xSerenityx

I took Krav Maga and in my class there was pistol stuff. It was also the only martial art that I took that really taught about situational awareness. I had taken other forms of martial arts that were all about the "sensei" and the "kata" and the "honor" and the "way." And I wanted someone to teach me down and dirty stay alive fighting. The first day at Krav Maga I was told "there only rule is: do whatever you have to do to stay alive!"

I liked the emphasis on physical fitness, which I thought was important. Then I liked the drills. Everything changed when people were going at real speed, in the dark, or with the strobe light on, and you're getting pounded by pads and you have to find some way out and you're not given a formula to do it.

We trained with airsoft guns. We would have to disarm, or to fire before someone disarmed us. We were taught to pick up someone else's weapon if they dropped it. We were taught not how to use the guns, but to use them if they were available and the best tools around.

I got hit a lot in Krav Maga. It was good to learn how to take a punch, to stop worrying about getting hit so much and learning to just accept it and get back to fighting and going on the offensive as soon as possible.

It was definitely illuminating, trailing with the airsoft guns, because you realize how fast you can get hit if you're not moving and finding cover.

Krav Maga was all I had before turning 21. That and pepper spray. Just the other night I was in a dark parking lot. I looked around, looked under my car and in the backseat. Didn't see anything so I started to unlock it. Then I heard someone calling "hey!" and this guy was running across the parking lot at me. I automatically went into my fight stance from Krav Maga-- chin lowered, hands protecting my face but open, knees slightly bent. My open hand almost looked like a signal to stop, and he did, and then said he needed money. I said I didn't have any and he kept asking but I kept saying no. I didn't know if this was the interview process or not but eventually he left me alone. He was coming at me so fast though that it was my instant reaction, to get into that stance and be prepared.

There are other times when I've used the fall breaks to help myself automatically. I do highly recommend Krav Maga, but with the right teacher. My first teacher was an ex-Green Beret and my second teacher was the highest ranked woman in the US who had trained in Israel and she had been in some nasty situations. It's not enough to have a trained instructor, I want one who's actually been there and had to live through it.

One of the best things Krav Maga taught was-- you got it-- attitude. The "I'm gonna live no matter what" attitude. That when it comes to your life, you don't quit fighting for anything. To use whatever is at your disposal to defend your life, be it a firearm or a brick or your teeth.

Kathy (my second teacher) told me that when you're in a real fight, you have to explode into violence, that that is what is going to win. That it ends in seconds, not minutes like the movies. That you have a "go" button and you need to figure out what that is before you get into the situation. I had already decided what those were before I applied for my CFP.

Honestly? Crap may happen where you don't get to carry a gun. Maybe it's a campus where they've disarmed you, or a federal building, or maybe it's oversees. It sucks. But it might happen. And having additional skills, even if they're not as effective as a gun, may just be the difference between life or death.

MinistrMalic

Phoebe, I disagree that martial arts take years to be useful. If you find the right art you should gain in ability and competence from your first class! A good instructor will help you take your strengths and use them to your best advantage.

I like Krav, and it is a brutal and combat tested art. For me, though, Krav takes too much physical strength. I want to be able to use my art when I am older and less able to muscle someone.

I study American Kenpo in a school that is focused on self defense and situational awareness in AZ. I have been studying for about 3 1/2 years and I love it. We are more unarmed than armed, but in private lessons we work on armed combat of all types. Find a school like that in your area and take a few classes. See how it goes. If you don't like the instructor or the attitude of the school move on to another. Don't get discouraged if it takes a bit to find a good fit.

I think if you expect to be able to be competent in armed and unarmed defense in a few classes you have set an unrealistic expectation for yourself, so commit to the process of improvement and get after it! As you improve your confidence will go up, and so will your learning curve. IMO martial arts are a vital component of a SD repertoire, so don't sell yourself short by relying on the "magic talisman" as you put it. :)

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Patti

Phoebe,

I've taken Bob (Thunder) Thurman's self-defense class, and it was very helpful.

Bob take's his class on the road....so if you can get enough people to sign up, he might be willing to come to your area.

Counter Attactics

He also has a training video:

Counter Attactics

But I'd recommend taking some classes instead of just watching a video.

You might also call your local P.D. and ask if they offer classes in self-defense.

You might also call your local fitness gym. Sometimes they offer self-defense classes.

Remember: Anything is better than nothing.

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kazzaerexys

Phoebe, here's my two cents. It takes years of martial arts...to be able to fight effectively against other trained martial artists. Similarly, no weekend self-defense gun course is going to put you in a league with long-time competitive action shooters.

But self-defense is usually more about defeating aggression rather than defeating skill. Oh, yes, there are hardened career criminals who do serious training behind bars or after they get out, and if you end up against one of them you have really gotten a short straw, but meeting up with one of those folks is a low-probability event in the already low-probability world of armed self-defense. If you read most of the "Drew My Gun" or "Close Call Tonight" threads around here, though, you will see that is not how most of these situations usually happen.

