Krav Maga boosts students' confidence, strength

Sunday afternoon, both laughter and the jarring sound of bodies hitting unknown objects could be heard at the Brody Jewish Center. No, students were not punishing themselves for waiting so long to start their final projects. Hoos for Israel was hosting a Krav Maga workshop, and students were constructively taking out their academic frustration on punching targets (well, at least I was doing this)!

Hoos for Israel decided a few months ago that it was necessary to include an Israeli cultural event in our menu of semester programming. We wanted an engaging, interactive event, and our Krav Maga workshop definitely delivered. We contacted Charlottesville Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (which teaches many forms of martial arts), and Gordon Emery and David Sanders kindly came out to the BJC to give us a two-hour crash course in Krav. During the lesson, we learned awareness training, effective striking techniques, footwork patterns, escape maneuvers, and many other basic moves.

Krav is unique in its practicality; it emphasizes always being aware of one’s surroundings and to take care of the immediate threat. Besides being employed by the Israeli Defense Forces, Krav is useful for everyday street protection. Founder Imi Lichtenfeld said he wanted to instruct Krav, “so that one may walk in peace.” I think I correctly speak for myself-- and everyone else who attended the course-- that we walked away feeling a little more confident in our ability to defend ourselves. I know that I will definitely be looking into Charlottesville Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s Krav course next semester due to the success of the event.

-Kayla Pomeranz
Class of 2016