Krav Maga Membership Contest:
One more month in the Krav Maga Membership drive!
Refer your friends and win prizes for every sign-up, plus 3 Grand Prizes are up for grabs for the students who refer the most new members by May 31st, 2004. Prizes for each sign-up are your choice of a KM t-shirt or a $15 Pro Shop credit. Grand Prize winners will receive a free 3 month membership for the top referrer, 2 months for 2nd place, and 1 month free for 3rd place.
Current leaders:
Hili Bar-Chaim in the lead with Michelle Reamy and David Gazdag tied for 2nd.

Special Rate Continued for May
For dedicated Krav Maga students who know they're going to enjoy training here over the next year, we offer this rate:
Prepay 1 year for $999, get 3 months for free!

Martial art vs. self-defense
I was asked recently by a couple students about the spiritual side of martial arts training and how that relates to Krav Maga. Their perception was that it wasn't given much attention in the classes. I agreed, and it highlights an important differentiation we like to make about Krav Maga. It is not a martial art, with ritualised forms of fighting, esoteric studies of internal energy, or 'secrets' that open up only to the most enlightened students and masters. Perhaps Krav Maga is summed up more accurately by statements like these: "Walk softly and carry a big stick" or "peace through superior firepower". Eastern ways of thinking have permeated American culture to the degree that many of us have been exposed to these types of conundrums, but they are often characterised as fortune cookie type sayings or the obscure comments of a Master to a bewildered grasshopper.

In order to feel safe and secure, it can be necessary to cultivate some of the more violent aspects of our own nature. The act of committing to a program in Krav Maga is a step in the process of self-discovery and a statement of self worth. It means that you have decided something significant about yourself, that you have a right to exist and preserve yourself, that you have a right to a life unimpeded by violent interventions of others.

This acknowledgement is only the beginning of a greater awareness of oneself and of others. Building the practical skills of self-defense has the effect of changing our attitudes and enhances our ability to handle stress and confrontations. Through discovering our own violent natures, and acting them out with our fellow students, we find the kind of peace that comes from knowing we will do whatever it takes to preserve ourselves and our loved ones when necessary. As the level of skill and training increases, we find the peace that also comes from knowing what the appropriate level of response is to a variety of threats, perceived or real.

How does any of this relate to spirituality? There are so many definitions of what spirituality means, that it is not worth entering into that discussion or debate. It can be a widely accepted definition by a large group such as a church or temple, or a very individually private pursuit. It may not even be in someone's personal agenda at all.

One thing is clear, training in self-defense is one of the most effective ways to confront those things we fear in ourself and in others, and to get beyond them to a new place of autonomy and freedom of choice. To me, this is the basis of spirituality. Krav Maga provides a platform from which we can approach those areas of our lives that we find frightening, stressful or challenging. Spirituality, or the freedom to discover it, can come from a place of self respect, strength, and composure. What you do with it is entirely up to you.
Have a great month of training at KMSF.