Be A Badass breaks down hardcore sport stigmas that have previously excluded women, encouraging females to embrace their power by kicking some ass.
Krav Maga is not one of those fad, boutique-y workouts that pop up every so often to promise you the body of your dreams. It is something rooted in social justice and protection.
This self-defense hand-to-hand combat sport focuses on damaging the weak spots of an opponent's body — so no one is saying "good game" after the fight. The program is a combination of street fighting, boxing, wrestling, and judo. Founder Imi Lichtenfeld developed Krav Maga as a way of fighting off anti-Semites threatening the Jewish population of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) in the late 1930s. The practice gained traction and was eventually incorporated into the training program for the Israel Defense Forces a decade or so later.
These days, the sport is being utilized in a variety of ways, but a common theme in current Krav Maga training centers on equipping women with self-defense strategies. The frightening statistics around violence, sexual harassment, and assault toward women simply can't be ignored. While there are programs dedicated to stopping this violence at its root, there are also more immediate protection efforts to help women feel armed in any scenario — efforts that include Krav Maga.
Watch as our host Allison Hagendorf punches, kicks, and jabs her way to being a Krav Maga badass.
This video was created in partnership with smartwater.
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