Pain Free Krav Maga by Moshe Katz

Moshe teaching Jenna. We teach them how to avoid getting hurt.

There is an old saying, no pain no gain. There can be many interpretations to this.
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Indeed it is true that whatever you want to accomplish in life will involve some sort of pain; you want a college degree, you will have to make some painful sacrifices. You may have to cut down on your regular work, reduce your work hours and income, stay up late at night, miss some great parties. This is all painful but it is a pain you are willing to endure in order to earn your college degree.
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Having a family also involves painful sacrifices. You do it because you love having a family.
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Martial arts training is no different. To achieve your goals you will have to make some painful sacrifices.
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And then of course there is some physical pain. No matter how careful we are there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way, it is inevitable. You cannot learn to ride a bike without falling down a few times.
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However, there are types of pain that must never happen.
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There is a myth that for training to be good, people must get hurt. I could not disagree more. Many styles of Krav Maga thrive on this image. We do not. One instructor told me that for a seminar to be successful he wants everyone cursing his name. I pray that never happens with me.
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I believe that one need not brutalize their students during training in order for the training to be effective. Our results have proven this time and time again.  We have numerous examples of first time students using their techniques successfully in real life cases.  None of them have ever been hurt during my seminars.
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No one comes to Krav to get hurt. They come to protect themselves from being hurt.
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No one comes to Krav to get bullied. They come to protect themselves from the bullies.
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Bullies do not make good Krav Maga instructors.

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Craig Gray teaching a young student at a Her Survival Guide Woman's Empowerment Course

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There is always a chance that at the higher levels, with more intense training there might be some bumps and bruises. In all my years of training I have never seen terrible injuries resulting from this, nothing more than some soreness and bruising.
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But there is no room for dislocated shoulders or broken bones during teaching demonstrations. Teachers must be gentle, we have nothing to prove.  There is never a reason or any justification for hurting a student.
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Remember, no one came to Krav classes to get hurt, they came to learn how to avoid getting hurt.


Written by Moshe Katz  - Israeli Krav International Head Instructor - Maaleh Adumim, Israel