REACT Defense Systems – Krav Maga of Chandler

I have been training with React for a year now and it is long overdue for me to write this. RDS and Krav Maga have changed my life in so many different aspects it astonishes me every time I think about it. I want to Thank Jay for starting React Defense Systems and in turn making it possible to have such wonderful Trainers on his team to train all of us students. Each and every one of them is highly skilled, motivational and simply kind hearted. A special thanks and appreciation goes out to Manny, Kimberly and Christy, who I have the honor of being trained by 90% of the time. Manny’s calm and quite reserve is an inspiration to keep my cool even in the most extreme situations. His step by step instructions on teaching any given technique is easy to follow even for the most uncoordinated person (like me) and never ceases to give me the light bulb effect on how an attack can be counteracted. Kimberly is the perfect balance to Manny’s teaching style; where Manny is silently observing Kimberly is open and funny while correcting our techniques. Her scientific knowledge of the human body gives insight to the impact we have on the attacker. Besides the fact that Christy’s way of teaching is fresh and always different even though it is the same technique being taught, she is like a ray of sunshine with her upbeat personality and positive attitude.
The impact Krav Maga at React has on my life is tremendous and it’s all positive. I feel safer in any given situation knowing that no one is able to do me or my loved ones harm, and even if someone attempts to do me harm I feel confident that I can diffuse the situation either by verbal de-​escalation or combatives. I am stronger and more physical fit than I have ever been, awareness of my surroundings has heightened; reflexes although still not great are getting better every time I train, and I am more confident in my day to day life.
The Training is as close to reality as is possible in a training center, with a great emphasis on safety. I can’t remember how often I have heard these phrases over the last year: take care of you partner, modify if necessary, no injuries today!
To any one person thinking about trying out Krav Maga at React Defense Systems I’d say: don’t think– just do it, it will change your life for the better! Not only will you gain the physical strength to overpower an attacker larger than yourself, but also the techniques to leave a scene of an attack with the least amount of bodily harm to yourself as well as your loved ones. The confidence booster and sense of personal safety that knowledge provides is priceless. No matter what your lifestyle, gender, age or seize is; this training is invaluable and not something you are likely to get anywhere else.
Krav Maga is not just a fight style, it’s a life style!
I am a firm believer of being proactive, and Krav has only strengthened that trait in me. A heartfelt Thank You to the RDS family for being there for all of us and giving us a place to train, and blow off steam in this crazy world we live in.
Besides all that, the Phoenix and Chandler training centers have both been expanded and moved over the last year to accommodate the ever growing number of students. Over a thousand Facebook followers (Hopefully all members?!!) can’t be wrong on how awesome this place is!

I have been training here for a little under a year. This has been the best workout and fighting system I have trained in. I wish I would have found it when I was younger. Besides learning practical ways to defend yourself it teaches you to push through to levels you did not know. Manny and the other trainers are great. No egos just people looking to train hard and learn real world scenarios.

Where else do you find yourself saying «Have I choked you yet?»
Can’t think of very many, which is just one reason why this place is awsometastical.
I went to a trial Krav Maga class here this weekend and ended up getting a membership I was so impressed. It’s not just self defense, but fitness, martial arts, boxing, and street fighting all rolled into one. There’s even some tactical weapons and fighting classes for the extra crazies.
They have several different classes, all pretty much super ultra intense. Don’t go if you aren’t really wanting a work out, because you won’t get any sympathy here. My intro class was an hour of nonstop activity in a very militant like setting… swearing… getting in your face… the adrenaline rush that I enjoy.
The staff and other participants in the class were very encouraging with my lack of technique. I’ve done just about every type of fitness possible but martial arts.
I encourage everyone to try this place out… even the women folk. To entice you… I give you the fact that law enforcement train here as well as attractive men… and you get to practice kicking bad men in the groin… but that’s not why I go :)

I haven’t been here since I left Phoenix 2.5 years ago, but felt compelled to because this place is just. so. good.
This place really pushes you to the limit. Even a couple years later, the «belt» test (to get to Level 2) is the most challenging thing I’ve ever experienced. Speaking of belts, they don’t use them (at least they didn’t when I was there) because «belts are only good for holding up pants, and they don’t even do that well!» so don’t expect to be a «black belt» in KM at Phoenix.
There’s kickboxing classes — which is all bag work, and there’s KM classes which involves a lot of contact and partner work. There’s fight classes, which is also really fun. They also have a strength class. My personal favorite is groundfighting.
Women: there are a TON of women here so don’t feel like you’ll be the only one.
Great cardio workout, excellent strength and mental training. I’ve been to several KM studios — not the national training center in LA — but Murrieta, Lake Forest and Corona — and none of them are anywhere as good as this one. Phoenicians, you are really lucky to have this here.

