children self defense Archives - Krav Maga Illinois

Tour of Krav Maga Illinois Self Defense Class

Posted on April 23, 2022 | by Krav Maga Illinois

KRAV MAGA ILLINOIS CLASS STRUCTURE

If you’ve been thinking about coming in for a Krav Maga reality self defense class, but not sure what to expect, keep reading. Here is a brief breakdown of a typical Krav Maga self defense beginner class at Krav Maga Illinois. No experience is necessary. Krav Maga is simplistic and practical self defense. Techniques, drills, exercises can be modified based on your strength level. You do not need to be in shape first to take a class. Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a non-athlete/couch potato, this class is for you. Krav Maga classes at Krav Maga Illinois are held on Monday and Wednesday at 5:30pm, Thursday at 6:30pm, Saturday at 8am and Sunday at 9am. You can choose any one of these classes as your “FREE TRIAL”

This one hour long reality self defense class consists of adults of all genders, backgrounds and professions, ages 15 to 70+. Students are paired with someone the same size and Krav Maga experience level. (no experience is necessary to start training). The structure of the class is as follows…

WARM UP

Our Warm up lasts for about 15 minutes and features different exercises such as medicine ball tosses, push ups, burpees, distancing drills etc. In our Krav Maga self defense class we will strengthen your entire body in order to survive a violent attack. The stronger you get, the less vulnerable and more confident you will become.

STRETCH

Stretching from head to toe, preparing for our training while at the same time increasing our flexibility. Stretching is vital for improving posture, balance, muscle coordination and reducing the risk of injury.

FATIGUE DRILLS

We will do at least two fatigue drills consisting of continuous punching, kicking, etc., moving from one area to another. Your partner is holding a pad and you are punching or kicking into it. The drills last 30 to 45 seconds long and may be repeated. A self defense encounter will not last very long, so we must train in appropriate timing. The purpose of the fatigue drill is to get you tired, in order to start the self defense training. We try to recreate a real situation. In a real attack you will not be fresh, there will be an adrenaline drop, you may have tunnel vision, you may be dizzy, you may have gotten hit. We start our combatives and self defense training from here, from this point of being already tired. We are making you work while being uncomfortable.

COMBATIVES

Students will now learn a combative, such as a punch, kick, elbow, knee etc. The technique will be broken down dry (in the mirror). Once you have a good grasp of the technique, you will begin working drills on the pads with your partner. For instance, your partner holding a pad and you are doing a kick followed by punches.

SPIRIT DRILL

A spirit drill is a tool to increase your fighting spirit. In this multiple attacker scenario, students are working in groups of 4. 3 people are holding pads, one person in the middle. The person in the middle is attacking one pad while another person is pushing them, as soon as they feel the push they respond by attacking, until they feel another push then they attack that person. It is continuous defending. During the drill you will get tired, but you are encouraged to keep fighting, keep pushing through. In a real situation there is no stopping, so you must get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

SELF DEFENSE TECHNIQUE

Students will now learn a self defense technique. This technique could be a choke from the front, back, with a push, on the ground etc. (anything that is within the curriculum level we are working on) The technique is broken down and done without a partner. Once the students understand the technique they will begin to work with a partner. We start at a slower pace and then bring up the aggressiveness and intensity going back and forth. This is aggressive training in a safe environment.

SELF DEFENSE/STRESS DRILL

The final drill is the culmination of all you have learned for the day. Lights are out, loud music playing, your eyes are closed and your partner or another student will attack you. You will defend as quickly and correctly as possible according to the drill as the instructor describes. The more stressors we can put in, like spinning, doing push ups, closing eyes etc. the better prepared the student will be for a situation we hope never happens. Anyone can defend themselves when they are calm and prepared and they know it will happen. However that is not reality. In reality you will not see it coming, it will be a struggle, it will be a fight from your life, so we must train for the fight of our lives.

Visualization is such an important tool in our self defense training. We are not working against our partner, we are working against someone who is now desperate because we are foiling their attempt at hurting us. They are still fighting, we must be able to pull off our techniques in movement, when something goes wrong, when we are so tired we want to quit, knowing the only way to survive is to keep fighting. We must train realistically for the fight of our lives. Krav Maga training is more that just the technique, it is awareness, reaction, response, timing, the ability to adapt, to work out of our comfort zone, to work from a disadvantage. Only when we consider all of these components can we truly start training reality self defense.

