My Krav club
have several venues. Through trying them out I’ve now find a bespoke fitting
for my own comfort zone around both training and combat.
Never much
liked combat. Love the technical side of Krav but really couldn’t get into the
swing of taking a swing at someone on a cold blooded basis once a week.
This is
simply something I needed to deal with and I’ve tried several options. Forcing
myself to go. Picking the biggest bloke present as a partner. Picking the
highest qualified bloke as a partner**. Getting up and coming back when knocked
down. And professional help outside of Krav.
Really didn’t
change my view of it all and in fact the state of “not liking it much” simply
persisted.
I love Krav
Maga as it keeps me fit and the skills are unsurpassable as tools for life in a
physically confrontational situation. KMM have 3 instructors spread over 6
venues, Monday to Friday. I’ve been trying out the various locations for a
month or so and have finally hit upon a recipe that works for me.
My grade is
P4, but to be honest my fighting ability is pretty low. I lack the skills and
while I’ll stand my ground I tend very often to get a hefty boot in the groin
or drop my guard long enough to get a right hook in the head. At my home club
the guys who opt for combat are either long stayers or high grades (we
currently have five P5s and they semi-regularly attend this class) or both. The
class isn’t enjoyable for me solely because I’m not able to keep up. Some
believe that if you fight much better and experienced guys then you improve. This
is true, but you need to start somewhere and if, like me, you are simply
uncomfortable with it then another solution must be sought.
On Monday I
go to one class where there are loads of people who stay for Combat and they
are in the majority relatively new. There are a mixture of abilities so I can
relax a little and work on my footwork, dodging and strikes. I stayed last
night and thoroughly enjoyed the class, and was partnered mainly with a guy
from Leamington Spa who’d come with me and is a great fighter. Taking it as a
learning curve I predict that a month of so of this group and I’ll feel
confident enough to try one of the more experienced Combat classes in another
KMM venue.
On Thursday
I attend the Leamington Spa class with the Chief Instructor like I’ve done for
over 2 years and as usual it’s a lot of fun and hard work. By tailoring the
lessons around what works for me, I feel a lot less anxious about what I’m
doing and believe therefore that when I gear up for my next grading in 6 months
or a year, I’ll be a lot more into it than if I’d simply ploughed ahead without
trying different things out.
This
reluctance and discomfort around the fighting side of Krav has bugged me for
months, but now I’ve found a way to deal with it gradually and get up to speed.
If shock and immersion therapy don’t work…then it’s time to look for another way
of getting from A to B.
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** In one venue it's the same guy. 6 feet 11 inches tall and P5.
