If you’d like to learn to defend yourself, you’ll need to become dedicated to Krav Maga and fitness. This requires committing to a practice schedule, ensuring that you’re getting adequate sleep, investing in the right training equipment, sticking to a dietary plan, and finding the right partners to train with.
Why Are Good Partners Important in Krav Maga Training?
Krav Maga and fitness training can be very intense. This is a powerful self-defense system that requires a lot of discipline and trust, which makes finding the right training partner very important. Having a bad partner can not only discourage you, but can potentially lead to injury, incorrect advice, and frustration with your practice. Choosing the right partner is as important as choosing the right instructor. You need someone with a compatible personality and training goals so the two of you can help motivate each other.
Should You Partner with One Person or a Few?
Once you find a partner that you love training with, it can be tempting to stick with that person. However, it’s a good idea to regularly mix it up and try different partners. Krav Maga is about staying alert and being prepared for an attack, and if you become too chummy with your partner over time, you’ll begin to learn the way they move and know what to expect. Predictability in Krav Maga and fitness is not a good thing. Therefore, it’s a good idea to find a handful of partners that you work well with and alternate them each class.
How Can You Get the Most Out of Your Krav Maga Partnerships?
Communication is Key
You need to feel comfortable talking to your partner. If you’re a shy or introverted person, this may be challenging, but increasing your confidence is part of why you’re learning Krav Maga in the first place, right? Now is the time to learn to assert yourself.
If your partner is doing a move incorrectly, failing to follow the instructor’s directions, or making you uncomfortable in any way, speak up. Also, be willing to provide plenty of positive reinforcement. Your partner isn’t a mind reader!
Listen to instructions. Train. Don’t teach.
Students teach each other on the mat sometimes. Often, they pass on their own mistakes and misunderstandings to others. The instructors in class are certified professionals, and they can address any of your questions. If a newer student is asking you a question about the drill assigned, refer them to the instructor. If you feel your partner isn’t understanding the drill – same thing – refer them to the instructor for further help.
Your Krav Maga and fitness instructor will provide direction on how to safely hold the strike pad for your partner as well as giving advice about the actual system of self-defense. Regardless of whether you’re striking or holding the pad for your partner, if you don’t listen carefully to instructions, your training will suffer.
Also, be sure to stay mentally alert while holding the strike pad for a partner. Since you aren’t actually the one doing the moves, it can be easy to zone out and start daydreaming about what you’re going to have for dinner during this time. If you do, you’re doing a disservice to your partner. Pad holding is an important responsibility and needs to be done mindfully if you want the strike to mimic an actual hit.
Be Careful
If you listen to the instructions, you should be able to practice the system without causing injury to anyone. Krav Maga is meant to be rough, but it shouldn’t result in someone getting seriously hurt. This natural roughness can, however, stir up emotion at times. If you feel yourself starting to get triggered, angry, or upset in any way, it’s okay to step out and take a moment for yourself.
It’s also a good idea to talk to your instructor about your feelings. He or she is there to help motivate you to be the strongest you can be, and working through emotion can be an important part of the process. This is especially true if you found Krav Maga after a traumatic or violent event.
Krav Maga Worldwide: Here to Guide You
We are proud to offer a Krav Maga and fitness training system that is designed to make you strong and ready for anything. Our instructors focus on real-life fighting scenarios and useful techniques, but they can also provide advice on lifestyle, nutrition, and training partners.
If you’re ready to learn the self-defense system used by the Israeli Defense Forces, as well as many law-enforcement organizations in the United States, please contact us today.
