Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to the World's Easiest-to-Learn, Most-Effective Fitness and Fighting Program

I first heard about Krav Maga six years ago when I was a cadet in the police academy. I was told by my defensive tactics instructors that this Israeli fighting system was the best choice for cops who wanted to be ready for anything. I immediately signed up. I can honestly state that Krav Maga has saved my butt on several occasions, allowing me to go home safely to my family. Now I'm a Krav Maga instructor, teaching my fellow officers how to survive violent encounters. I also teach this premier fighting program to men, women and children. Krav Maga For Beginners is the perfect way for newcomers to learn what this very effective system is all about. This book aptly explains what Krav Maga is, and, as importantly, what it isn't (for example, there are no intricate patterned forms in Krav Maga - instead, it's all about "simple, aggressive movements that get right to the point of self-defense"). I have had the privilege of training with two of the book's three co-authors, Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover. Darren Levine holds a special place in my heart as a cop, as he is a senior member of the Crimes Against Peace Officers section of the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. He is a Deputy District Attorney who prosecutes offenders who murder or harm police officers. He is also the lead Krav Maga instructor in the U.S., having trained directly under Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of Krav Maga. Ryan Hoover is an amazing teacher who has trained me and many others to focus on the importance of a reality-based self-defense system. Ryan is a master instructor whose passion for helping people to be safe and healthy radiates in everything he does. He has mastered many martial arts, holding several different black belt rankings. Ryan's greatest achievement, however, is how important he is in his community. While training at his facility, I watched the children and adults who have made themselves physically and emotionally stronger due to Ryan's skill and dedication. My goal is to someday be as valuable to my community as Ryan Hoover is to the people he serves. I have not met John Whitman yet, but from all I've heard, he is a remarkable instructor - I won't miss the chance! Search Amazon.com to see the wide variety of books that Mr. Whitman has authored, too. He's a writer for the book series inspired by the show "24". His Krav Maga skills seem to have helped Jack Bauer out of many bad situations! I highly recommend this book and this martial art. As a father of two daughters, as a police detective and as a guy who can see the age of 50 coming up real fast, I can tell you that the fitness that comes from training in Krav Maga is every bit as important as the self-defense aspects. I hope that many people will check out a class in the near future and see for themselves!

I am a student of Krav Maga (Krav Maga Self-Defense for Women Instructor training) and I asked my instructor to issue a review on my behalf. - Autumn aka Shefa of Jerusalem-Israel As an instructor I found the beginner's book very useful. It gave just the right amount of information for the beginner to get interested without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. It was a much needed book that I have found invaluable in my classes. I will be recommending it to all my beginning students. Moshe Instructor- Jerusalem,Israel: [email protected]

Introductory material was very complete almost to the point of being tedious. I learned a lot, especially about the defenses that had not been clear to me before. However, I do wish the material was ordered or at least labeled by belt level since I am going for a belt certification soon. That said, the progression is very logical and each move is thoroughly documented. I like the part that discusses women's self-defense, too. I wish there was a bit more detailed table of contents so I could jump (Kindle version) to any defense by name. This is a good book and well worth the $10 I paid.

A "Must Read" for beginners and a good review for others. A very good prequel to the "Complete Krav Maga" book, which I started reading before I read this one. However, now that I've begun my Krav Maga training, I find that this book helps reinforce what I'm learning in class and gives me an even better understanding of "why" we do things not just "how" to do them, which is a big improvement over my previous martial arts training experience (by the way, Krav Maga is NOT a martial art, it's a fighting system) because, in addition to being easier to learn than most traditional martial arts, the movements are more natural and instinctive. Buy this book and "Complete Krav Maga" but, most importantly, find a qualified Krav Maga Instructor and/or Krav Maga class in your own area and start learning this fascinating fighting system.

The book is exactly as it says. If you have had any martial arts training over a year, you'll probably have come across some variation of almost half the stuff in this book. Nevertheless, the pictures are really helpful and the stuff that isn't rudimentary, is well explained and easy to follow. If this is supposed to be your introduction into Krav Maga, or martial arts in general, you're better of finding a live human being to show you this stuff, but if you're just looking for some pointers on self defense, this book is nice and to the point.

Good book for beginners

I believe that this is a concise, user-friendly and complete introduction in Krav Maga techniques for beginners. As Krav Maga has a real expansion nowadays in the Western World due to the increasing violence, especially in the urban centers, a book like the 'Krav Maga for Beginners' one is really useful, as it provides a clear image on how the knowledge of self-defense techniques is necessary in order not only to survive, but also to live with dignity in our society nowadays.

Easy to read good explanation informative good pictures