July 2011 Newsletter

Dear KMGrs,

July was another great month for KMG.
We kicked off with our summer Touring & Training in Israel which was a huge success.
As the dust has settled for us here at the KMG HQ in Israel, we turn our sights and attentions to new and exciting activities.

Eyal and RKC Chief Instructor, Pavel will be meeting for the first time in a joint seminar aimed at taking skill, technique and physical prowess to the next level. Sign up today, as places are filling up quickly…

This special event will be held in Long Beach, California on the 17th and 18th of September. Register now!

Not Victims: Dealing with an attacker shooting at a group

An article by Eyal Yanilov

The sad and overwhelming case of the massacre in Norway this month returned and reminded me about past events in Israel, where terrorists assaulted and murdered dozens of innocent children and teenagers in Israel.

One case in particular is distinctly engraved in my memory. It happened in the northern town of Maalot which is close to the Lebanese border. It was May 1974. A group of three terrorists planned to enter an elementary school during the early hours of the morning. Their goal was to seize the kids and teachers, who were going to come in at 8 O’clock for the day of school, as hostages. Unfortunately when the terrorists entered the school, they found a large group of teachers and students from the center of Israel who were spending the night at the school as part of a field trip. In those days it was common for classes to spend 2-4 nights away from home in such field trips in Israel.
The terrorists killed 2 dozen hostages that day, mercilessly spraying them with automatic gunfire. You can read about the whole event also in Wikipedia at this link.

Due to this and similar previous events, Imi (the Founder of Krav MaGa) developed a technique designed to provide a solution for the situation of an attacker equipped with a long weapon, who is standing from a distance and threatening (or shooting) a group of people. The solution can be done by any one of the victims, but is mainly designated for the one who is not in front of the weapon. It is a fast and low approach, usually with a low, silent fast roll to the side or rear of the attacker, grabbing and throwing him and then adding devastating counterattacks, ending with disarming and other tactical moves. The specific throw is called – “SMG Takedown” (SMG stand for Sub-Machine-Gun).

At a later stage I was given the responsibility for this task by Imi and together with him, developed a whole line and set of techniques against all kind of rifle and sub-machine-gun threats coming different directions, distances and heights.

Dealing with an attacker who is shooting at a group of people or at individuals, shooting them one by one is not an easy task at all. Unluckily, in Israel we have faced this several times in the past, whether during a terrorist attack against civilians or as soldiers in the midst of a military operation. If one is not in the immediate line of fire the solution of a fast and strong approach, devastating attacks together with a tackle or a takedown that takes the terrorist to the ground is a simple and very effective technical solution. The main hurdle is naturally the mental state of the victims. The ability to make and execute a decision to storm the attacker and eliminate his ability to continue is no easy task.

We know from our experience in Israel, as well as in many other countries, that it is possible for people to function even after they’ve been shot a number of times. Of course it also depends on where the bullets hit, but the mental and physical strengths in many cases can definitely be sufficient to attack the attacker even after getting injured. Many will doubt that they can function under such conditions. Let me assure you that there has been a huge number of cases in the world in which normal people, under extreme conditions, functioned when they were injured, even severely. I believe that this is the best option, considering that the alternative is to do nothing, to duck down until the storm passes or to play dead which may work too, but in only in rare cases. This basically means giving the murderer absolute control of the person’s life or death, hoping that he doesn’t notice that they’re still breathing. We have been taught and are teaching others to act differently. All of you who have been studying Krav MaGa, know that Krav MaGa is designed to be used in matters of life and death. It is better to have the tools and capabilities to fight and to defend yourself and your loved ones whenever it is necessary. For this, people need to learn and train.

In Krav MaGa we teach to overcome the threats, the fears and the internal and emotional barriers. We train our practitioners to respond correctly in any condition of violent confrontation. Preparation, experience, knowledge and abilities are what we offer. The tools one acquires are for life, and especially for life and death situations. The rest is up to the person who is in the middle of that turbulent and dangerous position.

