As a proud affiliate of Alpha Krav Maga International, we adhere to the weekly class plan provided by the Alpha Krav Maga Compound, which coordinates all of the AKMI schools in the Midwest.
Following this plan enables our students to learn new techniques and concepts while preparing them for the challenges and goals that come with each belt/level. Krav Maga is more than fighting - it is also a journey.
Earning a belt is not easy. Consistently attending classes and being able to demonstrate understanding and application of techniques while under stress is only a part of how a student prepares for a belt test. Solid cardio conditioning is very helpful to withstand the physical demands of testing.
AKMI belt tests are unique in that they are designed to allow students to push themselves to the limit physically and mentally. Furthermore, each test builds upon the previous one involving various aspects of each belt/level.
Any student is welcome to challenge the test, but there is no guarantee on passing. AKMI belts are earned, not given. This is reflected in the pride of our students who achieve the accomplishment of passing a test.
This is where we begin. Basic strikes such as straight punches, elbows, front kicks and knees are what makes up the foundation of Krav Maga. We also explore escape from common chokes and headlocks to help you survive an attack.
Building off of the fundamentals learned in Level 1, Level 2 adds advanced punch combos, side kicks and back kicks. Bearhug defenses are added alongside more choke defenses and ground fighting concepts.
Level 3 is where it all "comes together." More stress, more aggression, more opportunity to rise to the occasion. The skills worked in the previous levels are worked alongside more fall breaks and more grappling with submissions.
Level 4 is the first advanced belt in our system. Most techniques in the earlier levels relied heavily on gross motor skills. With Level 4, we now work on fine motor skills as we deal with knife, gun and other weapon disarming techniques.
With being only one level away from a black belt, earning a brown belt is not an easy task and takes years of training. Constant pressure from multiple attackers means that there are more angles of attack to deal with. Edged weapon defenses become more intense, sweeps, throws and gun defenses are part of a regular class.
After successfully passing an 8 hour belt test consisting of intense rounds of sparring, grappling with multiple attackers, fighting blind and defending against weapons, the honor of being called a black belt is achieved. The journey does not end here as skills can still be sharpened and new techniques can be embraced and learned.