Reviews
I’m 59 years old and have been taking KM for 14 months. My level of fitness and confidence in my abilities to fight has tremendously improved. Laurent and all of the other instructors have committed themselves in ensuring that all students are benefiting from this self defence system. I can honestly say that I feel so much better about my chances and that of my loved ones, of surviving any kind of situation. I recommend anyone of any age who has thought of joining any kind of self defence system to give Krav Maga a try. You will not be disappointed.
Excellent self-defense instruction for women. I am 55 and have been able to learn practical skills. This is no-nonsense techniques - no formalities, no fluff, no choreography. Laurent is not only an expert in the physical techniques but he incorporates the appropriate psychology so that women learn to be aggressive - which is necessary for survival when under attack. We've learned defense against choking and knife attacks. I honestly feel like this is one of the most important courses I've ever taken as a woman.
I've been practising Krav Maga here for about a year and a half. I show up 3–4 times weekly. Laurent is a skilled, strict expert with a good sense of humor; he's also one of the few great, high-ranking IKMF experts you can find near by. What they teach here ranges from dunking person harassment to melee weapon attack and all the way to firearm disarm. I would say it's very practical and covers most scenarios you might encounter. Thanks to Laurent and many other great instructors, I feel more confident when dealing with potential threats now. It's never a bad idea to pick up a new skill.
I am turning 60 this year, and from the first self defense class, I felt a new world opening up for me. I understand now that "being nice", although still my default for most interactions, will only make it easier for someone to victimize me in the rare event I am approached by someone wishing me harm. I have an understanding now of how to take care of myself if the worst should happen, and I feel confident the easy to learn, practical moves taught in the class will stay with me enough to be useful if I need them. I strongly recommend this training for all women. Even if you never need to apply these techniques, you will know you have levelled the playing field.
The women's self-defence class is fantastic! After each class, I feel more energetic and passionate about the class. The instructors are nice and patient. I learned a lot of self-defence techniques.
Where do I start? For one, if you go to the website, you’ll see instructors listed as graduate level students. Guess what, though. If you go to Krav Maga Ottawa’s Facebook page, you’ll see some of them having passed the test for Practitioner Level 3 this past June. What does that mean? First, it means as long as you pay the money to take the IKMF’s instructor course and pass — seriously, is anyone failing after paying $3,000 for a four week course since it could discourage others from taking it? — you can skip quite a few ranks and enter the graduate level. Second, there isn’t a serious martial art around that would let anyone with two or three years experience in its area train students. Really, this raises questions about the quality of instruction that’s being promised. Sure, the owner will raise his two black belts and experience with “real life violence” — as opposed to experience with fake violence? — but is anyone dissatisfied with a traditional martial art really going to pursue two black belts in karate? Speaking of which, since Krav Maga is made up of so many different martial arts, you really don’t know what you are getting. What you will get, though, is whatever the instructor is trained in and it’s apparent from the style of kicks and punches and absence of effective grappling that this place offers karate that’s being called Krav Maga. You’ll also get the usual reply of “You just don’t understand Krav Maga” if you raise any questions about its efficacy. The team there will claim it’s a self-defence system rather than a martial art. To-may-to, to-mah-to. You either teach people how to fight effectively or not. Oh, there are no rules? What makes you think people in, for example, boxing can’t kick someone in the groin or do eye pokes? On top of this, the guy who runs the place will cancel classes if he feels not enough people are attending. That’s his problem and no one else’s. That makes this a case of buyer beware since you might not get the schedule that you thought you were paying for. Oh yeah! Every bad review left here results in the owner saying the person never attended his school. Want to learn how to strike? Take boxing or kickboxing. Want to learn how to grapple? Take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or wrestling. Otherwise, attending this place for any of these things will only give you a tremendous sense of overconfidence as you’re basically rehearsing moves on compliant partners in choreographed situations.
Great real world self-defence training! Laurent and his team are amazing. Be prepared to work hard, but you'll learn so many important and very practical skills, while also improving your fitness level and having fun with great people along the way.
Excellent self-defense programs with knowledgeable instructors, transparent rates, and a range of topics and techniques for everyday scenarios. Highly recommend!
Unbeatable place to learn Krav Maga in Ottawa. Instructors are very patient and friendly, and the environment is diverse and welcoming. There is a kid's class, women's class, and a regular adult class where about half are women too. Head instructor Laurent is extremely patient and will explain the moves as many times as you need. He also peppers his classes with interesting anecdotes and stories for you to learn from. Overall an incredible experience that will change the way you think and act forever. It's the best Krav school for curious beginners, seasoned students, and anyone looking to get in shape while learning practical self-defense.
I took the woman’s self defence course. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but it surpassed my expectations. Everything we learnt was practical. I expected the physical component, but was happily surprised at learning about the psychology of attackers, the legal issues around self-defence, and practicing general self-awareness. I only wish I could have done this course when I was younger.
