Auburn Krav Maga Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: Krav Maga, translated from Hebrew, means “contact combat," and it is the system of hand-to-hand combat created for the Israeli military. Today, Krav is used by most elite combat units and law enforcement agencies worldwide, as well as being the gold standard for civilian and women’s self-defense.

You will learn how to defend yourself from real-world violence and gain the peace and freedom that can only come from knowing you have the skillset to end any attack upon you and return home safely to your family.

Just a few of the situations you will be able to defend with Krav Maga are: multiple attackers; attacks with guns and knives; abductions; rape and sexual assault; armed robbery; home invasions; active shooters; hostage situations; lunatics with knives; being choked on the ground or against a wall, etc. REAL WORLD VIOLENCE AND EVIL.

Krav Maga is not a sport, hobby, or kid's activity. We have fun, but the concept is serious. Krav Maga teaches you how to survive any violent attack and return home safely to your family. You won’t get a do-over in real life! The consequences are serious and permanent.

Answer: First, ALL martial arts are great. We practice several, and pieces of all of them are in Krav Maga. However, there is a huge difference between Krav Maga and all of them.
 
Without exception, martial arts are sports. MMA, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Judo, wrestling, and boxing are all official Olympic sports. The only reason Jiu Jitsu is not an Olympic sport is that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) decided that it was “too similar to Judo.”

Krav Maga, on the other hand, was developed as a means of self-preservation for the Jewish people to be able to defend themselves against well-trained and well-armed soldiers. Real life has no rules. If someone attacks you and wishes to cause you harm, there is no referee to ensure no one gets hurt. No technique is off-limits if it means stopping the attacker and ensuring your safety. If someone attacks you with a knife, you are the winner if you survive. So, while most arts were developed as games, Krav Maga was developed for war.

The situations in which you would use Krav Maga and martial arts are quite different too. You “use” martial arts either in a dojo or tournament. You “use” Krav Maga when a crazy psycho is trying to kill you, abduct your children, rob you at gunpoint, etc. Can martial arts be used for self-defense? In a few unlikely situations, you absolutely can. However, statistically, there is a 0.4% chance of those martial arts working in a real-world violent encounter.

Let’s do the math. The FBI reveals that multiple attackers perpetrate 80% of violent attacks, while guns or knives are used in 98% of them. To make the numbers easier to understand, imagine one hundred random violent attacks. Eighty of them would involve multiple attackers, leaving twenty to be carried out by solo perpetrators.

Unfortunately, there’s more. Of those twenty attacks, 98% involved a gun or knife. That only leaves 0.4 out of one hundred that are not committed by multiple attackers or with a gun or knife. 0.4!!! That’s less than one out of one hundred!

This is the end, I promise. All of those martial arts that you and I love do not train for multiple attackers, guns, or knives. Why would they? Guns, knives, multiple attackers, and the evil realities of this world have no business in martial arts. That’s not what I want my children to learn. When they are older, absolutely, but not as children. That’s not what martial arts are for, and the statistics prove it. However, those are the exact types of situations Krav Maga was created for. It's apples to oranges.

Krav Maga isn't better than martial arts; it's just different. It has a different purpose: getting you home safely to your family or defending them from evil.

Answer: No. Krav Maga is only appropriate for adults. No Krav Maga school anywhere teaches kids a complete and authentic Krav Maga curriculum. However, some Krav Maga schools teach a self-defense class for kids. They take Krav Maga, water it down, remove all the techniques that could kill or seriously injure another person, and then call it a "Krav Maga Kids Program."
 
Our focus is on teaching adults authentic Israeli Krav Maga. If you are interested in something for a child, there are a couple of great options in the area, and we are happy to give you a recommendation. Just let us know you need some help with a child, and we will get you to the right school. Unfortunately, the “right school” for a child isn't Auburn Krav Maga.

Answer: Yes. Corporations, business, executive groups, realtor associations, women's groups, sororities, church leadership teams, school administrators and teachers, law enforcement agencies, military units, and security teams are all frequent groups that request private seminars and private group training. We can host your group at our facility or bring self-defense to you. We also do self-defense presentations and speaking engagements. You can pick the time, place, length, and even the topic, or we will use our industry expertise to provide you with a seminar the participants will enjoy and never forget.

Answer: Businesses, organizations, associations, church groups, school groups, etc… all ask us to provide Corporate Self‑Defense Seminars. They vary widely depending on the organization’s needs, but can be as quick and simple as a 30 minute "lunch-and-learn," to a whole-day self-defense seminar. It is an opportunity for a business or organization to give its people an experience they will never forget, increase their safety at work and home, and decrease their liability amidst the unpredictable violence that occurs all over the country, every day. They are also GREAT team-building events.

