Krav Maga toughens you while toning you
By Maisy Fernandez Photos by Matt Stone
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"So many people want to learn self-defense but they don't want to put on a gi or go barefoot" as in karate, says instructor Rolando Haddad. "Everything in Krav is based on instinctual responses the body already has."
Hebrew for "contact combat," Krav Maga is the martial art Jennifer Lopez' character uses to kick the crap out of her abusive husband in the 2002 movie "Enough."
Haddad has been teaching Krav Maga (pronounced "Krahv Ma-GAH") here for about 18 months. Most of his students — which include actresses, homemakers, physicians and police officers — are in their 20s and 30s, he says.
Because Krav Maga was developed for defense during an attack, "it's very dirty fighting," Haddad says. "It's about no rules, about going from passive to aggressive. Someone expects you to be prey, but you turn into the aggressor. It gets very ballistic, very quickly."
The level one class begins with basic stretches, then moves into exercises that fend off punches, kicks, chokes, bear hugs and grabs. Students break off into groups and perform defensive drills using giant pads and padded mitts.
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"I want to induce stress so they can become accustomed to operating in chaos," he explains. "Fighting is chaotic."
Amy Fisher, 22, started practicing Krav Maga last March. After taking dance, aerobics and cardio classes and playing soccer, Fisher finally found her fitness soul mate.
"You're always learning new and different things and it's a lot of fun," says Fisher, a St. Matthews resident. "(The class) is constantly changing, and you're learning more about the form."
Krav Maga was developed in the late 1940s by Czechoslovakia-born Imi Lichtenfeld. A champion heavyweight boxer, dancer and trapeze artist and an expert in Ju-Jitsu and Judo, Lichtenfeld was asked to design a fighting technique in 1948 after Israel became a nation.
Krav Maga was developed in a hostile environment, so it was devised to teach a high level of proficiency in a short amount of time.
It employs "the least amount of technique for the most amount of defense," explains Haddad, who has a background in martial arts, kickboxing and karate.
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"You're learning to fight, learning to save your life, so it's really practical," says Fisher, a petite powerhouse who threw a man twice her size to the ground during class. "I can't think of a better reason to work out than to learn something that's useful. As a woman, I feel more comfortable walking down the street at night — and in every situation. If someone came up and choked me, I would know what to do to save my life."
Yes, the focus is self-defense, but don't think you won't get fit in this class. On this night, nine men and eight women are all winded after doing several drills. Midway through the hour-long class, many of their shirts are drenched in sweat.
"It's so physical, you're going to get in shape," says Haddad, adding that one student lost 30 pounds since joining last June.
Higher course levels teach hand-to-hand combat, sparring and how to disarm assailants with a gun, knife or blunt objects.
"(The skills) build on themselves," Haddad says.
Krav Maga
Rolando Haddad and fellow instructors Greg Burnette and John Imler teach level one Krav Maga classes at 6:30 p.m. Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. Saturdays. Level two classes are at 7:30 p.m. Mondays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays; groundfighting classes are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
Classes are held at Powerhouse Gym, 9244 Westport Road. It costs $80 a month ($70 a month for law enforcement), but Haddad will offer a few complimentary classes for newcomers, so they can scope it out before paying.
For more information, check out Haddad's very informative website at www.km-ky.com. Or call Haddad at 494-2270, Burnette at 773-6764 or Imler at 773-1651.