San Francisco Downtown, May 2007

Krav Maga
Kicking it up a notch

I showed up to my Krav Maga class with a gym bag and a sense of purpose. I was there to learn to kick butt...and groin, and shin and any other soft tissue body part vulnerable to blunt trauma. Just a week earlier, I had been followed home from the grocery store by a Norman Bates look-alike who, upon my turning around to confront him, muttered in a menacing tone that he was so lonely in this town and just needed a "pretty lady to be his special friend." Of the two intrinsic instincts, flight or flight, the latter was hindered by several cumbersome grocery bags. So, adrenaline pulsing through my veins, I shouted that he should never come near me again. Luckily, the villain of this story slinked off; the disturbing feeling that I was not quite secure endured. Once safely at home, I logged onto the local sex offenders registry website to scan for his mug amongst photos of convicts who share my zip code. While I was unsuccessful at locating my new "special friend," I was aghast at the proliferation of next door neighbors with violent offenses peppering their rap sheets.

Not long afterwards, I saw the sign, not the proverbial one, but the one perched above the Krav Maga training studio in the Polk Gulch area. It touts "self defense" as one of the many benefits of practicing this hand-to-hand combat training. I was convinced. I researched the practice and learned that it was developed especially for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) shortly after the birth of the nation, by Czech-born Imi Lichtenfeld, a champion heavyweight boxer, Ju-Jitsu and Judo expert, dancer and trapeze acrobat. Eventually, Krav Maga became the official combatives training for all military personnel, Israeli police and security forces. The method's popularity was most likely due to its reliance on simple, instinctive moves rather than rigid techniques requiring years of training.

Just what I needed, a "no frills" creep-eradicating technique that would convert routine grocery shopping excursions from anxious misadventures back into the mundane affairs they were clearly meant to be. During a recent lunch break, I laced up my Nikes and headed for the free trial class. As I approached the Krav Maga center (1455 Bush, between Polk and Van Ness) I caught a glimpse of some of my future classmates through the giant picture windows facing the street. About a third of the approximately 15 students were women. Once the class commenced, I noted a healthy cross-section of skill levels. Some were obviously veteran practitioners while others seemed to be finding their feet, but, just as the promotional literature had purported, the simple moves were accessible to everyone. And what moves they were: palm of hand to jaw (a defense against being choked), kick to shin, and my personal favorite, knee to groin. Barny Foland, head instructor and studio owner, barked out orders to punch and kick, and a bit of black humor to keep the moves in context and the pupils entertained. We paired off for one on one combat practice. My partner, Lisa Hasen, is one of the star students; she has been attending classes for six months and she has a chiseled physique to show for it. As she potently kicked the shock absorbing pad I held in front of my torso as protection, any doubts about the efficacy of the training evaporated. Not surprisingly, a brush with crime was what inspired her and her husband to study Krav Maga. "I have always wanted to defend myself, but when someone broke into our apartment about a year ago, I finally was ready to take action," she explained. The informal yet effective teaching style also attracted her, "It's very noncompetitive. The instructors are great and have no pretensions."

I also thrived on the casual yet fast-paced style of the class. It was a heart pumping, stress releasing and ultimately empowering experience. Now, I think I'm running low on groceries...

For Krav Maga class schedules and additional information, visit www.kravmaga-sf.com.

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