Beyond all else, KMG wishes to convey it’s condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the recent murderous attack in Norway and wish a speedy recovery for the wounded.

Review of July

Between the 1st and the 10th of July KMG HQ hosted our Summer Touring & Training event in Israel, in which over 30 participants from all over the world (USA, Ireland, UK, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Denmark, Norway and Australia) traveled in Israel and trained with Eyal Yanilov and members of the Global and International Teams.

It was KMG’s privilege to meet old and new friends. Feedback was great, and we hope that everyone returned home to their country with a more educated opinion of Israel, and a better understanding of Krav Maga.

We hope to see you here in our future events!

In the meantime, everyone is welcome to ‘Like’ our new Touring & Training in Israel – KMG Facebook page. We encourage you to meet past participants, share your picture and discuss your experiences.

Nearly 80 Instructors in-the-making from all over the world (Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Australia and the US) participated in KMG national and regional General Instructors Courses. KMG is proud to see so many new talented instructors joining our ranks and wish the best of luck to those who still haven’t completed their Instructor’s training. For those who newly certified instructors – Welcome aboard!


These GICs were run by Eyal and by members of our Global and International team, including: Tommy Blom, Ilya Dunsky, Tal Kvores, Bjorn Karlsson and Alan Predolin.

Ilya Dusnky ran a two day Summer Camp in the Czech Republic, which took place in the wooded area near the boarder. About 50 participants learned basic stick, knife and gun defenses and could practice their newly acquired skills and knowledge in such settings as buses, cars and restaurants.

Over a dozen students participated in Intensive Training which took place in the beautiful city of Lausanne near Lake Geneva. The event was led by Eyal with the assistance of Tal Kvores.

Cédric Guillet, our representative and organizer in Switzerland , just celebrated a 10-year anniversary for his club in Lausanne, in which we conducted the course. We congratulate Cedric and KMG Switzerland and wish them many more years of mutual prosperity and success!

Instructors Seminars are now being conducted in Finland by Eyal. Similar seminars were held in Australia by Ilya Dunsky. These seminars allow us to keep up the top notch level of our Instructors and to assist in preparation for tests and to provide updates. Tal Kvores conducted level testing.

We are pleased to announce that the first KMG Kids Instructors Course in its new format was launched in Hungary this week. About a dozen KMG Instructors underwent special training, by Nadav Shoshan, which now certifies them to teach kids and teenagers of various ages. Topics covered include: training methods, techniques, games and specific curriculum for different age groups, as well as discipline and self conduct. The course also features adequate teaching skills for kids and teenagers. There are three additional KMG KIC courses set for August (Czech Republic), October (Holland) and November (Australia). For registration, contact info@krav-maga.com.

We invite you to take peek at our constantly updated online photo gallery. Better yet, if you have pictures from KMG events and courses makes sure to send them to us so that we can post them on our website.

What’s in store for August?

What’s in Store in September?

Combat and Fighting Instructors Course:

One of the most exclusive courses KMG offers is the Combat and Fighting Instructors Course. The course covers combat and fighting skills, designated techniques, mental preparation, situation-specific tactics and advanced training methods. This course can transform any instructor into a fighter and provide him or her with skills which will allow them to teach specialized seminars and courses. To learn more, watch this video:

The last course was a sweeping success and we’ve opened a dedicated Facebook page in which you can meet past participants and discuss different topics with people who’ve gone through this gauntlet and come out the other side as better instructors.

To apply for this course, email info@krav-maga.com. You can also read more about it here

KravDepot

We would like to remind you that you can purchase KM gear and clothing at our virtual webshop at: http://www.kravdepot.com

Facebook Group

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124202657609135

For more information about additional KMG activities for 2011 and 2012, please visit the calendar on our website at: http://krav-maga.com/category/events.

We constantly update our calendar.

Sincerely,

EYAL YANILOV
and the KRAV MAGA GLOBAL HQ staff