Page 31 - Complete Krav maga : the ultimate guide to over 250 self-defense and combative techniques

How to Use This Book

This book is a valuable resource that will absolutely improve your knowledge of
Krav Maga and make you safer, but in the end it is only a book. To complete

your knowledge, you need to take the information contained here and apply it
with a partner, slowly at first and then with increasing speed and aggressiveness.
As we noted earlier, techniques are the beginning of your understanding, not the
end. Try the techniques as described in this book and use the principles to create
variations that are comfortable for your body. Obviously, you will get the

greatest benefit from training with a certified instructor. Our certified instructors
have the knowledge to teach you the technique itself, and then show you how to
apply it under varying degrees of stress. You can find a list of locations certified
by Krav Maga Worldwide at www.kravmaga.com.

Along these lines, please remember that a book offers its own limitations. We
cannot describe every “what if” situation for every type of attack. If we did, the

book would be enormous, expensive, and confusing. In many of the techniques,
we describe follow-up counterattacks or movements. These are, for the most
part, recommendations rather than requirements. If you feel that a knee is more
effective for you than an elbow, throw the knee. Or, better yet, pick up a stick
and use that! Our message here is simple: If you take every word in here as
gospel, you will gain knowledge, but it will be rigid. That isn’t our point. Focus
on the principles as much as the specifics.

If you have previous martial arts experience, then we offer you a proverb from
Eastern martial arts: In order to fill your tea cup, you must first empty it. In other
words, approach these techniques with an open mind. In the end, you will
probably incorporate those you like into your own collection of techniques. This
is fine with us, but please remember that Krav Maga is an integrated system
whose movements are designed to work with each other, not necessarily with

movements from a totally different system.