MY JOURNEY FROM RECRUIT TO KRAV MAGA INSTRUCTOR

My Transformation Through Krav Maga

2009 - that is the year where my life has completely changed. As an Israeli citizen, I was called up to join the Israeli military forces. I was quite a skinny 18-year-old kid, with a very low fitness level, and pretty much insecure. In the military I learned how to push myself to the limit: my cardio level and strength went up, and I was able to do stuff that I didn’t think my body allowed me - such as hiking for 80 KM on one day while wearing a heavy bulletproof vest and holding a rifle! However, the most important element that changed my life is a little friend I like to call Krav Maga.

Krav Maga means “contact fighting” in Hebrew. It is also called “the art of self-defence”. Before I started practicing, I was very insecure and always questioned whether I could defend myself if somebody would attack me on the street. In the army, when going on patrol, I always had my gun which I could defend myself with - but what happens when I don’t have a gun?

Discovering Krav Maga in Belgium

2012 - This is where Krav Maga came into play: after finishing my military service, I was sent out to protect the Jewish community in Belgium. As a part of this job, we had to engage in weekly Krav Maga sessions, and for me that was love from first sight. After months of practicing, I noticed a major change: my cardio-level was better than ever (even better than when I was in the army), I became stronger and most importantly - my self confidence increased tremendously!

Krav Maga is not just a physical training, it is also a mental/psychological training. I learned to flush my ego down the toilet and how to react to different situations in life. On the one hand, I learned that I should ignore and walk away from people who are trying to verbally trigger me for a fight. On the other hand, if someone would try to attack me with a knife, I knew exactly how to knock them out and save my life.

Being an Instructor at Defensemonkees

Krav Maga has clearly been one of the most important lessons of my life. After a few years of training, I decided that I would like to pass this experience on to other people who wish to become stronger - mentally and physically. Then, when going to University in the Netherlands, I came across Defensemonkees, where I have trained intensely under supervision of owners Simon and Ivo and have acquired the Defensemonkees instructor certificate. Since then, being a Krav Maga Instructor at Defensemonkees has been the most valuable and fun job I ever had. I have seen participants from all ages develop and grow physically and mentally, while enjoying what they were doing and learning.

Our school is not just a regular Krav Maga school - we are very serious about training, but we do it in a fun way. Having a good and friendly atmosphere is very important to us, and we put a big emphasis on the team spirit.

Therefore, I would recommend everyone who wishes to become fitter, stronger and most importantly- learn how to defend him/herself while having fun, to join a trial lesson at Defensemonkees in one of the available locations. You don’t have to have any prior experience, because that’s what we are here for - to give you this experience!

Hopefully I will see you soon at a trial lesson in Amsterdam ??