clubs throughout America are beginning to offer classes at beginner and advanced levels, People as young as 10 and as old as 72 attend the Krav Maga Academy in New York City, The continuous drills and emphasis placed on speed, endurance and co-ordination make for a great workout for people of all ages and levels of physical fitness.

Father and son, Rick and Matt Scheffer, have been learning Krav Maga for over 3 years, Rick, 45 and Matt, 16, look like a very average father and son, but their polite and courteous natures are forgotten once they begin practicing choke holds, joint locks and simulated eye gouges, They chose Krav Maga because of its emphasis on self defence rather than the sporting aspect. "It's a great way for us to do an activity together that doesn't rely on a lot of athletic ability", Matt explains, They had tried kick boxing before but were turned off by the emphasis on competing.

Haim Zout emphasises that the 'underlying philosophy is not one of all out attack to maim or hurt someone, "It is important to be a good person, and it's often better to walk away from a situation", says lout, a point he emphasises to all instructors and potential instructors, "If you are in an unavoidable combat situation, you should only use enough force to subdue your opponent, not to kill or maim them ," Nevertheless, attackers most often don't fight fair, so effective techniques often need to be very brutal. Hence the necessity for normally mild mannered people like Rick and Matt to practice lethal chokes and eye gouges, albeit in a simulated fashion.

During one of Haim Zout's demonstrations, a female student questions him about the effectiveness of a particular method he advises using if an attacker approaches with a club, "What if the attacker is huge and comes for you like this?", she asks, demonstrating a lethal downward swipe to Haim's head, Without flinching, Haim gently deflects the club by stepping in and pushing the "attacker's" elbow, Then within nano seconds, he simulates clawing the ╘assailant╒s╒ eyes with a scooping motion of the fingers, For such a big man, Haim's movements are cat like, resembling a child pushing its mother's hand away while scooping out some extra ice cream with its fingers, the attack is diverted effortlessly.

Will Krav Maga follow Boxacise, Spinning and Muscle Fitness as the new must-do class at health clubs? With personal safety an increasingly important issue in most big cities around the world, Krav Maga is becoming more and more popular among people of all ages, male and female, Over 100 police departments throughout America are now learning the discipline and Krav Maga institutes can also be found in countries in Europe and South America.

Mike James is Manager, Fitness Center, Health Services Department, The World Bank, Washington, USA.