Krav Maga : An Essential Guide to the Renowned Method--for Fitness and Self-Defense

Rating:
Summary: Is this Krav Maga ? - You must be kidding!
Review: After spent years with the original Israeli Krav Maga training, watching the best and the leaders from Israel while teach or train, I have to say, this book is not the real thing. Techniques are not correct, pictures are jokes. The book said master your moves. It is funny, because the author himself can not master his moves...

Plus the idea of giving short stories in frames, is a stolen idea from Imi's and Eyal's book. What a shame.

Rating:
Summary: Up In The Air
Review: As a flight attendant, where heightened security procedures are being constantly implimented, I found this book invaluable. The need for an effective self-defense mechanism on an airplane is vital - and obvious. This book gave me new confidence in my response to a potential life-threatening attack. Safety and security are my primary concerns on the airplane. After reading this book, i'm definately more alert and aware of my own power and strength to repel an attack. The text, diagrams and workouts were extremely useful. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to acquire the skills and education to defend, and potentially safe, your own life!

Rating:
Summary: A woman's point of view
Review: As a woman with no formal martial arts training, I find this book to be useful in many ways. Krav Maga protects those vulnerable to attacks by conditioning body and mind to outside threats. The author brings every day, practical scenarios into the practice and that really hits home. I've never related to the dangers combat soldiers are exposed to: I have, however, come to realize the usefulness of an umbrella I carry, a belt I wear, the gum I chew and my heightened awareness when walking off the subway. The author is not interested in convoluted theories, philosophies or tao. He sincerely would like to defend those who can be attacked.
I've heard the ridiculous rivalries of Karate vs. Judo vs. Tae Kwan Do vs. the various sects which spring up within these arts. Krav Maga incorporates the best of all worlds into something that a woman walking the not-so-safe streets of New York can learn.

I recommend the book and the art to women everywhere!!

Rating:
Summary: Very Motivating ...
Review: I became interested in it after reading the new book releases in the Sunday newspaper. I was looking for a source that would trigger my motivation to return to a consistent training program.

I bought the book and I was impressed with the Krav Maga system. I was drawn to the history and authenticity. As a beginner I very much appreciated the personal approach that the author used in writing this manual. It helped me to find my motivation and I am connecting with my own center core confidence.

Rating:
Summary: Americanized Techniques
Review: I train in real Krav Maga in country. This book is disgraceful to the heritage and founder of Krav Maga. Techniques portrayed are weak and sloppy and not real Krav Maga. This author needs to learn true Krav Maga in country and then write another book apologizing for his poor rendition of a true soldier's art.

Patuey!




Rating:
Summary: Good for anyone
Review: My sparring partners recommended this book to me and it's obvious why. It's a relief to finally find an easy to read instruction book. You can tell from the first chapter this guy actually teaches instead of just working out. I've taken Krav for a while, but it's hard to keep up when I travel. This book keeps me current.

Rating:
Summary: I Love It!
Review: Simply put, this is a great text. Finally a book that makes techniques understandable without missing nuances that make Krav Maga unique. The instruction is clear, diagrams are great, and the background/history help solidify my understanding of the system.

I've only taken a few classes in Krav Maga, but I feel really great about it. My classes are fun, and I feel safer now going home. I'm a nurse so since I'm always working, this book is great to keep me going!

Overall, it's a great feel-good type of book. Just like my new beverage of choice called s o y f e e. It's made from soybeans that you brew just like coffee. Caffeine-free, you'll find it at www. S oycoffee.com. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of this Israeli Martial Art.

Rating:
Summary: Special Forces Hype!
Review: The book as a book is written poorly. The techniques are fair but the illustrations are decent. Some of the material written is fine while other things are misleading. Like for instnce this book writtten by an everyday guy can now be an expert at special forces tactics because he took public martial art training with a fancy name. Let's be fair the the true soldiers that spent their careers perfecting combative skills. They do it from blood, sweat and tears not a commercial manual!

I have been a career military officer and spent a good number of years in Israel and Krav Maga was not what they learned. Yes it is being taught there now but on a commercial basis. It was developed to sell to dreamers not achievers. All it is in my opinion in a higher version of Billy Blanks Tae Bo.

We live in uncertain times in a nation of American people that are good people and don't look to engage bad guys. My advice to them would be enrollin a legitimate self defense course that teaches you to escape and not engage or buy a factual book on awareness and safety techniques.

Semper Fi



Rating:
Summary: Very practical and down-to-earth
Review: This book is a great introduction to a very practical, intuitive fighting system. I learned more practical skills from a few chapters in it than from 10 months of weekly Aikido training. It's clearly-written, and well-illustrated.

Be forewarned: Krav Maga is not a gentle art! There is nothing here about meditation, ki energy, etc. KM means something akin to "contact warfare" in Hebrew, and that's exactly what it is. You learn to kick, punch, stomp and gouge out eyeballs, if need be. But sometimes, this is what you need in a life-threatening situation, faced with an opponent who doesn't care about rules. What particularly appeals to me about the KM system is that it can be easily used by anyone. One does not need to be particularly strong or flexible to use it. It's great for women, kids, seniors, and even nerdy types like myself.

If you like the book, I strongly suggest supplementing it with some live training. The two will compliment each other.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This book is an interesting overview of the open-hand aspects of this popular art, though I was kind of hoping to find out more about the weapon defense forms. As a non-practitioner with 30 years experience in other martial arts, I found the 6 pillars and mental aspects the most valuable. The vignettes on the origins of the art are colorful and insightful too. While you cannot learn any martial art purely from a book it is a pretty comprehensive write-up. As a traditional martial artist I find some of the postures disturbing, however. For example, the back heel is off the ground for many techniques. While this may be effective in blade arts, for open-hand applications you sacrifice a whole lot of power and mobility that way. Perhaps that stuff works well within the Krav Maga strategy but it is inconsistent with traditional karate. Since I'm not an expert Kravist I'm not going to argue, just simply point it out. All in all I still found it an interesting read.