Krav Maga

I recently took up a new hobby to support my quest in improving my physique: Krav Maga. The choice may seem somewhat strange when it is reflected against my previous hobbies of choice: yoga, golf, fencing, tennis, long-distance running, etc. It's actually quite exhilarating to try something entirely new again; the rest of the people practicing Krav Maga don't fit into the typical group of people who I've met in conjunction with my other hobbies.

So, why Krav Maga? Well, I've always been drawn to a certain level of pragmatism: I want things to work and be as efficient as possible. One of the key issues that I had with fencing was that it just felt a little bit silly, like I was restricted by something artificial. Why should I have to respect the right of way if the point is to kill the other combatant? Why can I only hit the torso? This elaborates why I was very quick to move on from foil and try épée instead. Nonetheless, regardless of how much I want to live in the times that have already passed, I have to admit that cross-training with other methods is a necessity that can't be circumvented. Thus Krav Maga: a seemingly very simple and efficient method of self defense, which focuses not on form but on the ultimate endgame -- survival.

This actually illustrates a very relevant point: in the search for efficiency, simplicity rules. But simplicity isn't a silver bullet. Nor is it as restrictive as it may sound. In golf one of the most common problems that many people have is that their back swing isn't efficient: it's hindranced by all types of extra maneuvers, which don't belong in the swing and just increase complexity and chances for things to go wrong. The same is true for punches: even the most basic of punches, the straight punch, isn't as intuitive as people think. It is simple, but you have to get your head around to the fact that you don't swing your arm. Instead you punch directly at the target and then retract your arm into a protective position again. Simple. Elegant. Efficient. It serves a purpose and does so efficiently...