Efficiency through simplicity (Commando n°1 - Novembre 2002)

Nine years ago the GIGN adopted Krav Maga as its method of self defence training. Let us then recapitulate on this little known art with Richard Douieb, the official representative of this discipline in Europe, and pioneer of its development in France.

Commando: what is different about Krav Maga when compared with other forms of self-defence?

Richard Douieb: Krav Maga was conceived from its very beginning to be a method of self-defence. Nowadays, self-defence methods are based on traditional martial arts, or combat sports. These methods have therefore followed an inverse itinerary. Our whole system has always been conceived around the principle of maximum efficiency. Our method has not been through a ‘sport’ stage. However, it is quite possible to begin by training in Krav Maga and then go on to a combat sport such as kick-boxing,. I used to practice, or anything else. In this case it is simple a way in which we can gain experience. We must not lose sight of our original goal with was a complete method of self defence, without embellishment.

Commando: Krav Maga has been adopted by several units around the world. By the GIGN in France, the Los Angeles police and certain FBI units in America…

Richard Douieb: Yes, I have a colleague, Daren Levan, who has made Krav Maga widely known in the United States; he has indeed introduced this method to several FBI units and into several of the police services: Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, etc. Krav Maga is very well known over there. There are also people like Oleg Taktarov who have acquitted themselves with honours in Ultimate Fighting. Today they learn Krav Maga and are proud to say that they practice Krav Maga. In Brasil I have another colleague who teaches Krav Maga in special units as I do in France with the GIGN

C.: Would it therefore not be true to say that Krav Maga is better adapted to elite special units rather than to normal police work? Without wishing to say that they are violent counter attacks do seem somewhat strong.

R.D.: We need to understand that sometimes ‘less is more’ . People who have learned police self defence (that is what is referred to as self defence at the police training centre) are unable to arrest anybody with what they have been taught. They themselves come to see me and tell me that they are searching for something more effective. For example, if someone is unable to apply a lock to someone who is raging mad, because it is really quite impossible, he will attempt to employ his hand-gun and will immediately arrive at a higher and more dangerous level of violence than they would have wished. It would be better for him to employ a method such as ours, with balanced, rational and clear judgement. This would permit him to go somewhat less far in his counter attack.

C.: With respect to the events of September 11th, we might ask ourselves, what could we have done to prevent this?

R.D.: If we look at the Israelis we can see that the main issue is prevention. There not one El Al aeroplane has been attacked by a single terrorist; if it has not happened it is because they do not allow terrorists to get into the plane. From the very moment it happened, we have to know that we are dealing with a new war, that we may call 21st Century warfare, a war against terrorism. On this basis it is absolutely essential to train flight personnel, to train them in the combat sports and particularly in self defence techniques which work in confined spaces, where trays of food are brought out, in the corridors of the aeroplanes, from a seated position, that is, extremely restricted spaces; also, to train them to have courage. Courage is like a muscle, or like one’s memory; it can be trained. You need courses and lessons.

C.: what about having armed guards in civilian clothes the way some companies do?

R.D.: nothing must be neglected. However, in order not to pierce through the fuselage small calibres need to be used. Furthermore one needs to know how to react to threats from knives, handguns… its possible to bring a gun aboard if it is made of plastic and the bullets are made of rubber. One might have to defend oneself against a ‘Stanley’ Knife which will get through if it is made of plastic, explosives inside shoes: its impossible to search everything. All this needs to be considered very carefully.

C.: What year did you introduce Krav Maga to France?

R.D.: I introduced this discipline to France in 1987. That’s fifteen years ago, and to this day we there are about thirty associations affiliated to us, and around 1400 practitioners. Other federations are also taking shape in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, in places such as the island of Reunion, in Poland, in Monaco, in Luxembourg. In all we have more than 2000 members affiliated to our federation.

C.: What projects do you have; how do you see the evolution [of your organisation]?

R.D.: We have great scope for development because we have a very solid structure which gives our practitioners the means to train and to become good instructors themselves. There are three levels of instructor: initiator for the first level, then assistant instructor, then instructor. For a person to be an a person to be an instructor , he has to have a black belt.

C.: what are the grades in Krav Maga?

R.D.: Grades and belts are the same as in judo, according to the intentions of master Imi Lichtenfeld, the creator of Krav Maga. In the sixties he decided to adopt this belt system.

C.: Is Krav Maga a system meant to be for civilians, or more particularly for the army or police?

R.D.: What I aim to do is to turn Krav Maga into an institution; in order to do this I believe that it is very important to have priorities, a unity and a cohesion at the heart of the federation. There are people who have been there for five, ten, or fifteen years and who feel well about it. For newcomers we need a structure that does not take advantage , but it is also necessary to maintain technical standardisation, so that everyone is practising the same thing. For this reason, every year there is a free course which brings together all the instructors of different levels. Those who have more than thirty students don not pay. This course is conducted every year during the three days of Pentecost. In this way we standardise all techniques, we regularly revisit the basic techniques and the more advanced techniques.

C.: Has Krav Maga progressed in the last fifteen years ?

R.D.: I was fortunate to have Imi as my master: he did the best work possible for the instructors who were close to him, he gave us the basics and the possibility to think about Krav Maga. Some have stayed very close to the teachings of master Imi, and when I meat these instructors after several years we see that without consultation we have evolved techniques in the same way. Sometimes, when we think that we have made the technique evolve and we take ourselves for innovators, we find that we are not really, because there are really very few new techniques, and it is more in the movement, and in one’s sensitivity that there is any evolution. This is to say just how stable and solid the basics are.

C.: Is Krav Maga destined for civilians, or the police, or for soldiers ?

R.D.: This is a question which often arises: is Krav Maga a form of self-defence, a combat sport, or a martial art? In fact, it is the practitioner who will make of it what he wants. if the practitioner want s to make it into a hobby or sport for leisure, he can do this. If the practitioner is an sportsman who wants to improve his cardiac rhythm, for him it will be a combat sport, with gloves, etc. if he wants to make it into an art, it will become a martial art. It can be approached from a policeman’s point of view, controlled, minimum blows, as far as possible, if the aggressor is not too dangerous.

C.: So everyone can practice Krav Maga ?

R.D.: It is open to everyone, civilians as well as police. One ought not to come only to say I want to save my skin. One needs to enjoy it, to be caught up by it in order to progress.