In Salem, Virginia
My Experience Taking a Krav Maga Class
What is Krav Maga?
It is a form of self-defense training developed in Israel focusing on teaching everyday people techniques that are practical and efficient to use in order to escape when faced with a dangerous, real-life situation.
why i signed up for the training
I decided to take a self-defense course back in 2022 to help get over my cPTSD and trauma. I wanted to be able to feel safe and confident leaving my house after experiencing physical abuse, SA, and stalking (I won't go into detail about that in this post for those that might feel triggered by discussing it). I signed up for a monthly membership with unlimited training sessions at Krav Maga Roanoke.
What does the krav maga course offer at KMR in salem:
I. A Variety of Membership Options
Krav Maga Roanoke provides a few options for the training program. You can either purchase a two-class trial run to see if it's a good fit for you learning in their group class for $19.99 or a single private session for $40.00. If you do decide you like the course, there is a Krav Maga Private Lesson Package for 10 sessions at $350 or a group training package for $120 per month with unlimited sessions.
They also have a children's training program called Warrior's Academy that has membership options similar to the Adult Krav Maga program at the same pricing.
II. Flexibility in Scheduling
You can go on their scheduling app and select when you want to attend in advance. It will even show you who will be training during that session time. The Adult Krav Maga training sessions are usually in the evening after the children's training classes.
III. Contact Training
The training is very physical. You will be in contact with not only the training equipment (i.e. punching bags/pads) but also with the others in training with you. It can feel a little uncomfortable at times, but it's worth it to learn the techniques.
Photo of facility, not taken by me
likes
What I enjoyed about the training
They mix things up each training session; it's not the same thing over and over again. Some days, you're learning how to throw a proper punch and then how to throw it while bouncing on one foot with a moving target (pad). Other days, you could be learning how to throw an attacker off you or how to throw an elbow 6 different ways. It's pretty fun!
Everything is hands-on training, as in you make physical contact with punching bags rather than standing in front of a mirror punching the air. The trainers want you to get used to the feeling of hitting something so that you're less likely to freeze in a real-life situation where you might need to hit your attacker and run to safety. If you're already accustomed to the feeling of your fist hit something, making the decision to defend yourself and throw that punch will come more naturally to you.
dislikes
Things that I think could use some improvement
The Three phases of training. I'm not here to become a professional fighter; if I wanted to be one, I would take one of the other training courses they provide at KMR. Don't get me wrong, I understand that it is important to make sure each individual fully grasps how to execute each technique. However, I think it isn't practical to not let a person advance to the next phase simply because they can't pass a test where they have each move memorized in order and can do those moves like a professional boxer. Please, just show me all of the moves, so that I know all of them and can protect myself should I need to. Are you really telling me that I don't get to learn how to throw someone off of me if I were pinned to the ground, simply because I can't remember the order in which you taught us how to throw an elbow in multiple directions?
They don't know how to train women who are significantly smaller than them. Some moves are just not possible to execute for a smaller person and there is no variation that they can come up with for us to attempt instead. They didn't really bother trying to think of one either. I am far too short to use my arm to hit downwards on the attacker's arms and sweep them away if they are attempting to choke me. The maneuver just isn't possible, when they're over a foot taller than me.
They don't have a Women's Only training program, except for the bootcamp they do once a year in the fall. It wouldn't be the biggest deal, if the men were more accepting of women training with them. I didn't appreciate that some men were not willing to work with me, because it made them uncomfortable to practice with a woman. How else am I supposed to train to fight off a man? The class mostly consisted of men, so if the one woman that I usually partnered with didn't show up to class, it was difficult to find someone willing to train with me. The men avoided getting stuck with me, because it was such a chore to be partnered with someone small. We switched partners every few minutes during training. Maybe stop being so selfish and let me practice, too. It just wasn't a very supportive atmosphere, unless another woman was there.
They don't give you any water breaks. If you stop to take a sip of water, your training partner stands there while you miss an entire drill. I just need a few seconds to chug some water! Please give us a minute in between drills to drink water, if we need it.
I emailed the owner & trainer of the facility looking for help on how to lessen the possibility of injuries, and he laughed it off like I was being childish. A couple of times, I had to take a break from training, because I was physically hurt; one of which was due to old, warn-down equipment (the handles to a punching bag ripping off mid training causing my wrists to get injured). I didn't appreciate getting brushed off like that. I have bad joints and need to protect them.
my overall thoughts on the course
In conclusion...
I enjoyed the class and feel like I learned quite a lot from the instructors. I don't recommend KMR in Roanoke, Virginia for a woman wanting to train, but I do think it's a great idea to find a safe environment elsewhere to learn some form of self-defense. Until I find a new class that I am more comfortable with, I will continue to practice the techniques I have acquired from taking the class so far. It's important to know your comfort zones, what your triggers are, and how to communicate them (if they don't help you despite you voicing any issues, move on and find a safer space to learn).
