I’ve been practicing Krav for *mumble mumble* 6 years now and I’ve tried 3 different schools that taught it: it’s hard to gauge how good a school is, the approach can vary a lot depending if it’s more civilian-oriented or if it’s taught by police officers and similar (I’ve tried both). What I can tell you is to see if they take into account the psychological side of a fight: the tunnel-effect, the adrenaline that cuts your air dramatically, the disorientation given by someone actually shouting in your face, this kind of things. Not every school consider them, but they’re almost more important than anything else. So look out for this while trying to decide where to go.

Lastly: krav maga is not spectacular. If you see a “krav teacher” coming up with a roundhouse kick or something like that, it’s a fake.

If you are having a difficult time emotionally, I heartily recommend learning a martial art. I would recommend leaving the anger at home, though. It is antithetical to the process and is disrespectful to the teacher and the other students. Besides, you may just find the anger missing by the time you return home. I know I do.

I wish you all the happiness you so greatly deserve.

P.S:- Just finished Flesh Circus and I absolutely loved it. In my opinion it’s the best so far.

I can also say that the school I taught at did, in fact, have you sign a contract (although we had to call them ‘memberships’). Basically, you signed up for a certain amount of classes, rather than a certain amount of time. Our students were pretty cool with that idea, since it meant that if they were gone a while, it wasn’t really that big a deal – they just came back when they could and continued on).

I hope that whatever you end up doing, you enjoy it 100%. Here’s to a new year coming up fast!

Good to hear you’re swimming strongly again!

I too would like to echo what Terry said about a thorough interview of the school you’re interested in. I also wouldn’t get locked in on the idea of only a school that teaches Krav Maga. Martial Arts schools are a dime a dozen and come and go at the drop of a hat, (either from lack of good business sense or lack of ability to keep students motivated/poor curriculum). I would steer clear of any school that requires you sign a contract. A few free trial classes is good for both school and prospective student. A good instructor and curriculum is more important, imho, than which particular martial art is being taught,as most all schools cover self-defense along with whichever art they specialize in. My family has been involved with Vancouver Taekwondo Academy for over five years, (no business affiliation). You might want to check it out.

Clark College has an excellent Automotive Technology program, should you desire to learn about vehicle maintenance and repair.

Looking forward to Flesh Circus which is in the queue.

I’m going through something similar for reasons you know and just finding something that makes you want, just simply want, to try it out is almost a relief.

Small piece of advice re. Krav Maga: wherever you decide to go, make sure to thoroughly interview the instructor and watch a couple of classes before deciding. There are a lot of fake Krav Maga schools (or even just schools that teach it as a sport instead of teaching how to fight) around the country due to the hype it’s getting as a system (and it is a good one).

P.S. Just finished Betrayals and loved it! when I passed it my wife, she just said: finally!

Glad to hear you’re turning the corner. Luck be with you!