Krav

Maga & Ring Fighting

January 6, 2014
By Danny Zelig Google+

Throughout my nearly 30 years of training and teaching Krav Maga, I have heard a particular line of
questioning asked many times. Which is better for self defense and Kighting: Krav Maga or Ring
Fighting? Should someone train in Boxing or Muay Thai as a defense system, or Krav Maga? Ring
Kighters train for and experience Kights, so would they be better at defending themselves in real world
situations? Likewise, does training in Krav Maga really prepare you for a Kight?

By their nature, ring Kighting and Krav Maga are different. Lets start by looking at the differences. For
combative and ring Kighting sports like Boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA, the goal is to win the match in a
controlled environment, with known rules. That means a ring, time limits, rules and restrictions,
referees, coaches at the corner, a cornerman to heal you, and targeted preparation. A ring Kighter
prepares, knowing in advance the length of each round, the number of rounds, and that there is only
one unarmed opponent. The one with the better technical/physical/mental ability and who comes
with better preparation has the better chance to win.

Krav Maga KneeIn contrast, Krav Maga is a self defense and Kighting system. Practitioners plan for the
unplanned, including preparing to deal with more than one opponent, with or without weapons, under
different conditions, and in uncontrolled environments. Its goal is not to win any sort of competition,
belt, or title. The goal is to prevail, survive, and be safe using any means possible.

This leads to the issue of respect. In ring Kighting, the goal is to win the Kight and both Kighters know
they are there for sport. As it is a controlled environment with rules and regulations, both should
respect his opponent and maintain good sportsmanship. In non-competitive real world situations, we
are often misled by the question of how do we Kight while maintaining respect for our opponent. How
does one go to war without casualties? The true answer is that if you respect your opponent, dont Kight
or go to war with themnegotiate and solve the problem some other way. In Krav Maga, we prepare
for the worst case, after prevention has failed, when the Kight has already begun, and any chance for
respect is gone. There are no rules, no codes, and when it comes to results, no respect or honorjust
survival.

There are plenty of differences between competitive ring Kighting and Krav Maga. What about
similarities? With my long history in Krav Maga and having competed as an amateur boxer (Golden
Gloves Israel), I can deKinitely say there are a lot of similarities.

There are many similar moves and techniques between the two. In order to execute a good knife, gun,
or stick defense, one needs to also have a good striking ability. Without effective counter attacks to
soften your opponent, the chances of the weapon defense succeeding is low. In order to be effective,
you must repeat, repeat, repeat each strike in training. Repetition is also necessary in training you to
recognize attacks and openings, and respond instinctively.

This leads to another false idea in the self defense world: the reliance on knowing techniques.
Knowing a technique is like having book knowledge, but in self defense, repetition and experience are
of the utmost importance. This means that it is not enough to know a technique or a move. You must
have repetition, practice, and experience (through training) in order to execute that technique in the
best way possible, just like a ring Kighter.

However, having knowledge, practice, and experience is not enough. For both, one of the most
important training methods is training under stress. In Krav Maga, we do this in order to be able to
execute our knowledge, technique, and ability under stressful real world life-or-death situations, and
in the case of the ring Kighter, under the stress of the match. The problem in self defense training is that
creating this type of environment is very difKicult. Boxing Match We deKinitely try to be creative in
order to bring the stress in training as close as possible to what one would experience in a real
situation, but it is still limited. The ring Kighter trains constantly to execute under pressure.
Competition and competitiveness, especially when you know you have to spend 15-45 minutes in the
ring with someone who really wants to hurt you, is extremely stressful. Ring Kighters train with the
knowledge that that day is coming. It requires commitment and demands a strong mental character
to step into the ring and FIGHT is very signiKicant! One has to experience it in order to understand it.

Even with the best preparation, neither the ring Kighter nor the Krav Maga practitioner truly
experiences a 100% intensity Kight except for at the moment of reckoningeither the match itself or in
the real world situation. In Krav Maga, we cannot train with maximum intensity without protective
gear. Our students often have jobs and other lives to live, and frankly the techniques can be lethal. Ring
Kighters spar constantly to prepare for the bout, but also never train at 100% force. The only way for
both to experience what its like to hit and be hit at full force while under stress is to go through those
situations, such as in the ring.

Is one is better than the other? My answer is no, they are both good, but the goal will inKluence the
training method. I will strongly state that ring Kighting sports and Krav Maga complement each other
and are both beneKicial. The ring Kighter might experience more Kights and is more used to the stress
and intensity, while the Krav Maga practitioner has trained to deal with more complex situations and
lack of rules. Even still, ring Kighters can beneKit from Krav Magas take on street Kighting, and Krav
Maga practitioners can beneKit from the stress of competition. The founder of Krav Maga Imi
Lichtenfeld was a boxer and a wrestler, and these two ring Kighting sports are naturally a strong
inKluence on the core of the system.

I will never forget the words my old boxing trainer told me before I stepped into the ring. With a strong
Russian accent, he told me, Danny, inside the ring, its like in life: Everything that is going to happen
from now is up to you.

So that one may walk in peace.

Kida!
Danny