I realize that I need to step back and talk about another step in my Krav Maga journey, becoming the 2010 IDF Krav Maga Champion.
The issue of whether Krav Maga should have tournaments is an essay on its own, so I’ll leave it for after this series.
At the time that I was in the army, we did have a competition that I participated in, and it was one of the most thrilling events of my service.
Two months before the championships, it was announced to all of the combat units that there would be testing and try-outs for those who wanted to compete. Given my love for Krav Maga, I didn’t need to be asked twice. I immediately signed up.
On test day, I was judged along with all other soldiers in the 900th Kfir Infantry Brigade on my technical skills, theoretical and practical knowledge. We were also judged on our ability to effectively perform good hand and leg strikes on the heavy bag.
The judges were Krav Maga instructors in the Kfir Brigade. As you recall, I wanted to be one of them so I worked hard to impress them.
I remember during my testing, we had a minute of striking the heavy bag as fast and often as we could. At the very last second, I head-butted the bag. I later learned this was one reason the judges picked me. They were impressed that I understood the principles of Krav Maga, which is street fighting in the most creative and effective way possible. In martial arts, there are rules and you want to have good form. In Krav Maga, there are no rules. Head-butts are allowed and you are judged on your effectiveness.
After that, the training for the competition began. I was part of a great team of fellow Kfir soldiers, and we all pushed each other to be better. The commander responsible for our training was very motivating and strong. He would always tell us, think about breaking their quadriceps!
We trained as a team. We practiced on the skills and techniques we would be tested on, as well as worked on our fitness and aggression and sparring. We did lots of running hills, and training in the water and sand, in order to prepare us. It was a high level of training, but also a lot of fun. If I can offer any advice from what I learned, it is to break down everything into its smallest parts and practice until it is muscle memory.
The Competition
I found this video about the championship after mine. I think it illustrates exactly what it takes to compete.
The competition itself has two parts.
Part One: Technical Skills.
We were judged on our skill level with the hand and leg strikes and defenses associated with Krav Maga, as well as weapons defense. As it is military Krav Maga, we also had to demonstrate competency in skills like arresting and searching a suspect for weapons. This was based on real situations that soldiers had actually faced.
Part Two: Purely Sparring, against one or two attackers who are wearing full gear.
We are scored by a panel of judges on our performance, both on our technical skills as well as our aggression and speed in the various categories.
The competition was very tough, because everyone there had been through the same selection process as me. They all had great training, and they were the best their units had to offer. I didn’t know if I would win, but I was definitely prepared.
I knew the odds were against me. In most martial arts competitions, there are weight classes to make things fairer. In Krav Maga, everyone was lumped together. I would have to fight people who were a foot taller and fifty pounds heavier than me.
This didn’t daunt me. I had been training for this since the first day of Krav Maga. All those years of being the smallest in the class and overcoming bigger opponents prepared me for this challenge.
I knew that while I was smaller than my opponents, I had aggression, excellent form, and great tactics. I used my speed and agility to compensate for my lack of reach. I also had confidence in myself. That got me my victory.
It was that confidence in myself that gave me the strength to keep fighting to become an instructor.
- Tehran fails to impress on Krav Maga - September 18, 2023
- The Pursuit of Perfection - August 7, 2023
- Grace Under Pressure - March 17, 2023
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