Physical Conditioning in Krav Maga
So, why all the Physical Conditioning within your Krav Maga class?
At Krav Maga Newcastle our sessions include plenty of physical conditioning, and no this isn’t done for my own personal gratification of beasting people through physical exertion, although I do enjoy it! Although a new student may not realise this at first, one of the most important elements to physical conditioning in Krav Maga is to aid in the development of mental toughness. Done correctly, physical conditioning gives a mental edge specific to self-defence. Fighters know that conditioning in itself is a weapon, not just in the physical sense but also in the mental sense, it instils that mental resilience that gives you the will to keep fighting. In a conflict a well-conditioned person is calmer than a poorly conditioned one (this was evident whilst on operations in Afghanistan).
Under stress, you will revert to your habits, habits are formed by repetitions (trained response). The more repetitions, the more stable the habit. If your practice is insufficient, or worse, inadequate, under stress you will likely show bad habits. So, to show good habits in the face of adversity, you may either practice regularly so your good habits (trained response) won’t fail, or you may reduce your stress response. This can be done through physical conditioning, by reducing your stress response this can compensate for insufficient practice, however the ideal balance is obviously somewhere in between – regular practice with a good amount of conditioning.
Therefore, the best way to ensure that you use your most effective tactics in self-defense is to (a) practice them until they become 2nd nature and (b) train in such a manner that you are not stressed in an “argument” or while under assault.
So next time your feeling the Physical Conditioning in Krav Maga, just take a second to think why we do it and how it’s benefiting you.
Jeff Hollows – Krav Maga Newcastle. If your interested in training, Classes, 1-1 Personal Coaching or Seminars please feel free to Contact us.
