Hi all!

I just wanted you to know that a new version of the Krav Maga Touch app is out. This update includes a curriculum checklist so that Krav Maga practitioners can track each time they see a technique for each level.

For schools that are part of the KM Alliance, the curriculum is keyed to the monthly checklists and the book Complete Krav Maga.

This update should be available to all current owners of the app. We hope you enjoy! The Android™ version is also now available through the Android™ Market.

For Warriors, By Warriors

Training and Certification for Today’s Armed Professional

When John Whitman approached me about becoming the Director of KMA Force, I have to admit, I wasn’t keen on it. Besides the fact that I wasn’t even part of the Alliance, I was fairly busy with my full time job as a Los Angeles Police Officer and my duties as the Lead Instructor for Simi Valley Krav Maga as well as Vindico Training Group. It wasn’t the bright flash of enlightenment that brought me around; it was the gradual realization that even though we weren’t part of the same organization, our approaches and our training concepts were just about identical. Together, the Alliance has the opportunity to transform the way Krav Maga’s life saving skills are delivered to the people who need them most: those that are sworn to defend us.

It begins with you, the Affiliate… We are embarking on a rigorous program of Civilian Law Enforcement and Military Certification that will enable you to confidently establish a Law Enforcement or Military program of your own. Would you like to approach your local agency about conducting seminars or classes? Good! We encourage it! After successfully completing our Civilian LEO/MIL Certifications, we are confident that not only will you be prepared to train today’s Peacekeepers and Warfighters; you’ll do a damn fine job of it. John and I don’t have the time nor do we have the inclination to conduct all of the Force training. We will give you the tools to do it and then get out of your way. We want you to grow the system the way it was meant to be grown -- locally.

Several Affiliates have contacted me about KMA Force certifying some of their students that happen to be full time LEO/MIL. That course is now a reality and will be scheduled shortly. This will allow Affiliates to build their own KMA Force training cadre in order to expand their role in local Police and Military training. We will also continue to expand our program of agency instructor and operator certification, although our main focus is on you, the Affiliate.

Also, expect to see several other Certifications opening up soon. I am in the final stages of developing a Stress Based Firearms Instructor course that will allow you to provide a safe, realistic firearms training program for your own students. We teach them to take the firearm during the defense: it’s about time we taught them what they hell to do with it! There are also several other courses that are being developed to help you expand your business and to keep the training we provide at the cutting edge.

In order to ensure that the training and certification programs remain forward-thinking and relevant, we have instituted very strict guidelines for our “train the trainer” cadre. Every member of the KMA Force Mentor Instructor Cadre was handpicked by me and vetted by John. All are full time, Sworn LEO or Military. There are no exceptions to this rule. In addition, all hold the rank of at least Brown Belt in Krav Maga. Furthermore, all must have a significant amount of relevant field assignments, to include SWAT, Counter Terrorism, or high risk warrant service. Military members must have actual, verifiable Combat action.  Finally, all are Agency and POST certified instructors in related fields, including Arrest and Control, Firearms, and Tactics.  There are many “Krav Maga Force Trainers” that went through a week of training and got a shirt. These are not the people you’ll be learning from; you deserve better than that. At KMA Force we are dedicated to providing you with the tools to ensure the mission success of today’s warrior. From the Cop on the beat to the forward deployed Soldiers and Marines, we intend to live by our motto, “For Warriors, by Warriors”.

The Krav Maga Alliance is proud to announce an Instructor Course at Wingate Institute in Israel.  The course will be held 19-26 September, 2011.

We will also sponsor a Tour of Israel from 12-18 September.

To get more information on both, click on the Instructor Certification page on the Alliance website and choose "Wingate Instructor Certification."

See you there!

Our next training theme is "Use Your Environment." Grab common objects, use your surroundings and shields and weapons, and build habits that will help you survive a street fight! Check with your local Krav Maga Alliance affiliate for details!

Here is the official logo of KMA Force, the law enforcement and military division of the Krav Maga Alliance. This logo coming soon to a warrior near you!

We'd like to welcome Mike Rosati and Rosati Modern Martial Arts. They are a very squared away group, with a solid background in law enforcement, and we're excited to have them as part of our Krav Maga family. Thanks, Mike!

The Krav Maga Alliance is beginning its affiliate teleconferences this month. Our first monthly conference will be Wednesday, March 16th, at 10:30am Pacific time. The topic is "How To Run A Successful Intro Seminar." The conference will be facilitated by John Whitman and the material will be presented by James Hiromasa of Colorado Krav Maga.

Our teleconferences are designed to be like Krav Maga: short, punchy, and to the point. There will be time for Q&A, but if all you want to do is join in, here the presentation, and then jump out, no problem!

For information on how to join, email john@kravmagaalliance.com.

John Whitman is coming to Krav Pro of Atlanta, GA! Learn the same techniques he’s taught to law enforcement around the world. We’ll be using our new R.A.M. pistols and shock knives for the most realistic training possible. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity!

March 26th from 9 am -- 4 pm. Register by February 15th, pay just $89 for the entire day. Register by March 1st, $99. After March 1st, $119. Contact (678) 460-6242 or info@krav.pro for more details.

I was talking about weightlifting with a colleague who said the biggest frustration with Olympic lifts was the need to push to failure. In weightlifting, the whole point is to see how much heavy stuff you can lift off the ground. It stands to reason, therefore, that you won't know how much until you reach a weight you can't lift; i.e., until you fail. This person doesn't like failure (which is why we are colleagues) and insists on pushing through it (which is why we are friends). On a rational level, she gets it, but on a visceral level, she dislikes it. She insists on pushing through it, and finding some new level.

That's what I like about her, and many of the other friends I've made in Krav Maga. It's what I want the Krav Maga Alliance to be about: a group of people striving for new and better training methods.

In the book Complete Krav Maga, I wrote that "techniques are the beginning of your understanding of self defense, not the end." It's a good policy, as far as it goes, but it's perspective is limited to actual self defense. I have a broader saying that I've adopted for myself, and for the Krav Maga Alliance: our achievements aren't pinnacles, they're platforms. They're the launch pads for our next endeavor.

KM Alliance founder John Whitman was named one the 7 martial artists who "set the new standard" for the 21st century.  Check out the February issue for more details!