Answer: Absolutely. We would be happy to speak to your group - whether that be a group of employees or executives at a business, teachers or administrators at a school, church teams, realtor associations, student bodies, etc... Pick the date, time, and place. You can even pick a narrow topic niche such as situational awareness, women’s self-defense, self-defense legalities, active shooter, verbal de-escalation, and so on.

Answer: Yes. Any able-bodied adult can do Krav Maga. No one has experience on their first day. Our Krav Maga classes are also separated into four skill levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. You will start out in a beginner class with inexperienced, normal people, just like you. None of them will have black belts, or any belt, for that matter. Those more experienced members will be in their own class. Our data suggests that with classes divided into these skill levels, you will progress through the material much, much faster.

Answer: It's really simple. The first thing to do is schedule a time to come to the school, tour the facility, meet the owner and instructor, and ask any questions you may have. At this time, we will also review your membership options and associated costs.
 
Once you select your membership, we will email you a secure link to complete your enrollment. When you have that link, you can complete your enrollment from the comfort of your own home in less than five minutes. That’s all there is to it.
 
Now you are ready to start learning Krav Maga and gaining the peace and freedom that only Krav Maga can give.

Answer: No. You won’t have that silly uniform on when you get attacked someday, so there is no reason to train in one. Real-world self-defense should be done in conditions and environments similar to those you will encounter in a real-life attack. Reality is a small piece of what makes Krav Maga different from all the others and the most effective form of self-defense in the world.

Answer: In Krav Maga we do not wear a Gi (the traditional martial art uniform most people think of when they think of martial arts). Instead, most students wear soft, loose, comfortable clothing similar to what you might wear to a workout. We do not allow street shoes on the training floor. You may train barefoot, in socks (although it will be slippery), or in specialty shoes designed for training on mats (wrestling shoes, boxing shoes, etc...) Also, other than a wedding band (if applicable), do not wear jewelry. Earrings and other jewelry can easily damage the training floor. More importantly, jewelry poses a safety hazard to you, training partners, and other students.

Answer: The short answer is, "It depends." However, at your consultation, we will discuss with you all of the different memberships you are interested in, what each one includes, the benefits of each, and, of course, the costs.
 
For group classes, the long answer is that the cost of your training program will be dependent upon your goals, availability, training frequency, class format, special events, and other optional services.
 
For seminars and presentations, we need to know your desired length of the seminar, if your group is coming to our facility, or if you want us to bring Krav Maga to you, and the number of people you want us to teach. Without knowing all of this person/entity-specific information, it is impossible to quote a cost.
 
Like many other things in life, but especially in self-defense classes, you get what you pay for. The experts, with three decades of training, practical real-life experience, years of teaching experience, and a professional and clean facility, cannot teach for $100 per month.

If Krav Maga was a sport or hobby like martial arts are, it wouldn’t matter. However, when you are talking about self-defense and what to do when someone is trying to kill you, the last thing you want to do is trust your life to the cheapest school you can find.

Answer: No. However, if the possibility of a job relocating, moving, or graduating is your concern, keep reading. We have a solution for you.
 
Before we get into solutions, let's discuss the reasons we do not offer month-to-month memberships. Just like the Krav Maga techniques you will learn, we want you to know the “why.”
 
Since we only teach adults, and most adults are at work during the day, the available time to conduct classes is limited. Likewise, although our facility is spacious, there is a limit to the number of people we can comfortably fit into each class. Therefore, we only want Members who are committed to learning how to overcome violence and evil.

Another reason we do not offer month-to-month memberships is that the costs of the program would be outrageous. We invest a lot of time, effort, and resources in our Members. The way we make training affordable is by spreading the cost out over time and then financing it (without interest) over that timeframe. Even though our costs are well below the national average of $350-$500/month, we still want to make learning to defeat evil as affordable as possible, so more people can experience the peace and freedom it provides.

Now that the “why” is out of the way, let's talk about solutions.

We understand that long-term relationships can be intimidating. That’s why we give everyone a 30-day, 100%, no-questions-asked satisfaction guarantee. In the first 30 days, if you are not 100% satisfied with our school, classes, or instruction for any reason (from the color of the paint on the walls to the instruction or value you receive), simply let us know and we will cancel your membership on the spot, no questions asked. And... WE PUT IT IN WRITING!!!

