FDKM news & updates
January 2022
FDKM Youth Krav Maga is back!
Enrollment is OPEN for our Youth Fundamentals Course.
Special Guest Instructor Amnon Darsa visiting FDKM in January
FDKM Instructor Course Begins this January
January Introduction to Krav Maga Course
4-Week Introduction Course
This course is for beginners wanting to try out Krav Maga for the first time or for newer students who want some extra details and training time. The 4-Week Introduction Course has been a staple of FDKM for the last 12 years & it only improves with age!

The objective of this course is to introduce the participants to the theories, techniques and tactics of the Krav Maga system. We'll cover a variety of topics including:

  • Fundamental striking and strike defenses
  • Releases from common grabs & holds such as chokes and bearhugs
  • How to fall safely and defend from the ground
  • Basic boundary setting and stress management
  • Principles of protecting others
  • Using the environment to your advantage

For more information and registration link: https://www.firstdefensekravmaga.com/intro-to-krav-maga/
First Defense Youth Program
Enrollment is now open for our First Defense Youth Program. The Program has undergone some changes for 2022. For all new families who are interested in our Youth Program, there will be a prerequisite of a successful completion of our 4 week Fundamentals Course. Our Youth Program is designed for children between the ages of 8-13. The 4 week course begins on January 4th and meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm-5:45pm. This course is designed to teach children the fundamentals for classes before joining the regular program. It's also an opportunity for both parent(s) and child(ren) to get a sense of what Krav Maga training is about for this age group at First Defense. There are a limited amount of enrollments accepted for our January course. Don't miss this opportunity! Register today!

Questions? Please email Ann at ann@firstdefensekravmaga.com

Start Date: Tuesday January 4th End Date: Thursday January 27th
Class meets twice a week for 4 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm-5:45pm
Ages- 8 to 13 (if you have a child who is 7, a petite 14+, or a tall 13 yr. old please contact Ann before registering)
Cost: $247 Additional sibling:$199

*Successful Completion of Fundamentals Course is required for acceptance into our regular FDKM Youth Program.
Current Krav Youth Program Students

Evaluations for all current Krav Youth Program students are done and will be sent out to families over the next week. Based on your child's performance over the evaluation period, we have placed them in the appropriate level. Some students level placement is temporary and will still be evaluated in the upcoming month.

The new program will no longer be based on age, but will be based on skill level, engagement, and current knowledge of curriculum.The new program will emphasize and encourage consistency in training, engagement/execution of techniques, and promotions based on skill and behavior in class.

Attendance Cards are back for our youngest kravers.
It's been a long two years! but attendance cards are back for all participants in our Krav Youth program. We will have cards available at the front desk. If your child is unfamiliar with our procedure with attendance cards, please visit Mrs.Ann next them they are in. She can review the process with them. Attendance cards need to be turned in to the instructor when everyone lines up at the beginning of each class.

**Quick note about Covid guidelines for our Krav Youth program members. We highly encourage all participants to continue wearing a mask during training at this time. However, if your child is fully vaccinated and both you and your child is comfortable going mask free during class, please make sure to bring in their vaccination card. We will note on their attendance cards that they are fully vaccinated and can go mask free if they choose. We will ask that participants who are currently fully vaccinated at this time to continue wearing a mask while in the facility and during training.
Special Guest Instructor - Amnon Darsa
At FDKM, we always enjoy hosting outside experts and this time we are bringing our members and community something very special. Amnon has agreed to lead 3 unique training events in addition to some public seminars and member events. So mark your calendars! Amnon will be at First Defense this January 2022. Space is limited for both his member and public events, so register today.

Who is Amnon?
Amnon Darsa has been training in Krav Maga since 1988 and currently holds a rank of Expert 5. He founded S.M.A.R.T. Krav Maga in 2016 in order to continue the high-quality training he is known for around the world.

