Krav Maga Institute NYC -Church Street

I started Krav Maga in Jan 2014 with the Krav Maga Institute NYC. It is really different from any other Martial Arts I have tried, and it's great. By the way, I don't think Krav can be considered as such. We're not trying to make any "nice" moves or compete in any championship or anything. We're just learning to get out of trouble as quickly as possible and as unharmed as possible.

With that said, all the instructors at KMI NYC are professional, friendly and extremely competent. Classes usually have a "fitness" and a "technical" part, both quite intense. During the later, instructors always explain the moves with anatomical precision and examples (and humor), and relate them to real life situations and drills. The number of students per class is ideal for the instructors to provide everyone with the right amount of attention.

Other thoughts:
- The KMI NYC has so many locations that it is almost impossible to NOT attend at least a couple classes a week (and the website's class scheduling and subscribing features are really easy and useful).
- The "Master Classes" they organize (seminars) are really REALLY fun and practical/realistic (Multiple Attackers, Bar Fights, etc).
- I obviously recommend the practice of Krav to everyone (friends, family, etc). It puts you in shape physically and pushes you to adopt a "fighter's mindset", not only when defending yourself in the streets but also when tackling any challenge you may encounter in your life.

I've dabbled in different forms of martial arts for the past few years. Earlier this year, I decided that it was time to give Krav Maga a shot to see what it was all about. After a decent amount of research on Krav schools around NYC, I decided to try out the Krav Maga Institute(KMI).

Picked up the phone to call and ask a few question and ending up speaking directly with Patrick - the founder of KMI. He explained that all new students had to go through an induction process as the very first step. I wasted no time in signing up for the induction class(that very night). Been hooked ever since.

The instructors are uniform in their approach to teaching and they take the time to explain each and every single move properly. Then they have the students practice at a slow, controlled pace to make sure everyone understands it completely. They do so by breaking each move into smaller steps and having everyone go through the individual steps multiple times until it sticks. Classes are structured in a way so that you are warmed up prior to learning whatever technique is being covered that day and then on to practicing with your partners.

Classes are always fun and interesting. All techniques are taught in a way that mirrors real life scenarios. Best part of this for me is that fact that you walk out of each and every class feeling like I picked up a new move / way to protect myself. Have met some cool people as well!

The instructors are very friendly and approachable. They are very helpful and will stop to break things down and explain until you fully understand (Individual attention is KEY and you get that here). KMI has multiple locations around Manhattan which has been key to my attending 2-3 classes per week. The latest location at 10 Hanover square is located at the complete body gym which is a superb location.

I would recommend KMI to anyone who is interested in trying out Krav. Oh and two things: Get Groin Protection and a Mouthguard :)