Whatever program you choose, we are certain the value you receive will greatly outweigh the cost. Also, regarding Krav Mage, think about what you are learning and why you were interested in it in the first place. When you get down to the nitty-gritty, Krav Maga teaches you how to fight for your life—this isn't your kids anti-bully class. You were likely interested because you realized how crazy this world has become and because you wanted the skills to protect yourself or your family when the situation presented itself. What is having those abilities and skills worth? What is the value of your life? The answer to that, my friend, is, “Priceless!”For anyone concerned about the possibility of a job relocation, an unexpected move, or a graduation and relocation... Don’t!

In addition to giving you the security of our satisfaction guarantee, our Membership agreement specifically states several other ways you can cancel your membership. One of those is “If the Member relocates to another city..."

Locking someone into a long-term agreement so you can continue charging them even after they move away is, in my opinion, unethical and a horrible business practice. Martial arts schools do it all the time, but that doesn’t make it right, and that's not what we want our reputation to be. Therefore, if you unfortunately have to move away, we are going to cancel your Membership. We believe that is the right thing to do.

Answer: Absolutely. Every member that joins our school gets a 30 day, 100%, no questions asked guarantee - In Writing!!! If at any time during the first 30 days you change your mind, for any reason, simply let us know and we will cancel your membership on the spot... No questions asked. We don't want you in the school if you don't want to be there. That’s not beneficial for you or us. Also, the amount that you are paying for your membership is not worth treating someone unfairly or not doing the right thing. If you don't LOVE it, let us know and we will make it right. We will cancel your membership, thank you for giving us the opportunity, and apologize for not meeting your expectations.

Answer: Yes. For various reasons, many people prefer to train privately rather than in a group environment. However, most of our members train in group classes. Private instruction is reserved for very specific situations and is also significantly more expensive than group classes.

Answer: We certainly hope not. Our instructor is an expert in Krav Maga, self-defense, defensive tactics, and is a certified instructor in Krav Maga and KAPAP. That expertise extends into being able to show you how to train safely and we take every precaution to ensure that you have a safe learning environment. With that said, this is self-defense and personal protection training. You will be learning how to defeat a violent attack. As such, injuries are possible, but not expected. Generally, injuries occur when students are attempting to perform techniques they have not been shown how to perform or fail to follow safety precautions. Injuries do occur as in any physical activity, but from our experience injuries are rare and minor.

Answer: Yes, you can. Krav Maga is notoriously for anyone. Keep in mind that Krav Maga was developed as a means for the Jewish people to protect themselves. They needed a fighting system that anyone could learn, and they needed to be able to do it quickly. In addition, in Israel, males and females are required to serve a minimum of two years in the IDF when they turn 18. Therefore, Krav Maga had to be something that would work just as well for small and weak individuals as it does for the big and strong. Because Krav Maga is so effective, it is taught to the Israeli military and other elite military units all over the world, as well as everyday people. We have trained men and women, grandfathers and grandmothers, moms and dads, and even people with physical disabilities. One gentleman that just started is 68 years old!

Answer: This is the BEST question you could ask!!! Whether you train with us or not, please ask this question at any self-defense or martial art school you consider. There are a lot of phonies out there - phony arts, phony schools, and phony instructors. Unfortunately, they are going to get someone killed one day. Anywhere you train, especially if it’s for self-defense, you should make the instructor(s) prove their credentials to you, and then verify them. Don't just take a piece of paper with their name and the word "Instructor" on it at face value. Do your homework - organizational backing and credibility, signatures of well known and highly regarded experts on their instructor certificate and black belt diploma (if they even have one), Google and Facebook reviews, etc... Krav Maga is the Gold Standard for Self-Defense. It is what everything else is measured against for the purpose of defending your life. But if you are here, you probably knew that.

Our owner and instructor is a certified Black Belt and Instructor in Krav Maga and is recognized globally as an expert in Krav Maga and self-defense. That certification is by the Federation of Israeli Martial Arts (FIMA), the worldwide, non-political, governing, unifying, and certifying body that supports and promotes Israeli Martial Arts and Self-Defense. He is also the FIMA Krav Maga Representative for the entire State of Alabama. Our training didn’t come from YouTube or some weekend instructional seminar. Instead, we spent over a decade training under the most elite Krav Maga experts in the world, IDF Krav Maga instructors and other FIMA experts among them. Also, our owner and head instructor was inducted into the Israeli Martial Arts Hall of Fame and Auburn Krav Maga was named the "Best Krav Maga School in the State of Alabama." In short, we have the training, credentials, organizational backing, and are happy to prove it. We wouldn't be willing to train anywhere that didn't have these credentials, and you shouldn't either.