OBV Girls Exceed Expectations in First Krav Class

[NOTE: Pictures of OBV girls are taken from the rear so as to protect their identity]

We recently moved into our new place in District 1, a milestone that meant that we were finally ready to get to work. From our first meeting at the One Body Village house we concluded that our Krav Maga classes would be regulated to the weekend so as not to disrupt the girls' academic studies. This past Saturday, the first of November, would be the day when the girls foray into Krav.

Thuy ventured to the OBV house ahead of me while I stayed home to work on getting our internet set up. Once finished, I packed my Krav outfit and a couple of focus mitts, and I made my way to meet Thuy and the girls for their first class.

Girls prepared for their first Krav class

I arrived shortly after the girls finished lunch, meaning they were all sound asleep for their siesta. Thuy was in the room designated for guests who stay overnight. In walking to her room I passed the neighboring exercise room that was previously used for Aikido practice ran by a past OBV volunteer. To my delight, the foam exercise mats--the square ones with the puzzle-like, interlocking edges that join together--were already assembled and laid out on the floor. Thuy told me that the girls have been looking forward to our class.

Two o'clock arrives, and the wake-up bell rings. I can hear the girls pouring into what would now be our new Krav room. I decided to let all of them go in first; I'll be the last to enter.

When I join them, I notice that all save for a couple of the newer girls are in their martial arts uniforms: White, traditional two-piece uniforms that we'd normally associate with Karate. They were definitely ready to practice.

I also realized the need to divide the class in two separate sections. The foam mats total three squares wide by ten squares long. With all 16 girls on the mat, there's not enough room for everyone to practice. Furthermore, there's definitely a difference in aptitude and maturity level, since the range of ages among the girls is between four and eighteen.

Getting started

Students line up for their first class

Thuy joined me at the front of the class to help interpret. Thuy was initially concerned that she wouldn't be able to interpret some of the more complicated nuances of Krav; however, since we're talking to kids and young adults, there wasn't any need to overcomplicate our explanations, be it in English or in Vietnamese. My teaching in Vietnamese is still a few months out. 

I started class with a quick talk about what Krav is, and I assured them that they will work hard and have fun.


I could sense a mix of emotion in the room. Nervousness, excitement, confusion. But, there was no hesitation. Everyone was ready to start.

For warm-up, I had them run along the perimeter of the mats. I would lead, and they would follow. In normal Krav Maga Renton fashion, I had them do light jogging mixed with high-knees and butt-kickers. I then had them do a few push-ups that led into stretching. Granted the audience was completely different, the situation felt very familiar to home.

I then taught them neutral and fighting stances: Comfortable step forward, heel off the ground, arms in front of body to protect the chest and midsection, hands open and ready to protect the face. I had them switch between neutral and fighting stances, and then had them hold fighting stance while I came around to check their balance by pushing them on the shoulder.

After that, I taught them palm strikes. I modified what we usually teach at KMR, starting first with teaching and doing drills with the left hand, and then with the right hand, and finally using both for alternating strikes.

A student practices her left palm strike against a focus mitt

I divided the class into two lines. I had the first person strike 10 times while everyone behind her did jumping-jacks. We were limited on gear, so I had to create striking drills that would keep everyone active.

Thuy and I both remarked that the older girls showed a lot of potential. We noticed the seriousness on their faces when they assumed their fighting stance and prepared to strike. Most of them were hitting as hard as they possibly could, which was very impressive for their first class. The other one or two required a bit more encouragement, but they, too, started hitting harder than even they expected.

The younger girls were a joy to watch. They cared little for form and were more content in slapping the mitt. A few, however, were actually hitting surprisingly hard for their tiny frames. Having a separate class for the younger ones will definitely help them progress in Krav.

Students listen attentively as they are told to hit harder and faster

We explained that the goal for Krav is to help them survive adverse situations and escape to safety, and that they only way they could do so would be to hit hard and fast. I barked out the phrase "hit harder, hit faster" a number of times throughout the drills. They promptly responded with more intensity in their strikes.

It was a hot day and the room only had a couple of plug-in fans, so I gave them a couple of small water breaks. For only teaching stances and palm strikes, our first class lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half. Despite the heat and activity, all of them practiced until the very end.

The entire class exceeded our expectations, and Thuy and I were pleased with how the class turned out. Our next class is this coming weekend. I'll review palm strikes again as a way to reinforce the need to hit hard and fast. I plan on teaching groin kicks. Depending on how far we get, I may include hammerfist strikes, as well.