I have been training under Gershon ben Keren at Krav Maga Yashir since February 2012. In my opinion…read morethere are four reasons why Krav Maga Yashir Boston should receive serious consideration from anyone in the Boston area seeking to learn self-defense, learn a martial art, or simply vastly improve their physical fitness.
Number 1 = Quality of instruction. This is the sine qua non of any martial arts school. Mr. ben Keren and his assistant instructors are professional, competent, and dedicated. Techniques are expertly demonstrated, remediated, and reinforced in a variety of partner-based and group-based drills. Students are always shown the "context" of a technique: what happens leading up to it, the purpose of each movement, and what happens afterwards. My belief is that when new students are able to perform a technique effectively on their first try, it actually reflects far more credit on the teacher than the learner. I see this happen all the time on the mats, and it speaks volumes for the knowledge and competency of the instructors.
Number 2 = Krav Maga Yashir teaches the entire spectrum of violence, an area where other martial arts have major limitations. A striking art (boxing, muay thai, karate) may teach you to fight an imaginary assailant. A grappling art such as BJJ may teach you to escape from said assailant on the ground. Neither addresses the more important questions grounded in reality, such as: How did you get there? What if a knife or gun is involved? What if I accidentally trip and fall? Get taken by surprise? Get backed against a wall? Have a significant other I need to protect? Krav Maga Yashir teaches simple, direct, pragmatic solutions to all of the above, and more. Nobody needs to be Donnie Yen or Ronda Rousey to effectively defend themselves, and this school gives you the tools to do that.
Number 3 = Value for your $$. Monthly membership rate is comparable to market rate for other area martial arts schools, and much lower than Crossfit gyms and other functional-fitness type places. The membership also gives free access to 5x-weekly cardio bootcamp classes, special outdoor training, and use of the gym at the studio. New workout equipment is constantly added and incorporated into the bootcamps, which themselves are a hell of a workout. Members also get first access to guest seminars with top outside Krav Maga instructors.
Number 4 = Great social atmosphere. I'm always impressed by the respect, humility, and maturity of other students. It's very rare to have anyone beating on others in an attempt to be the tough guy, and such behavior is *never* tolerated. Students are all ages from 20s to 60s, all body types and fitness levels. Since all of class is partner or group based, you quickly pick up names and personalities of fellow students. Sometimes when you're on the brink of absolute physical exhaustion, you just can't help but look at each other and laugh at the insanity of it all. That's the kind of esprit that can't be faked, and a major reason I spend 10 hrs a week here without hesitation.
Overall, Krav Maga Yashir gets my highest possible recommendation. I am constantly being that annoying guy urging my female friends to try it, and it's what I look forward to every day at work (when I'm not wasting time on Yelp reviews that will end up getting filtered anyway).
You can try classes free for a week through the school website as well.