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Krav Maga Illinois has been selected as Best Self Defense training by Chicago Magazine.

Founded in 2009 by Sue Garstki, a lifetime martial artist with over 40 years of martial arts and teaching experience. Krav Maga Illinois has served thousands of students looking for realistic self defense and awareness training, confidence, empowerment, physical fitness, and mental toughness. Our Krav Maga Training practitioners include moms, dads, students, professionals, military personnel, law enforcement, anyone interested in protecting and improving their quality of life. Krav Maga Illinois is a proud licensee of Krav Maga Worldwide, and is on a nationwide curriculum with over 150 KMW training facilities all over the world.

Krav Maga Illinois Krav Maga Kid’s Program is for children 10 and up. This is a program that focuses on reality self defense, anti-bullying, strength and confidence building. It is a hands on program in a safe and supportive environment.

All of our instructors are officially certified through Krav Maga Worldwide and USA Boxing. They are knowledgeable and recognized in their field of expertise. What we do is self defense, and that is clear through the level of instruction given by our talented instructors. Instructors can answer questions you may have by calling directly at 773/775-5201. You can also visit our website at KravMagaIllinois.com

About Sue Garstki: Sue Garstki is a certified Expert Level Kravmaga Worldwide Instructor, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Okinawan Shorei Goju Karate, and official USA Boxing Coach. She has been certified in Commando Krav Maga and the Haganah/F.I.G.H.T. system. She is also a Level 4 instructor in the Raven Method Close Quarter Defensive Tactics System, having had the honor of working with the Chicago Guardian Angels. Sue was nominated Female Reality Self Defense Instructor of the Year by the Global Network of Reality Based Self Defense Systems, and Civilian Close Quarter Combat Instructor of the Year. Sue has worked with the Chicago Police Department as well as schools and other organizations spreading awareness in Self Defense, Women’s Self Defense and Domestic Violence issues. In June 2013 Sue was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and again in 2015, 2017 and 2020 where she was named Krav Maga Expert of the Year. She is a certified personal trainer under NDEITA and was one of the first instructors be be certified to teach the National Association of Professional Martial Artist’s (NAPMA) Kardio Karate program. She is the founder of the Women’s Martial Arts Alliance, member of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, and the American Women’s Self-Defense Association. Sue can be reached at any time for more information or to answer any questions by calling 773/775-5201.

The Krav Maga Illinois headquarters is at 5201 North Oketo, Chicago, Illinois 60656 773/775-5201

Get out of your comfort zone with Krav Maga training!

Posted on October 20, 2020 | by Krav Maga Illinois

Krav Maga with Masks — Train Safely at Krav Maga Illinois

As the weather turns colder, Krav Maga Illinois is forced to go back to indoor training. For some, this in an uncomfortable situation on many levels. Not only are you heading into a small space, during a pandemic, but you are also working with others, while exerting yourself through intense physical activity, all while WEARING A MASK! We know that this will only make you stronger, it has to. You are working outside of your comfort zone! You don’t like it, its uncomfortable and for some there are more reasons to hate it. The fact is, if you want to learn to defend yourself, if you want to be safe, this is the temporary norm now, in order to stay healthy, and prepared.

A self defense encounter is not comfortable, you will not feel at ease, your breathing will increase, you will have tunnel vision, you will start to shake, your fine motor skills will diminish. In Krav Maga training, we purposely put you in uncomfortable situations, we purposely make you work from a disadvantage so that when that time comes, you are able to deal with it and go forward with your defense. This is the reality of reality self defense training. You are forced to work outside of your comfort zone. If you think of this, then wearing a mask during training is not so bad. You cannot dictate how your self defense encounter will go, maybe you will have limited breathing. Use this mask as a tool in your training and be thankful that we are still able to train at all. Yes, you can stay home and learn online without this discomfort, and for some that may be the only option. But, if you are able train, then this is a good time to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to find out what’s on the other side. What you will find is a strength and a will that you did not know you were capable of. Our bodies can work so much harder than we think they can. Turn your thinking around, while practicing safely and realistically.

