Burnaby Krav Maga: In the moment…
Turning lambs into lions…
My journey with Krav Maga began on a whim and progressed into a lifestyle. The Israeli self defense system that is known for its callous methods and groin kicks has long been practiced before me. However, it truly wasn’t its reputation for groin pain that brought me into the front door of Burnaby Krav Maga. On a friend’s referral, I was brought to Borhan and Jonathan’s Krav Maga class. I was immersed right away on my first day as I watched people spar with helmets and groin protection. I was hooked with the intensity of the students sparring that I almost felt the need to sign up on the first day. My background in martial arts consisted of Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiujitsu. However, I’ve never actually witnessed such intensity and application of reality in my past dojangs and dojos. Nonetheless, I left with an amazement and decided to do my research before signing up. My past experiences with any other martial arts places is that they often pressure you into signing up. However, this wasn’t the case. Both Borhan and Jonathan were very informative and appreciated my concerns before signing up. In fact, you can actually attend two classes for free before signing up. Also, I googled Krav Maga, and they were the first ones in the search results in Vancouver. They offered student discounts and an affordable tuition (at the time, this was most likely the very reason that put me over the fence). I purchased the helmet, groin protection and mouth guard, which they offer themselves at a reasonable rate. I remember being very nervous and excited on my next day there.
To my surprise, I felt welcomed and the classes that I attended henceforth were suitable for the amateurs such as myself. I signed up for the three month unlimited, where I can attend an unlimited amount of classes (there were three classes offered per week). Borhan and Jonathan always started the classes with a warmup that conditioned us; we proceeded to review techniques taught from the previous class and learn new techniques. I didn’t realize this at first, but the amount of techniques I learn through the course of three months built upon the basics and could be applied to more advanced techniques. It was actually paced quicker than I had imagined as I learn a new technique every class. I was able to attend two nights out of the three as I had to study part-time and work full-time. Before I knew it, the three months passed me by, and I had built techniques, awareness, and confidence. Because, the classes consisted of about 5-10 students at a time, I was able to know everyone in the class, and the instructors quite well. Honestly, I’ve had bruises here and there, but no injuries. I’ve been punched and kicked, but respected everyone in the class and vice versa. At the end of the day, this was absolutely a life-changer for me. It structured my daily routine, and I had looked forward to every class that I attended and felt very rewarded. It is not often that I find a pure moment of truth and peace. As I live from paycheck to paycheck and textbook to textbook, it was, in the strangest way, a safe haven. Within each class, I was purely in the moment; I didn’t have to think about the exam that week, nor did I have any thoughts of the stressful events that were forthcoming (it’s hard to think about anything else when someone is trying to punch you in the face; surprisingly it was stress relieving). The instructors, Borhan and Jonathan, both carry passion into every class and they never shied away from being too careful. Clearly, safety was their utmost concern as the techniques are in fact deadly. I will miss the community at Burnaby Krav Maga. I will continue my journey as a student of Krav Maga as I relocate for educational purposes in New York. To me, it is no longer another self defense system, it has become a lifestyle.
Written By: Billy K