Awesome Workout with Kickboxing Classes North Branford, CT

Why Krav Maga? by Dennis Hill, CT Krav Maga & MMA

Since I was a young boy, I have always studied in traditional martial arts, earning rank in various styles such as Judo, BJJ, Combat Hapkido and even traditional karate. The idea of studying an art and seeing milestones of success through belt advancement always appealed to me.  I am a lifelong student, always hungry to learn and grow.   However, as time has gone by since I opened my school in 2000, I have noticed a shift in interest from traditional martial arts.  While martial arts is my passion, I have come to realize that what I love and what the public wants can be two different things.  Here are some trends that I have seen over the last few years with the clients who inquire about my services:

1. Most people have very busy lives.  To dedicate years to one art, with the ultimate achievement of black belt is not what most people aspire to any more.  It is even a rare situation with children that they remain in a program long enough now to advance to higher ranks.  By the age of 7, the draw of school sports and a myriad of other activities, starts consuming young students time.  People want something that is fast and effective to learn.
2. Most people find the gyms boring or overcrowded.  They are looking for an alternative workout that stimulates their mind, can be practiced with friends and offers other benefits besides a physical workout.
3. The rise in crime between carjackings, home invasions, senseless and dangerous "games" played by teens, etc.. has led people to want to know basic ways in which to protect themselves or their family.
4. The vast majority of students who attend my school have full time jobs.  They need to be kept safe, free from injury and be able to function the next day.  They are not interested in becoming the next George St. Pierre.  They are just interested in not being the next victim of crime.  

So this leads to why I looked into offering Krav Maga at our facility.  Prior to 1980, all experts in Krav Maga lived and trained in Israel under the Israeli Krav Maga Association.  In 1981, a group of six instructors came to the USA and began teaching this art.  As a result, it peaked the American interest, even with groups such as the FBI.   Twenty-two Americans traveled to Israel to learn Krav Maga and then brought it back to the USA, where it began to be introduced into our culture.  Today Krav Maga is still used to train the Israeli military and police.

In Hebrew, Krav means "combat" or "battle" and Maga means "touch" or "contact".  Krav Maga is not a sport martial art but focuses most on defending against real world situations and hand to hand combat.  The goal is to stop threats as quickly and safely as possible.  In order to do this, brutal attacks to vulnerable body parts such as the groin, neck, eyes and fingers are taught.  The mantra is defeat threats, avoid harm by all means necessary and never give up.

Since in a real fight there are no rules, no belts and no uniforms, the same applies for Krav Maga training. Students wear comfortable clothing, no belts and defense tactics that normally would be banned in a sport fight are utilized.

Students are taught how to avoid harm and how to end problem situations with speed and accuracy.  Often real world scenarios are re-created in practice in order to give the student the most realistic training possible.

Krav Maga was a perfect fit for my business because it offered what most people seek -  highly effective training, a fantastic physical workout and a short time frame for learning basic skills.   I add my own flavor to Krav Maga training by offering ground work defense, learned through years of BJJ training. For women especially this is important because a bad situation may likely end up with her on the ground and needing to understand how to escape.  For anyone it is great to learn so there are no areas of vulnerability.

To learn more about this amazing art, please visit our website at www.ctkravmagamma.com

The Value of Play

If you have ever watched one of my youth classes, you will probably notice that I incorporate a lot of play in the class.  Over the 13 years I have been teaching, every so often a parent will question this type of teaching and regard it as “watered down” martial arts.  However, this is a huge misconception.  Study after study has proven that children learn best when there is an element of fun and play in what they are learning.  Do you remember when you first taught your child their ABC’s?  I know my wife and I would sing the ABC song to our children.  We read Dr. Seuss books to learn words and rhyming.  Even as our children got older we would play games.  The game Monopoly helped my son learn about adding, how to make change with money, how to negotiate, how to diversify his investments with properties and utilities, etc. The best part was that my son, who does not exactly love school, was learning important skills all while having a ton of fun.

So this leads me to how I approach teaching my students.  The first thing I should mention is that learning martial arts involves repetitive practice.  In actuality, most sports all need a core set of skills practiced over and over.  How many times do you think Michael Jordan practiced shooting hoops, or Olympic Gold Medalist Gabrielle Douglas practiced her back flip, or Tiger Woods practiced his swing….For a child, this repetitive practice can get boring fast.  So how do you have the skill being learned or polished become second nature and stick?  How do we make this fun for kids?  We break up the intensity of the exercise with a little play.  Padded sword battles or Sumo wrestling at the end of class are some examples.  Mastering the essential skills for each martial art belt level requires patience, time and practice, practice, practice with a sprinkling of fun.  I have had the privilege of promoting many students to their junior black belts and these kids are tough as nails when they reach this level.  Their interest in learning to reach this level of achievement was kept alive and nourished by making each class a balance of learning and fun.

I think we all need to remember to always add a little fun into each day in order to even out the pressures from life.  Wishing you all a wonderful New Year and many shared moments of joy with your families and friends!

Dennis Hill, Chief Instructor
CT Krav Maga & MMA