Violence is not going away due to this pandemic. We should not feel that we get a break from training for our lives. We must go forward and find a way to adapt, and if wearing a mask and social distancing is the answer, than that is the way we should go. Don’t allow in person self defense training to fall to the wayside, continue to practice, but practice safely. Krav Maga training, it is a matter of Life!!

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Krav Maga Illinois has been selected as Best Self Defense training by Chicago Magazine.

About Sue Garstki: Sue Garstki is a certified Expert Level Kravmaga Worldwide Instructor, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Okinawan Shorei Goju Karate. She has been certified in Commando Krav Maga and the Haganah/F.I.G.H.T. system. She is also a Level 4 instructor in the Raven Method Close Quarter Defensive Tactics System, having had the honor of working with the Chicago Guardian Angels. Sue was nominated Female Reality Self Defense Instructor of the Year by the Global Network of Reality Based Self Defense Systems, and Civilian Close Quarter Combat Instructor of the Year. Sue has worked with the Chicago Police Department as well as schools and other organizations spreading awareness in Self Defense, Women’s Self Defense and Domestic Violence issues. In June 2013 Sue was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and again in 2015, where she was named Krav Maga Expert of the Year. She is a certified personal trainer under NDEITA and was one of the first instructors be be certified to teach the National Association of Professional Martial Artist’s (NAPMA) Kardio Karate program. She is the founder of the Women’s Martial Arts Alliance, member of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, and the American Women’s Self-Defense Association. Sue can be reached at any time for more information or to answer any questions by calling 773/775-

5201.

The Krav Maga Illinois headquarters is at 5201 North Oketo, Chicago, Illinois 60656 773/775-5201

What is Krav Maga?

Posted on July 1, 2020 | by Krav Maga Illinois

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed by the Israel Defense Forces for training military personnel in hand-to-hand combat. Krav Maga uses instinctive movements aggressive counter attacks and a no-holds-barred mentality without the ceremonial elements of traditional martial arts.

Krav Maga will teach you to use punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and grappling techniques to defend yourself. It is a unique and practical system because it was designed to bring people to a high level of proficiency in hand-to-hand combat and self-defense in a very short period of time.

Krav Maga by design stresses efficiency, aggression and, above all, survival. This design philosophy resulted in traditional elements of martial arts practice like forms, katas, and rules for competition, being omitted from Krav Maga training, so in addition to the previously mentioned striking and grappling techniques, Krav Maga also teaches techniques like headbutts, groin strikes, strikes to the back of the head, eye gouges, and throat strikes. All of which would be considered illegal in a sanctioned sport fight or martial arts competition.

To get a little deeper into answering the question “what is Krav Maga”, it’s important to look at why Krav Maga was developed to begin with. That starts with Krav Maga’s creator, Imi Lichtenfeld.

Imi Lichtenfeld was born in Hungary in 1910 and grew up in Hungary where he practiced boxing and grappling his whole life under the tutelage of his father, Samuel. Imi joined Nazi resistance groups in Europe during WWII and fought back against Nazi oppression until the end of the war when he and thousands of others could immigrate to the newly formed nation of Israel. Imi’s hand-to-hand combat skills became the foundation of the Israel Defense Forces training, known today as Krav Maga.

Imi’s expertise in multiple aspects of hand-to-hand combat as well as the pressure of training people to defend their newly formed nation in a very short period of time lead to the distillation of technique and tactics. This in turn lead to the development of what is Krav Maga’s no-holds-barred mentality. There are no rules on the battlefield, thus there is no consideration for rules or “fairness” in Krav Maga. The only “rule” is to win. The only success is survival.

Imi understood that the IDF recruits would learn faster and retain their training more easily if they understood the principles behind the techniques and behind their training as a whole.

What is Krav Maga?

Striking
Grappling
No holds barred mentality

Some of the key principles that Krav Maga utilizes are as follows;

Identify the immediate danger.
Use your body’s natural reaction.
Defend and counterattack simultaneously.
When counterattacking, aggressively target vulnerable areas.
Techniques must be effective regardless of size or strength.