Some of you may remember him from a few of our online sessions last year where he was a guest instructor.
3rd Party Protection
Mini-Course
January 21-23, 2022

This is a 3-day event and open to students of all experience levels. We will cover the fundamental techniques and tactics of protecting others as it's applied in the Krav Maga system. You can find more information about the course and the registration link here:
FDKM Instructor Course
Part 1
January 28-30, 2022

We are really excited to kick off FDKM's 2022 Instructor Course with a guest of Amnon's caliber.

You will find more information about FDKM's new Instructor Course in the section below.

Advanced Training
Graduate & Expert Camp
January 24-27, 2022

This training is exclusively for advanced students and instructors - a minimum of G1 rank is required to participate.

An email will be sent to all eligible members. If you haven't received the email or if you are not a current FDKM member (as long as you meet the requirement), please email us and we will send you the registration information.
New Instructor Course Kicks off this January!
Strengthening the Team
FDKM is once again putting out a call to all potential assistants & instructors. Having a professional & highly trained instructor group is something we've been really proud of here and now we're looking to add to the ranks!

The FDKM Instructor Course is a year-long instructor course dedicated to developing the next generation of FDKM instructors. The full course is approximately 120 hours long (4 quarterly 3-day training weekends and bi-weekly instructor classes).

The goals of the first instructor training weekend are to:

  • Familiarize students with the teaching methodologies of FDKM and the general principles of Krav Maga
  • Build a deeper understanding of select techniques from the Krav Maga curriculum

Three days may sound like a long time, but we have a lot of material to cover. There will be physical training with breaks for relevant lectures. This first session will give you an example of what to expect in the coming classes and weekends and will lay set us up for success as we progress through the course. And, of course, the first weekend will be led by our special guest, Amnon Darsa!

Please contact Nick & Ann directly if you are interested in participating. There is an option to register only for this first training weekend if you want to get a taste before committing to the full course.
New 2022 Winter Schedule!
Make a note of some time changes to the new schedule!
There aren't any major changes to our winter 2022 schedule. Please make note of the changes that were made below:

-Monday & Wednesday Strike class will now begin 15 minutes later.
New Strike class time will be 5:45-6:15pm

-Monday & Wednesday Level 1 class will now begin 15 minutes later
New Level 1 class time will be 6:15-7:15 pm

-Monday & Wednesday will no longer have a 15 gap between level 1 and fundamentals

-For January our Introduction to Krav Maga Course is held on a new night! The course will run on Monday's & Wednesday's for 4 weeks from 7-8 pm

-KM Youth program will have level 1 & Level 2 classes at 5-5:45 pm on Monday & Wednesday. The class will also be held on Saturdays at 9-9:45 am. You will be notified which class level your child is eligible for.

-KM Youth Program will have Fundamental level classes at 5-5:45 pm on Tuesday & Thursdays. You will be notified is your child will be placed in this class.
Shuaijiao Shoutout!
Curious About our Shuaijiao Program?
For those who are interested in trying out some grappling, sweeps, and throws, come try out our Shuaijiao class. This class is offered on Saturdays at 12 pm.

Our Shuaijiao program is included for all FDKM members who are on a full membership. But you don't need to purchase a full Krav Maga membership to participate in just Shuaijiao. You can purchase a 5-class pass for $80. Replenish your passes as you go.

Curious and just want to try out a class? Contact Ann at ann@firstdefensekravmaga.com
to schedule a free trial class.

2022 is here! We're hoping that the National and International SJ competition circuit will open back up soon. We look forward to sharing any news and information about upcoming tournaments as we learn about them. In the meantime, come in and train!
Inclement Weather
OMG SNOW! ICE! STUFF FALLING FROM THE SKY?!?!
In the event of Inclement weather or other emergencies that require FDKM to Cancel classes, delay opening, or close entirely we will make an announcement on the following outlets:

FDKM APP- Yes! we have an APP. It's free and available android and apple devices. Just search for First Defense in the App Store. We'll send a push notification as soon as a decision is made. So don't forget to turn notifications on!

Facebook- If you haven't followed us yet, pop on over to our FB page. We make a lot of announcements and post about the ongoings at FDKM there. Especially upcoming events. But when the weather gets nasty it's the easiest social media platform we use to get the news out.

