“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, cultivate what is truly your own.”
These words of Bruce Lee form the basis of the martial arts/philosophy Lee developed and named Jeet Kune Do, which translates into “Way of the Intercepting Fist.” Jeet Kune Do essentially combines the best techniques of numerous martial arts into a more effective fighting method. You might say that modern MMA fighting is a manifestation of this type of philosophy.
Prior to MMA, practitioners of the various martial arts stuck to their own disciplines, and there was constant debate about which style of fighting was the best. In fact, Muhammad Ali tried to settle the question on June 26, 1976, when he fought a special match against Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, which resulted in a draw. Interestingly, former Teenage AAU Mr. America Mike Dayton also fought Inoki to a draw in what took on the appearance of a modern-day MMA fight.
In that brawl, Dayton knocked down Inoki three times, twice with punches and once with kicks, and threw him out of the ring twice; Inoki got in three good head butts that left Dayton bleeding badly. The match created such a reaction that it inspired the creation of a Japanese comic strip in Dayton’s honor, about a man who fought crime with his strongman and martial art skills. Dayton knew nothing about this until he visited Japan several years later and fans would approach him on the street and call him “Superman Dayton!”
In the early days of MMA, very often those who practiced just one discipline would compete in the octagon; wrestlers, boxers, kickboxers – all were welcome. In those days the wrestlers had a distinct advantage because stand-up fighters had little defense when brought to the ground. Especially effective were the practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, such as Royce Gracie, winner of the first two Ultimate Fighting Championships. As a result, today’s MMA fighters must master a variety of fighting disciplines to be competitive.
As with Jeet Kune Do and modern MMA, Krav Maga is a method of self-defense designed for real-life situations. There are no tournaments in this technique because it is based upon the idea of “finding solutions” when one’s security is threatened. Hence, it has been adopted as the system of choice for various special forces units and many governmental protective detail services.
Because Krav Maga is so demanding physically, implementing a strength training program for it is a major challenge. For example, if you change workouts too frequently, your body does not know what it is supposed to adapt to and you’ll tend to compromise higher levels of strength or other forms of athletic fitness. However, I’ve come up with two effective options for implementing strength training into your Krav Maga program.
Option 1: Two different total-body workouts at a frequency of twice per week.
Option 2: Five mini workouts per week done in the morning or lunchtime preceding the evening Krav Maga workout. The key is to limit your strength training sessions to no more than three in a row. Option 2 is designed for those with superior recovery ability.
Let’s look at some examples:
Option 1 (Two total-body workouts per week)
Workout 1: Lower Body Emphasis (e.g., Mondays)
A. Power Snatch from Floor, 6 x 2-3, X0X0, rest 3 minutes between sets
B1. Back Squat, 6,6,8,10, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
B2. Lying Leg Curl, Feet Outward, 6,6,8,8, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
C1. Chin-Up on Rings, 3 x 6-8, 30X0, rest 75 seconds
C2. Dip on V-Bar, 3 x 6-8, 30X0, rest 75 seconds
Workout 2: Upper Body Emphasis (e.g., Thursdays)
A. Power Clean from Blocks, 4 x 4-6, X0X0, rest 3 minutes between sets
B1. Front Squat, 3 x 2-3, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
B2. Lying Leg Curl, Feet Inward, 3 x 2-3, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
C1. Sternum Chin-Up, 5 x 4-8, 30X0, rest 75 seconds
C2. Incline Dumbbell Press, 5 x 4-8, 30X0, 75 seconds
Option 2 (Five mini-workouts per week; for those with superior recovery ability)
Workout 1
A1. Dip on V-Bar, 4 x 6-8, 32X0, rest 75 seconds
A2. Narrow Pronated Pull, 4 x 6-8, 30X2, rest 75 seconds
A3. Dumbbell External Rotation, Elbow on Knee, 4 x 8-12, 4010, rest 75 seconds
Workout 2
A. Clean-Grip Deadlift, 5 x 5-6, 0X0X, rest 3 minutes between sets
B1. Lunge, 4 x 8-10, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
B2. Lying Leg Curl, Feet Outward, 6,6,8,8, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
Workout 3
A1. Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 4 x 6-8, 30X0, rest 75 seconds
A2. Decline Triceps Extension with Chains, 4 x 6-8, 30X0, rest 75 seconds
A3. Trap Bar Shrug, 20X0, 4 x 8-12, rest 75 seconds
Workout 4
A. Close-Grip Power Snatch, 8 x 2-3, X0X0, rest 2 minutes between sets
B1. Paused Front Squat, 5 x 4-5, 32X0, rest 90 seconds
B2. Lying Leg Curl, Feet Neutral, 5 x 5-7, 30X0, rest 90 seconds
Workout 5
A1. Incline Thick-Bar Press, 4 x 6-8, 32X0, rest 75 seconds
A2. Lean-Away Supinated Chin-Up, 4 x 6-8, 30X2, rest 75 seconds
A3. Low-Pulley External Rotation, 4 x 8-12, 4010, rest 75 seconds
Krav Maga is an extremely effective method of self-defense, and as with MMA fighting and military combat, it is continually evolving. But whatever your skill level, using the strength training advice provided here will help you pack even more power behind your kicks, punches and throws.