Am I Too Old For Krav Maga?

There are a few questions that we get often, but one that comes up frequently is:

Am I too old for Krav Maga?

This question is often followed by a list of surgeries or pain points. This is completely understandable - when we watch TV, it’s easy to see that the geriatric age of most athletes is a whopping 32. I’m pushing 60 or 70 - how am I going to be able to keep up? When you’re in class

Violence knows no age limit:

CNN reported in 2019 that nonfatal assaults on American men 60 and older increased 75.4% between 2002 and 2016. The percentage of nonfatal assaults against women increased over 35%. This is an alarming statistic. The last thing we want to do is scare you - but we know that Krav Maga can give you the confidence to defend yourself if and when you may need to.

Krav Maga can even help you as you age:

More than just worrying about attacks, Krav Maga can help you with your everyday life. In snowy places like Minnesota, knowing how to fall, especially around ice, is important for people of all ages. But for those who are older, falls pose an even greater risk. Falls are the number one cause of death from injury in seniors. Krav Maga can teach you how to land correctly in a fall, as well as the safest way to stand up from the ground.

You can modify however you might need to:

When Imi created Krav Maga, there were two things he was focused on: using the body's natural instinct to defend itself and he needed it to be adaptable: the age of the Hagganah - the precursor to the Israeli Defense Forces - was anywhere from 17 to 70 and all genders. As time has gone on, the International Krav Maga Federation has continued to respond and adapt moves and techniques based on people’s mobility, ability, and the principles of movement and fighting in Krav Maga. The IKMF has even created a program for Adaptive Krav Maga, so that every person, no matter their ability, might be able to defend themselves, whether it’s from your feet or a wheelchair.

That’s the best thing about Krav Maga - it’s based on principles. So if you can’t do one thing, it’s okay! We can always modify. If you know that you’ll never be able to fight using your right arm, why would we encourage you to use it? If you’ve had back surgery and have a hard time getting up from the ground, we’ll find the easiest way for you to defend yourself if you find yourself knocked to the floor.

Just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you need to compromise your safety.

You are never to slow/out-of-shape/too broken:

Often, we’ve had people say, “I don’t want to hold up the class.” We understand that and we also want to say that’s not about age - it’s about embarrassment. We’re seeing our bodies age and change and that can be a hard thing to deal with, especially for those of us who have built our personalities on our athletic abilities. Or it comes from something from our past: at some point in time, we were told that we were too slow or someone told us we were uncoordinated or unathletic.

None of this is true. You are never too old, too out-of-shape, or too broken to care for yourself. We emphasize what Imi taught us: “So that one may walk in peace.” Imi designed a system that continues to work for all people.

At Valley Self-Defense, we take what Imi said seriously. It’s more than just modifying the moves - it’s about letting people know - letting YOU know - that our welcome is sincere and every person on our mat is rooting for you.

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Wanted to try Krav Maga, but you saw some videos on YouTube and got intimidated? We get it. Is Krav Maga right for you? We think so! And here's why.

Men are raised with a few rules with a big one being: don't ever hit a woman. But what if you find a woman as your partner in Krav Maga? Lead Instructor Peter Eisenberg discusses what changed his mind about partnering with women in Krav Maga.

Krav Maga near me? There is! If you're looking for a Krav Maga class near you, Valley Self-Defense is a proud member of the International Krav Maga Federation with schools located across the United States. To find a school near you, visit the IKMF USA website.

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