Krav Maga as a training concept for further education for professional users of police and military.
Krav Maga is not only self-defence, but is originally based on military training for emergency situations. The so-called military close combat is the most original form of the Krav Maga training concept, which is about preparing people for personal borderline situations, such as an assault or even attack. No matter whether military or civil, the defence must be based on the first reflex, i.e. the first action, whether intentional or unintentional. Here we differentiate in the lessons between trained and reflex-based actions. In training, we place the participants in specific and previously precisely defined intervals in the training concept and physical and psychological stress in order to get as close as possible to the moment of a violent attack – in a secure – training situation. Realistic training is the main focus of our courses, also for the military instructors of the V. Inspection Lone Fighters of the Training Center Infantry Hammelburg, who were guests in Cologne for one week to train with our Lead Instructor, Carsten Draheim, within the framework of the “Krav Maga Military Full Instructor Course”. Carsten brings with him extensive experience as an instructor of soldiers of the German Armed Forces in Germany, but also on an international level as the head of the KRAVolution Krav Maga organisation, which is now represented in 26 countries with several hundred instructors. Conclusion after the 5 days of full-time military training was that the two do not differ significantly from each other. The methodology and didactics as well as the techniques often resemble each other considerably, but differ in many ways so much that it was a great benefit for all participants to exchange ideas and learn from each other. In an interview, Andreas Mohr, staff sergeant responsible for the training of lone fighters in the Bundeswehr, impressively describes his experiences this week. As the spike of the company, he naturally did not miss the opportunity to lead by example – leading by example is the motto. Just as it should be with every good instructor in this field!
“For us, military close combat is of course the fight man against man. Fully equipped and of course with the aim of being able to use their own primary or secondary weapon, the instructors set themselves the challenge of a fight, man against man. Staff Sergeant Mohr also directly gave the reasons for this: Close combat takes place when the own weapon cannot be used, for example in case of a weapon malfunction or when too many uninvolved persons are involved. “Then we must go into hand-to-hand combat, man-to-man, in order to survive.”
What is easy to read assumes a suitably consolidated and trained mindset, i.e. the willingness to survive and to defend oneself consistently with all available means, says our Krav Maga Lead Instructor, Carsten Draheim in an interview. So the first priority is to train your own psyche, with the so-called “switch on/switch off” principle. NEVER give up will be a priority here, continue until the end, namely the end of the opponent’s resistance. But how does one train this mindset and which techniques can a person still call up under high stress. In particular, which defense techniques can the soldier with full equipment and additional luggage loads of sometimes 35kg-40kg still be useful. This was the most important part of this training for the instructors in military close combat at the Krav Maga Institute in Cologne.
