When asked what the purpose of Krav Maga was, and what he hoped for his students, Imi Lichtenfeld would say;
“So one may walk in peace.”
To us at UTKM, there is so much meaning in such a short sentence. As Einstein also famously said;
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
Or, more precisely, if you can’t explain it simply, you do not understand it. So for Imi to explain so much in so few words means he really must have understood what he was doing.
To us, walking in peace means you have balance and security in your life; allowing you to walk day-to-day knowing you have the knowledge and skill to deal with anything life might throw your way.
There is an obvious physical aspect to this. By attending Krav Maga classes you are literally learning the physical skills you need in order to know where you stand in a physical confrontation.
Less obvious is the mental aspect. Krav Maga can help train your mind and nervous system to become accustomed to stress, so that when you are really stressed with life you are not so easily overwhelmed.
For some people, taking classes is not enough. Perhaps you are coming to learn the physical skills to overcome a past traumatic experience. If the class is not making a deep enough impact, we, of course, always recommend you work with an appropriate mental health professional. With your permission, your Krav Maga instructor and mental health advisors can work together to help you become stronger.
Walking in peace could also mean how you look and feel. While Krav Maga’s goal should never actually be fitness, it is certainly a secondary result of any regular physical training. The more you train Krav Maga, the fitter and healthier you will be. This will, in turn, make you feel better on the inside and be confident knowing you look better on the outside. No matter what your stance on such things, it is never wrong to be fitter and healthier.
Know that our main goal is to teach you to have not just outer peace, but also inner peace; albeit Krav Maga’s methodology is a little different than, say, meditating on a mountaintop for 10 years, but it is effective none the less.
So, ask your self, are you ready to walk in peace? If you are, come, train, be consistent, and you will be happier, healthier, and know that you have the ability to defend yourself, both mentally and physically.
*Topics under any principle category (Eg. Krav Maga Principles) may be updated from time to time. So check-in every few months to see if the posts have been updated.