Here in The Valley (A dimension of L.A. for those of you in the real world)it's hard to throw a stone and not hit someone who is in show business, is an out of work aerospace engineeer or has studied of Krav Maga.
Let me say up front that my own experience is very limited: One seminar, a few years back before it went commercial and started selling tapes,aerobic classes and T-shirts. It was taught by a 5th dan (Yep, black belts are "in") who was an assistant D.A.--Sorry Student
I wouldn't even post but since no one has even seen it up close, here goes:
I can best describe it as kickboxing with a Special Forces mentality; no dancing around the ring, linear charges that would put Shotokan stylists to shame, no retreating and above all, explosive action.
The late founder, Imi Lichtenfeld (hope I spelled it right)was a Central European Jew who was a champion wrestler and boxer and who on more than one occasion held the neighborhood with a few friends against a mob of anti-semites.
Whereupon Mr. L realized the need for a system which could take a gung-ho but completely inexperienced person and get him up to speed in the quickest time possible, preferably before the next riot.
He did this by accepting the instinctual (and suicicidal) reflexes of the untrained and working within that framework.
Example: Defense against a front choke.
Since the instictive reaction is to cringe and reach for one's neck, he had his students make "hooks" out of their hands, reach over the attacker's arms and simply pull them apart.
Obviously this is a rather passive defense, as to how he got them to step #2 (O.K. guys this time we'll twist our body away while bringing our forearm down on his arms in a cutting motion, then twist back as the hold loosens and elbow him in the face) I haven't the foggiest idea. Most self- defense starts with "step 2", but in any case the whole idea of KV was to build on a silly/civilian/natural response and take it up from there to berserker level.
I don't know what changes occurred in Israel--Military knife combat is usually more aggressive but less thought out as far as personal survival is concerned. Also how does one become a black belt in a Basic Training type of system? I saw spinning back kicks to the head among the advanced so I doubt that the original simplicity has been retained.
Hope a more knowledgable person can respond.
For my two cents whenever any style starts marketing T-shirts, baseball caps or certificates that you are a bona fide member (suitable for framing) It's gotten away from "the streets" and is heading for trouble.