Instagram- We try our best to post here, but we will make an announcement on our Instagram feed as well. Follow us at FirstDefenseKravMaga

Join the FDKM Team!
Admin Assistant
We are currently looking for someone to help out with some Admin duties here at FDKM. Right now it's mostly Data entry, filing, helping Ann with some client management stuff. It's a paid part-time position. Approx.10-12 hrs a week. There is an opportunity to grow into a full-time front desk/admin position. If you are interested please contact Ann directly for more information. Email: ann@firstdefensekravmaga.com

Instructors & Assistants
We are always looking for individuals who are interested in assisting classes or becoming an instructor with FDKM. We do require additional training and certification for those individuals who are interested in joining the Instructor team. For more information about how to join and expectations, please contact Nick.
We are also looking to expand our Youth Program with a dedicated instructor team and Program manager. So if you love working with kids and teaching them Krav! Bonus! Contact Ann or Nick for more information.
Duty of Care, Current Covid Guidelines
Reminder about FDKM's Covid-19 Policy
We would like to thank everyone for following our Covid Guidelines about masking and vaccinations. There's no change to those rules right now - we still require wearing a mask indoors at all times for those who are not vaccinated. For those who are vaccinated - it is optional, but if you would like to go without a mask, we do need to see your vaccination card. This policy may change if the local county and/or state government requires businesses like ourselves to require masks for all individuals indoors. We will continue to update our guidelines as needed. If you have any specific concerns or questions please do not hesitate to ask us at info@firstdefensekravmaga.com

Children between the Ages of 5 and older begin to get vaccinated, we will begin to accept vaccination cards for them as well. Although, we highly encourage children to continue wearing masks during the youth classes, if you and your child choose to go mask free please bring in their vaccination card.

In the meantime our guidelines for masking are as follows below:
Those who are fully vaccinated (+2 weeks after second shot), with proof of vaccination may train with out a mask. Once verification is complete, we will allow vaccinated members to freely move around the studio with out a mask if one chooses to do so.
We kindly ask that individuals who are not vaccinated to continue to wear masks while inside the facility and during training. This includes all Adults, Teens, Youth, and Kids who are not fully vaccinated. If you choose to not share your vaccination status, we also respectfully ask that you continue to stay masked during your duration inside the facility. We will revisit this policy when new recommendations come out about the spread of Covid-19 amongst those who are not currently vaccinated.

  • If you are vaccinated and feel more comfortable wearing a face mask, please continue to do so.
  • A temperature check will be optional for those who are fully vaccinated, and highly recommended for those unvaccinated upon arrival. If a low grade temperature is evident, we will ask you to wait a few minutes at reception, and retake your temp. If the temp persists, we may ask you to refrain from training for the evening.
  • Please to continue to practice good hygiene such as hand washing and/or sanitation. We've added an additional hand sanitizer dispenser near our entrance.
  • Partnering/pairing and social distancing is still at the discretion of the participant. If you wish to not partner and/or socially distance during class. Please notify the instructor beforehand.
  • The water fountains are open! We will have disinfectant wipes available to wipe down the nozzle before and after use. But bring your own water bottle too if you have one available.
  • Community equipment such as gloves, grappling gloves, and shin guards are not available. Please be sure to bring your own equipment for use. We do sell training equipment in our Krav Shop
  • If you believe that you've been exposed to Covid or tested positive, please notify us ASAP. Especially if you have attended classes during that time. Please refrain from training in person during the recommended 10-14 days after exposure.
  • If you have a cold or recovering from a cold/flu, we generally ask that you stay home until you're fully recovered. If you suspect you may have a cold, we highly recommend wearing a mask.

Here at First Defense, the community's health and safety is a priority. We are trying to minimize the transmission and spread of Covid as best to our abilities within our facility and training practices. As business owners it's our Duty of Care. We hope everyone will continue their efforts to help limit the spread of Covid-19.
Thank you for taking the time to review our News & Updates. We look forward to seeing you in class soon.
Sincerely,
Nick, Ann, & The First Defense Krav Maga Team
Duty of Care: Reminder About Covid Guidelines