When people think of Krav Maga, they often imagine very secretive, super-special forces ninja techniques being used by the Mossad inside dark and dangerous enemy territories.
But is Krav Maga really the most lethal and deadly fighting code that the legends claim? Are the techniques really that original and secret?
The truth is Krav Maga techniques are not new or unique, they’re just applied differently.
You can say they’ve been given a touch of the harsh reality of the world we actually live in, where criminals and terrorists operate daily. Krav Maga is not the fantasy you see in martial art films or the glory we witness in a competition.
These standard techniques, taken from a number of different arts, have been given the Israeli touch, the Israeli mentality.
Anyone who has served as a fighter in the Israeli Defence Forces will know the concept of “Rabak”. Rabak is military slang that comes from arabic, meaning aggression.
That’s the Krav Maga point of difference. Hell, the truth is that it’s the Israeli Army’s’ point of difference.
You see, Israeli soldiers in most fighter units are taught basic combat skills but are urged to bring out their “Rabak”, their inner aggression. It’s about using that adrenalin – that natural fear that in a combat situation would usually cause your body to freeze or run – , to survive. To use it to fight.
It’s understandable that “Rabak” is the main focus and point of difference in Krav Maga. After all, KM is the Israeli army’s system.
But does it really work? Can “Rabak” really save your life?
As Lior Offenbach, one of the most respected names in Krav Maga famously says “the most valuable part of Krav Maga is to be a fighter and not stop fighting, until you finished the problem..”