May 4, 2010
I recall a roommate I had years ago, single guy looking to get married, dated a lot, was very particular; wanted only a very good looking woman. Then the big day came, he finally got married. He came back to our apartment the next morning to get some of his belongings and, as a man married about twelve hours, gave me this sage advice; "Looks do not matter. Good looks come out in the sink."
I had no idea what this meant.
He explained to me that his wife's good looks where all show and very little substance; she wore a ton of makeup and other stuff. Once she took it all off and washed her face it was all gone. As her make up went down the drain so did her external beauty.
In the evening, all made up, in a fine dress and the lights dazzling, he fell for her like a ton of bricks, but more important I say is how does she look in the morning, and how can you relate to that person.
Now as I am not a fashion magazine writer, let's get to the Krav Maga analogy. I have trained in many martial arts; I have seen many martial artists perform. Some indeed look quite impressive on video. They flow beautifully like dancers in the dazzling lights of a fine night club.
But how do they look in the day light? How do they look the next morning when all the glitter and excitement have worn off? How do they look for real?
What I mean to say is some instructors at seminars dazzle us and spell binds us, we swallow their stuff hook, line and sinker, but how do the techniques look later on? How do they look when you try out for yourself? Can you actually remember how to do them or is it too complicated?
Do you think you can pull off this technique when confronted by a thug, gang member or terrorist? Do you really?
Sometimes I have been told our IKI Krav Maga techniques are simple, unimpressive. One guy in Edmonton told a fellow seminar participant, "Come to my martial arts class, you will see much more advanced techniques. This stuff is like orange belt level for us."
Well you know, if a student who is only an orange belt can do the techniques well enough to defend himself I think that is a good thing. And Bruce Lee said our goal should is "simply simplify". So it does not concern me how nice or "advanced" it looks but how well an average human being can do this on the street. That is why I am always looking at the techniques and asking myself, "Would I feel comfortable using this if my life is on the line?" If the answer is only "Maybe" then it means I must get back to work, and that is why IKI Krav is still evolving.
I was recently in Ukraine; among our students were Military Spetznatz instructors, security guards, and personal body guards of the president of Ukraine. These guys came to train, they questioned me on the techniques, they challenged all the techniques, and they walked away satisfied. To me that says it all.
Remember, always ask yourself, how does it look the next day when the enthusiasm has worn off, how does it look the next morning, or with Krav Maga, how does it look at night, in the dark, when you are alone and need something that destroys your opponent, even if it may look unimpressive to him.