There’s a story I was told by my Krav Maga instructor about a teaching moment he experienced with Imi Lichtenfeld, the creator of the system.
Back in 1981, during the first instructors course offered by Imi in Netanya, Israel, Imi brought his class to his favorite cafe while they were taking a break from training.
At this meal, several of the students were having an argument as to whether Krav Maga should have “katas” (choreographed movements used to teach footwork and striking in most Asian martial arts systems). While the arguments continued, Imi remained quiet. After a while of listening to his students passionately argue the pros and cons of including katas, Imi intentionally knocked over his glass of water. This immediately silenced the table.
Imi then asked the following question, “ if I knock over a second glass, will its water flow in the same manner as this first glass?” The answer from the group was, obviously, no. Imi continued by saying, “the same way water will not flow the same way twice, neither does violence occur in the same manner. Therefore, Krav Maga must never have katas.”.
The wisdom found in this story must be reflected when students begin imagining how they will be using their newfound skills during a potentially violent encounter. I have students, on several occasions, tell me how they envision the attack they will need to defend taking place. The danger in having this mindset, of course, is assuming you can predetermine all the variables that must be contended with during an attack. Here’s an incomplete list of things you would need to have knowledge of ahead of time:
Size and ability of your attacker
Whether the attacker is already known to you or a complete stranger
Whether your attacker has an accomplice prepared to jump in
Angle of attack
Terrain the attack takes place on
Whether there’s a weapon
Your mindset and/or relative health during the attack
Whether you are alone or with a loved one at the time of attack.
Training in self-defense is a study in building a set of tools that can be used in all of the above scenarios. When people dismiss a technique because they can’t imagine ever needing it, they fall into the trap of believing that they can predict all the factors that will affect their chance of successfully defending themselves.
Always remember, violence is chaos. Self-defense is about establishing a few moments of order during this chaotic moment. Be hungry in your consumption of principles and techniques. Even the techniques you can’t imagine ever using were created due to the realities of another person’s violent experiences.
