Krav-Maga, what is it?

Krav Maga or " close combat " in Hebrew is initiated by Imi Lichtenfeld during the Second World War (he organizes with a group of young people of Jewish origin to prevent anti-Semites from entering the Jewish quarter of Bratislava, in Slovakia), later Krav-Maga will take on greater proportions by training fighters of the Israeli army and the GIGN . Secret defense until 1964, the Krav-Maga is open today to all those who wish and seduces more and more.

Why learn Krav-Maga?

Man, woman, young, this method of defense is suitable for all. Finger in the eyes , kick well placed, the Krav-Maga uses reflexes to respond to any possible situation. The idea is to attack but also to defend oneself without needing to resort to a third party (example the police) and without hurting itself . Any everyday object can also be used, handbag or hairpin can become a weapon against the attacker. The idea is to learn how to defend yourself against all possibilities of aggression (with a knife, strangling, from behind ...) and to automate the body so that it can respond alone if the case arises. You have to take Krav-Maga lessons on average for 1 year so that the body can record self-defense movements .

Krav-Maga, darling of women?

In France, according to an INSEE-ONDRP survey, 84,000 women are victims of sexual violence and rape per year. An impressive figure to which is added another fact: 100% of transit users have been victims of sexual harassment at least once in their lives. The European Krav Maga Federation has registered almost 16,700 members of whom 15% are women. A real upsurge in female-to-female self-defense enrollment has been observed for a few years. In addition to the fact that this discipline likes its lack of interest in competition (unlike other combat sports ), Krav-Maga combines both sport and defense. The European Federation of Krav-Maga offers courses and courses "discovery" only for women . An internship lasts on average 4 hours and costs 40 € . Regarding the courses, you should check with clubs near you .

A little extra : For Women's Day , on March 8th, the European Krav-Maga Federation is offering a free class or special women's course in its clubs.

Thanks to Anne-Gaëlle Barthe-Douieb, head of the European Krav Maga Federation