Particularly if you are somebody who can come across as a 'soft target' (and I would, hopefully without being accused of sexism, figure that most women fall in that category for the average criminal), you may end up in a bad situation precisely because one of the common, garden-variety criminals who isn't ready for a real fight picks you out for an easy score.

This is where the previous comments about attitude and relevance come into play, I think. If you can confront an aggressive advance with the attitude that you will not be easy prey, and if you have found a self-defense course that provides you with the relevant skills for a couple of quick and dirty moves to give you time to get away or draw your gun, you will be doing well.

If you are thinking about ongoing training in some sort of martial art, you should be able to sit in at the salle/dojo for a few classes to get a feel for the instructor and his students. Ask questions there. That should let you figure out whether the training being offered is the sort of direct, street-effective skills you think you need. If you are looking at signing up for a three or four day seminar type class, there should be plenty of reviews around or even people on this board who have been there, done that.

I've taken American Kenpo in the past and found it very easy to take from that some basic fighting moves to teach to women I know who were looking for some intro to self-defense. Everything I have read, heard, or seen about Krav Maga tells me that, with the right instructor, that could be very effective, too. Those would probably be my top two recommendations as far as styles go, but even a RAD class at a community college could be a good start to help you develop the skills for evaluating future training on your own.

(Okay, must be inflation---that was more like fifteen cents, I think. )

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BRTCP88

I took Yoshinkan Aikido for three months while I was in Canada last year visiting my sister who's studying art up there. I also dabbled in Jiu-Jitsu. I've been searching for a dojo to continue my training ever since.

Aikido isn't as aggressive as Krav Maga. The Green Berets don't use it. But I still feel comfortable that I could use it in a SD situation. And as MinisterMalic said, Krav takes strength, in Aikido you use the force of your opponent's attack so even small women, the elderly, and overweight slobs like me can effectively use it, lol. I actually tried to get my sister to take Aikido with me, but she wasn't interested.

If you did some of the flips in Aikido or Jiu-Jitsu on an asphalt street instead of a padded mat, the attacker would either have a broken spine or his skull would get cracked open, so he's not getting up.

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Phoebe

Whoa! I took a Krav Maga class!

That which doesn't kill me, will make me stronger (I hope!!!)

That was the most killer workout I've ever done in my life. I go to the gym regularly and there is no way that prepared me for KM.

The focus is strictly on SD. No rules. They do teach weapons as well as empty hand fof. I'm not sure if they train with airsoft. They have something like blue guns, but didn't see any airsofts. I hope they do that training too.

In one class, I believe I can defend myself better than I could before the class. I'm told that in 2-3 months I can take their fight class.

My little taste of fighting today, left me wanting to fall down and throw up. (2 minutes of "identify target" and kick or punch...in a 2 on 1 scenario. It was the longest 2 minutes of my life. I thought I was going to die. The KM motto is, "never quit", but I sure wanted to have the teacher tell me that my 30 seconds were good enough.)

Seems like a less strength based system would help round things out at a later date. But I'm not super strong, yet felt like I packed a good wallop with both my legs (no surprise there, my legs are strong) and my hands (wow, really?! Yes!)

If nothing else, I'm sure my fitness will go through the ceiling. I can probably quit my gym.

xSerenityx

:D Phoebe, your experience sounds like mine! It IS a huge workout! I remember one drill where I would have to keep punching pads for 5 minutes, but they would loop a belt around my waist and tug me back from the pads. By the time the 5 minutes was up I was dripping with sweat. But it taught me to keep going!

I am definitely not strong (upper body strength? ha!) but I have never had an issue with KM because of that... speed is another thing, not just strength, that it teaches... Speed can turn a little bit of mass into something nasty.

Phoebe

I feel like I was hit by a truck today.

Honestly, I thought I was in decent shape. Crap upper body strength, but I have been lifting weights regularly for 4 months to try to build that up.

The whole top of my body hurts! My obliques hurt.

From videos I've watched, I can see how KM fits in with pistols. Even if they don't train it, it's a no-brainer.

CC + KM = one "don't try to hurt me or you will badly regret it"

How long did you train for? I'm looking at making a one year commitment.

Did you do full contact fof?

1980Maico440

Sounds like you have hit on one key ingredient required IMO for any course of study- enthusiasm.

Physical activity, grappling, fighting etc can definitely improve attitude. Its not something most people are comfortable with, and many people are simply overwhelmed when presented a physical threat. Good for you for following thru with your interest.

fwiw- Be careful of falling into the trap of "i brought a martial arts arsenal to a gunfight" syndrome.

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packinnova

Can you elaborate on the "fight" class? Are they affiliated with the FIGHT system(Haganah)...or is this just basically their full contact/sparring session?

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