Every aspect of Krav Maga training is based on these principles. Adhering to the same principles unilaterally makes Krav Maga easy to learn and easy to retain. Students learn one defense for multiple attacks. Ultimately students have to remember fewer details and can apply systemic action to fight back and win if they are attacked.

This becomes very important in dealing with some of the scariest types of assaults and attacks, like those involving attackers armed with guns, knives, and blunt weapons. Krav Maga training, because of it’s military background, trains people to deal with these sorts of real-world dangers. Krav Maga does not train people for rules based competitions.

What is Krav Maga?

Military roots
Principle based
Easy to learn
Easy to retain
Always adapting

Krav Maga, as a system, is always adapting and changing. If a better technique is discovered, and it holds up the the basic Krav Maga principles, the old technique is omitted and the new technique is adapted into the system.

Imi eventually realized that the same principle based, always adapting, Krav Maga training the IDF was receiving would be beneficial, possibly life-saving, for civilians around the world.

In the early 1980’s Krav Maga Worldwide’s Chief Instructor Darren Levine was one of a select group of people invited to train with Imi in Israel at the prestigious Wingate Institute. Imi’s vision was to spread Krav Maga throughout the world and make people safer so they could “walk in peace”.

Several years later Darren achieved the rank of Black Belt under Imi and was given a Founder’s Diploma, which was essentially special consideration from Imi and the Krav Maga Association of Israel to bring Krav Maga to the United States. Shortly after that Darren founded the Krav Maga Association of America and eventually Krav Maga Worldwide.

Krav Maga is a self-defense system. It will teach you how to use your body to fight back and win if you are attacked. It was originally developed for military personnel and brought to civilians by Imi Lichtenfeld and Daren Levine. Today thousands of civilians train at Krav Maga Worldwide certified training centers. Krav Maga Worldwide training is also trusted by law enforcement agencies and military units around the world.

The best way to really understand the answer to the question “what is Krav Maga” and to find out what Krav Maga is, is to come in and take a class at a certified Krav Maga Worldwide training center.

Krav Maga Illinois https://kravmagaillinois.com/ is an officially certified training center of Krav Maga Worldwide. We are so proud to bring this potentially life saving program to our students. We are on curriculum with over 150 certified training centers around the world. We offer a FREE TRIAL class, so you can experience true Krav Maga Reality Self Defense Training. Call us at 773/775-5201 to start your Krav Maga Journey TODAY.

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Krav Maga Illinois has been selected as Best Self Defense training by Chicago Magazine.

All of our instructors are officially certified through Krav Maga Worldwide and USA Boxing. They are knowledgeable and recognized in their field of expertise. What we do is self defense, and that is clear through the level of instruction given by our talented instructors. Instructors can answer questions or be contacted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at

in**@kr**************.com

or call directly at 773/775-5201. You can also visit our website at KravMagaIllinois.com

About Sue Garstki: Sue Garstki is a certified Expert Level Kravmaga Worldwide Instructor, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Shorei Goju Karate. She has been certified in Commando Krav Maga and the Haganah/F.I.G.H.T. system. She is also a Level 4 instructor in the Raven Method Close Quarter Defensive Tactics System, having had the honor of working with the Chicago Guardian Angels. Sue was nominated Female Reality Self Defense Instructor of the Year by the Global Network of Reality Based Self Defense Systems, and Civilian Close Quarter Combat Instructor of the Year. Sue has worked with the Chicago Police Department as well as schools and other organizations spreading awareness in Self Defense, Women’s Self Defense and Domestic Violence issues. In June 2013 Sue was inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and again in 2015, where she was named Krav Maga Expert of the Year. She is a certified personal trainer under NDEITA and was one of the first instructors be be certified to teach the National Association of Professional Martial Artist’s (NAPMA) Kardio Karate program. She is the founder of the Women’s Martial Arts Alliance, member of the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation, and the American Women’s Self-Defense Association. Sue can be reached at any time for more information or to answer any questions at

in**@kr**************.com

.

The Krav Maga Illinois headquarters is at 5201 North Oketo, Chicago, Illinois 60656 773/775-5201