Love for Krav

So while this blog has been primarily focused on my trials and tribulations in jiu jitsu, I would be remiss if I didn't speak about my love and appreciation for krav maga. As covered in an earlier post, I was not a stranger to the martial arts when I started studying krav maga. But like taking a few years off between undergrad and grad school (which I have quit numerous times so I'm still without an advanced degree), by the time I enrolled at Krav Maga NOVA, I already knew what I wanted from it. I didn't want any bullshit. I wanted a self-defense system without any of the fat. No formality. No tradition. No this-style-vs-that-style. Having gotten mugged twice by gunpoint, I wanted reflexes to avoid, assess and attack whatever threat was in front of me. And I found that in krav maga.

For those who have not heard of this, it's the fighting system adopted by the Israel Defense Forces. A lot of folks joke that it's basically 1,000 ways to kick someone in the balls. While that is hyperbole, it's not so far off from the truth. There's a lot of focus on soft targets. It's not pretty. It's efficient, hand-to-hand combat that incorporates kicks and strikes one might remember from childhood tae kwon do lessons, elbows and knees borrowed from muay thai and some limited ground fighting as well. And because we live in a world where the fight is not always fair, there's also techniques to disarm an aggressor of their firearm or knife.

The reason why krav maga made such an impression upon me and why I constantly recommend it for those who are new to martial arts and are looking strictly at self-defense is that it 1) conditions you to respond with force and aggression and 2) prepares you for multiple attackers. Years ago, I was mugged in a parking garage by three people, one bearing a firearm. The whole ordeal lasted about 5-7 minutes, which is pretty long. A lot of the altercation was non-physical as we were locked in argument and sizing each other up. The guy with the gun demanded I lay down on the ground. I didn't. I don't know why other than thinking that if I laid down, I'm giving up my will to live. But the entire time (in the moment) and even now, looking back (which I do often), I keep thinking of how I could have reacted faster - how many exits could I have made for myself, how much distance I could have closed, etc. I'm not saying anyone should go against a gun, but if you're cornered, there's got to be a better solution than giving it up to Jesus. And in krav maga, I found my solace. A year into training, I was quicker, more agile and aware of those around me. I drilled those techniques so much, I could strike, redirect attacks, claw off grips and take someone down at the drop of a hat. Not only that, but I learned to throw multiple strikes in rapid succession because one punch is not gonna work like the movies. I learned to absorb a punch or kick and keep moving forward. I now had strategies for fighting off more than one person -- learning to stack opponents. I gained immense confidence by pushing myself past my breaking point every night -- when my mind would give up and tell me I couldn't do anymore - but the fight wouldn't let off so I kept going. To this day, the hardest thing I have ever done was my test into level 2. It was three-plus hours of hellish combat-specific drills, sparring, etc. People puked. People whined. People got upset. But for those who kept going, it was a feeling like no other.

In no way am I saying that I can beat anyone who comes at me. I am not invulnerable against an armed attacker. But I can say that krav maga instilled in me the confidence that if the circumstance were to arise, I would fight and do some serious damage before I go down.

I'm a jiu jitsu guy now, exclusively. There's nothing that beats the mental, physical and emotional challenge I experience every session. Unlike krav maga, I knew zilch about fighting from your back and there's something thrilling about learning at this age. But there are times when I get an itch to kick someone in the balls a thousand different ways.

Motivation vs Discipline

At last month's promotions, I was upgraded from a one stripe blue belt to a four stripe blue belt. It was quite unexpected and immensely humbling. It means I'm on deck for purple belt next go around and that pressure alone is enough motivation to send me to the mats every night and spar with the hardest teammates.

I know that some folks go into promotions expecting something. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just not how I'm wired. But if you've been working hard at something and every indicator tells you that you deserve a stripe or a new belt, more power to you. Maybe I'm more zen, but I just don't expect it. Most of the time, I'm focusing on where I fall short, where I can improve and what, if any, shortcuts I've taken. Basically, I am my harshest critic. And that compels me to hit the mats more. So when coach kept wrapping bands of tape on my belt, I took a deep breath because he saw something I didn't. He was acknowledging growth I didn't take into account and was commenting on potential that I was not tapping into. It was also a challenge. Because the four stripe white belts now have a new target. The blue belts who got their first stripe are eyeing me harder and ready to make a go of tapping me out. All of that means I can't slack.

It's an interesting thing, motivation. We don't always feel it or respond to it. There are mornings we wake up and all we want to do is throw that blanket over our heads and disappear for a while. Life has a way of messing up your plans, playing with your emotions and headspace. But in the same way, we suck it up, put on pants, brush our teeth and go to work like we care, discipline is what makes up for lack of motivation. I have quit a lot of things in my life and walked away from a lot that has scared me. I stopped pursuing a film career because the idea of working 20 hours a day for years with nothing to show for it overcame any dream of making it. I quit grad school, not once but three times, because the years of study and predicted debt outweighed the potential jobs that might come of an advanced degree. I've turned down job opportunities in different parts of the country because the change in environment was too big a challenge to overcome. But jiu jitsu... I have not quit. I make time for it. I shift things around for it. Because I love it. Not competing. Not dominating another person. Not even the camaraderie. It's because when I roll, I feel stronger and better than I did yesterday and see where I might go tomorrow. And when that vision gets blurry, I get in the car anyways and tell myself that stepping on the mats without a goal is better than staying off the mats with nothing but regret for not going. Motivation and discipline. And sometimes, when both fail you, your coach ups your rank and in doing so, challenges you to prove you deserve to wear it.