People often ask what exactly a private Krav Maga session is like and what to expect the first time. Since private training is always fully personalized, the obvious answer would be: it depends. I would not leave it at that, so here is how a typical session is built up.
The blocks of a session
Warm-up. Every session starts with a warm-up, joint mobilization and a short stretch. If you have a joint, muscle group or body part that needs more attention because of a previous injury or another limitation, I adapt the warm-up to it from the start.
Striking block. We practise punches, kicks and their combinations: we develop their power, rhythm, accuracy and speed, and the aggression that goes with them. There is no effective self-defense without an effective counterattack, so we bring these to the best possible level. We practise the combinations on focus mitts, shields, the heavy bag and other tools.
Self-defense block. The biggest part of the session: solving real self-defense situations. This covers defenses against punches and kicks, releases from chokes and grabs, defenses against armed threats and attacks (knife, stick, firearm), and countless other situations. As in the group classes, avoidance, prevention and positioning get special emphasis, and so does what you can do after the situation is solved. Most of the time I play the attacker (in a shared session, your partner does) and launch more and more realistic attacks at you, so your self-defense technique keeps reaching a higher level. We mostly practise empty-handed, but you also learn how to use the everyday objects within reach to defend yourself. We talk through the theory as well: I explain why we do things the way we do. Krav Maga is an extremely logical system, and I would like you to see through it and understand the connections.
Conditioning block. Adapted to your build, with exercises that match your goals, we develop what you need: strength, endurance, explosiveness, mobility.
Sparring block. On request we develop your fighting skills with glove drills and light, controlled sparring.
Cool-down, stretching. A private session always ends with a cool-down and stretching.
Why no two private sessions are the same
Please take the above as a short outline. The structure of a session depends on many factors, so it can be far more complex than what I described. Depending on your goals and needs the order of the blocks can change, we can leave out one or more, and we can insert something else. Most people come once or twice a week; if we train twice a week, we often focus on self-defense techniques one day and on conditioning the other.
The content of a block can also differ from person to person, especially the striking and the self-defense block. What works for a 190 cm, 100 kg man may not work for a 150 cm, 50 kg woman. In such cases I teach the two people different techniques, because effectiveness is what matters: everyone learns the self-defense techniques that best fit their own build.
Another example: there are techniques someone cannot perform because of a stiff shoulder joint. Then too we choose another technique, and of course we also work on the mobility of the shoulder.
I could go on forever listing the options and considerations that shape a private session, but I think you get the idea.
The practical details
A private session is 60 minutes long, and I hold it in our own gym in the Barázda Center, on weekday mornings, late mornings or afternoons, at a time we arrange. Everything is explained in English. You can come alone or bring your partner or a friend or two; the prices for one, two and three people are on the price list. The price includes the gym and all the equipment you need.
If you feel like it, try a session with a money-back guarantee: if you were not satisfied with the first session, you get its price back. You can arrange a time on the private training page, where you also find the detailed terms. Would you rather train in a group? English speakers are welcome, and the first group class is free.