Krav maga
Got a coworker who has been doing the Krav Maga stuff for a few months and he is always talking about it so I had to try it out. There are 4 locations inthe PHX valley and two are pretty close to home. I have read about Krav Maga a few times and of course heard about how it the method of choice for the Israeli Defense Forces because its about brute force used to defeat opponent quickly and allow for escape.
The gym is pretty straight forward, mirror at one end and a firm but padded floor. The class before mine was a ‘Bag’ class meaning they were not doing Krav Maga but were instead doing physical exercises with hitting bags. It was an intense mess of running around punching, lying down, getting up, and all sorts of craziness.
The health sogn off form and waiver were pretty extensive and pretty much cut me off from suing them if I got injured in the gym at all. Hey I am going there to learn to defend myself I better keep my head up. Manni was the guy running the counter and I found out later is one of the top instructors there. The nice thing was that I didnt even think he was a trainer at all till they said something. Super nice guy and laid back which is a nice change from the majority of trainers that I know at other gyms.
Class started off and Lisa was leading it. She took care to address me as the new guy to make sure I understood what was going on at all times. This was done in a very respectable way so that I felt priveledged to get the attention and not talked down upon which I feel at a lot of places, even yoga studios. This was all about respect and no nonsense.
We went straight into warm up with jumping jacks, then high knees, then heel kicks, and quick feet (all of which I am pretty sure I hadnt done in over 12 years). Got the heart racing big time. Then it was into sholder taps with random partners throughout the gym. This was a great method of snapping your head into hitting and being hit though it was light and on the shoulders. Then is was partnered situps and pushups. Having a partner made you push yourself and then push them to go faster and harder. We finished off with some Bear Runs and more pushups and then back to some steps.
A short break and we were right into hand heel strikes with a partner and hitting pad. I have never been a fighter and never really trained on how to hit. After a quick demonstration from Lisa it was straight into going at it and I have to tell you I got right into it. I put all the bad calls and frustrations from the day into that pad and took it out on it. The cool thing is that you get just as much a workout when you are holding the pad. I learned quickly to breath out when they are hitting the pad to help absorb the blow.
Next up was low kicks and then Knees with a hold. Once again the instruction was precise, quick, and easy to pick up. They contextualized it with real world situations so that you could vizualize why and how you would use the technique. Once the threat is realized you become aggresive and you put everything you can into it until the threat is over. I particularly enjoyed the Knee with Hold technique. I hope my partner’s neck is okay today cause I was throwing him around a bit.
Then we started working on arm grabs and how to react to that. Basically if a stranger grabs you then you immediately punch them in the face until they let go. Obviously you want to use some level of common sense and not punch a cop or someone trying to help you. You stand still with eyes closed and whatever way they pull you use the opposite hand to go at them and hard. The partner brings their other hand up in front of their face to act as a target, if they forget to you need to remember to pull the punch. No hitting in the face in class — a fair rule.
The next drill involved a group of three where the third person is holding one of your arms back while you remain focused on hitting the other who is holding a pad. This is the most exhasting drill and almost lead to me spitting up my lunch a few times.
By the end I was a sweaty mess and more relaxed than I have been in a while. All aggression and frustration was gone. So I signed up for a year.

Think you’ve got cardio?
Come here and test it. I used to dabble in KM a bit until I discovered jiu jitsu and when work took me to Arizona I found this little gem.
Warm up was intense, exhaustion drills are the order of the day, and nobody quits! Punch as if your life depended on it and when you can’t go on, give an extra punch as hard as you can to make it through.
I barely completed two sessions and was sore for days afterwards but damn if I didn’t enjoy myself and with some light sparring thrown in showed me where I could improve upon, especially in the cardio department.
Here’s my list of pain:
Hamstrings
Calves
Arms from throwing so many punches
nose from taking so many punches (tho I didn’t bleed, beyotch! Nobody makes me juice!!)
pillow (abs) from doing so many crunches
head (from sweating so much
and everthing else that moved
Got cardio?