Leave Krav for Kajukenbo?

**Declan** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 6:00pm

Greetings all.

I'm interested in getting the perspective of the forums Kaju and FMA practitioners.

I had some very basic knife and CQC training when I was younger, courtesy of my Seal father. I didn't do much of anything until about a year ago, when I joined a local Krav school. The chief instructor trained in Japanese Karate for a few decades, and branched into Krav a few years ago, and his business partner is a swat officer with an extensive street fighting background. I have enjoyed it, but recently have begun to see some deficiencies in my training. I'd like to work on flow, internal power, and actually learn how to use some of the weapons that I might encounter (most specifically the knife). We do not spar in the lower levels. Oddly enough, I only feel like I've gotten something out of the class when I'm getting contact. I realized awhile ago that if I use the recommended Krav defenses against an experienced knife fighter that I conveniently present myself for some serious throat-slashing. I'm also beginning to suspect that most of the students that I train with are on a different physical level and have different goals. I don't want to do the weekend warrior thing, I'm looking for a lifelong pursuit.

Our instructors are capable and talented people, but I don't think that I'm going to be able to get what I'm looking for long-term. In fact, I asked a instructor who trained for a few years in Kali if he would ever train us in some of it, and I was met with a flat-out "no". This is what set me out to look for something else. Originally I researched Kenpo, and from there I discovered Kajukenbo.

The goal is to become as well rounded as I can be in the street. Any thoughts or words of wisdom from the Kaju guys? I should be connecting with an experienced teacher soon, and I'm interested to hear your experiences.

Thank you.

**Histpun** · Posted On: 1/05/2011 6:18am

why not do both?

**Prince Vlad** · Posted On: 1/05/2011 10:13am

My experience with Krav is that it gives you a basic grounding in the key elements involved in the most common attacks but it doesn't specialise in any of them. You'll learn enough to give you a chance in a 'street' scenario but not enough survive more than a couple of seconds against a BJJ or Judo player on the mat or boxer/MT fighter in the ring. Same goes for weapons and all other aspects of Krav but that's kind of the point. Civilian Krav is just really for trying to stay alive in a street/bar fight long enough to make a break and run away. The focus is always on 'self protection' rather than 'fighting'.
My instructor works in a prison and there are police, ambulance and rescue guys in the class too. Like myself, most of them cross train and use Krav to fill in the areas they don't do in combat sports or TMA. For example, I do it for the multiple attacker sparring and 3rd party protection. My personal opinion is that KM is more of a bolt on system for adding to other styles.

I've never done Kaju but in essence it appears to be quite similar to Krav in terms of skill sets but the approach might lean a little more towards fighting than defense (ie wanting to mess someone up in a street fight rather than trying to get away). I'd like to give Kaju a go too but it's nowhere to be found in my city. When you give it a go you'll be better able to see the difference and whether one is better than the other for you or if they both work well together. If you try Kaju I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

**Jim_Jude** · Posted On: 1/06/2011 1:35am

IMO a good Kajukenbo school will be so much better than Krav in the long run. Go for the Kajukenbo.

**HereBeADragon** · Posted On: 1/06/2011 12:48pm

I second Jude's sentiments. If I could find a Kajukenbo school nearby I'd join. However always remember that how an art is expressed varies wildly from one school to the next even within the same style/teacher lineage. If you have one nearby than go try it out. On a similar note if you like Krav but you want something more rounded see if there is a Hisardute instructor in your area.

**Lindz** · Posted On: 1/06/2011 3:43pm

He can't hear you man.

**HereBeADragon** · Posted On: 1/06/2011 4:40pm

LOL damned necro thread got me!

**andrew7267** · Posted On: 1/23/2011 6:06pm

I've trained in Kajukenbo for 11 years. The thing is that kajukenbo is very diverse from one instructor to another. Mine (John Valdivia) loved to focus on mma training, essentially BJJ and Muay Thai combined with a little bit of street fighting. The Marine Corps taught me the rest as far as improvised weapons (knives, short sticks, bricks and such). Some Kajukenbo schools focus more on point-sparring, fancy gymnastics crap and dancing around with weapons you will never see in a real fight. If you find a good one, it'll be worth it