Krav Maga Review at MyGym in Bristol
Posted on: 2016-02-22
Our rating:
It was a great group of people and there was a friendly atmosphere down there. If you want to get fit and toughen up a bit then joining these guys for sessions would be a great idea.
This was my first Krav Maga session. I have dabbled in Martial Arts and from what I know Krav Maga has always been heralded as a 'realistic' Martial Art. Although full of inherently good people, the world can be a bit rough sometimes and it gets a bit 'tasty' but the thing is, this is real life and the lesson I was about to take part in highlighted this. Self defence is important and in my opinion everyone should learn a few things on the rare chance they are in a situation they need to evade.
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After spending hours looking for a groin guard in Bristol City Centre (I was really glad later on that I took the effort to buy one), I headed down to MyGym and met Kelly, who runs the class. He greeted me warmly and after filling out a PARQ form, the class started - we started by warming up and doing some team exercises; stretching off and preparing for the practical part of the session. The stretching was very thorough - our limbs would be getting a good workout and we would be multi directional for the session, so this was paramount.
The session itself was very interesting; we did some defence against knife attacks, practised defensive kicks/maneuvers, and were instructed to fend off multiple attackers at once, which was really good fun from my point of view. It emphasised how easy it is for your brain to get confused and shut down when faced with an adrenaline dump that being in a fight or flight situation can instigate.
As we were doing drills we were instructed to act aggressively and even turn the air blue like Roy Chubby Brown. Again, it was great fun and personally tested me as I had not trained in this way before or with this degree of realism. It was a friendly session but at the same time people weren't mollycoddled, it was a good balance. I won't repeat what I said during this part of the session but let's say my Dad leaving copies of Viz magazine around the house when I was young has given me a good arsenal of foul mouthed tirades through childhood and into adulthood.
Our man Nick Clay went with the 'no sleeves, no problem' look. Killed it.
It was a great group of people and there was a friendly atmosphere down there. Kelly cracked the odd joke but you could tell the man means business and it's important to him for the students of the class to understand what they were doing , and why they were doing certain drills.
If you want to get fit and toughen up a bit then joining these guys for sessions would be a great idea. Like I said previously, it's a bit rough and tumble (the footprint on my inner thigh is evidence of that) but that's martial arts - what you need is wisdom and clear guidance and that was evident all through the session.
5/5
Reviewed by 365 Bristol's fitness expert Nick Clay - of Clay Fitness - 365Bristol.com is the leading events and entertainment website for the city
They train twice a week: on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-9:30pm at MyGym on Dean Street, Bristol, BS2 8SF, just around the corner from Cabot Circus.
Please note that due to the nature of Krav Maga they cannot accept drop-ins so please get in touch to register your interest and arrange a free trial session. Head over to bristolkravmaga.com or their Twitter account.
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
