PHOTO GALLERY: Tryouts: Krav Maga

Aggression isn’t something familiar to a lot of folks, so when confronted with a violent situation, many people don’t know how to respond.

Krav Maga, a self-defense system developed by the Israeli military, can help. Proponents say it allows an average person to learn self-defense skills in a relatively short period of time.

"It’s non-gender-specific and not based on athleticism or strength," said Jeff Pelletier, Hawaii Krav Maga instructor. "It’s all about getting comfortable with being manhandled and feeling what works best for you."

Once you get comfortable, you learn to improvise, he said.

Krav Maga is described as a personal protection system that allows people to react in the moment. It is designed to be used against both armed and unarmed attackers and addresses a wide variety of violent acts, including punches, kicks, chokes, headlocks, grabs and dealing with multiple attackers and armed assailants.

"With the world the way it is, it’s crucial to learn these skills," Pelletier said. "It’s not getting any safer."

Classes are held at the Smart Karate dojo on South Beretania Street. One wall of the bright, second-floor dojo is lined with mirrors, while the wall across from it is full of windows. There are lots of punching bags and mitts.

The class was done barefoot and began with warmup exercises and a rigorous, 300-repetition workout that included a variety of pushups, burpees, flutter kicks and other calisthenics. The rule here is once you start, you can’t stop.

We each found a partner and took turns practicing strikes and kicks with pads. The movements we learned were later used in combination to get out of chokeholds.

My partner grabbed my neck, and I would practice maneuvers to create a shell around my head to escape, followed by knee and elbow strikes once I was free.

At the end of the class, we worked on getting out of situations involving handguns.

You’re moving the whole time and forget it’s a workout since you are more focused on dealing with the threat.

We were taught how to neutralize an opponent quickly and effectively. Many of the techniques used originated from muay thai, kickboxing, boxing, wrestling and karate.

The following day, I felt fine, no discomfort at all. But by early evening, muscle soreness set in. My abs hurt, my chest and arms ached, and muscles that I didn’t know existed were screaming at me.

Christopher Drumhiller, a 29-year-old Kai­muki resident, started taking Krav Maga classes about a year ago.

"It’s lots of fun," he said. "I wish I’d known about the class before I was deployed to Af­ghani­stan."

Drumhiller, a lieutenant in the Hawaii National Guard, says his favorite part of the class focuses on pistol and rifle defense lessons. "That’s what’s most useful for my job in the military," he said.

He recalls being clumsy when he first started the class. "When the new guys come in, they are making the same mistakes that I did," he said. "My moves are much smoother now."

Ben Alcantra, a 36-year-old Hono­lulu resident, began taking classes about 10 months ago. He wanted to learn how to defend himself against multiple attackers. Alcantra used the techniques when a guy at a bar wouldn’t leave him alone.

"I tried to ignore him but things escalated," Alcantra said. "I used a move called the rhino where I cover my head and strike at the person."

The move ended the fight. Alcantra says that if techniques are done efficiently, Krav Maga is the quickest way to end a fight, taking 45 seconds or less.

Krav Maga is all about being prepared, and Pelletier makes sure his students know how to react.

"Jeff likes to hit us with the cushion bat during class," Alcantra said. "He also punches us in the stomach. He wants us to be used to getting hit."

Anyone looking to learn self-defense would benefit from this class. People of all shapes, sizes and ages participated. Although the class is comprised primarily of men, I’d encourage women to learn these skills to ensure personal safety. Bring lots of water, an open mind and lots of aggression. The workout is grueling at times, so push through but know your own limits.

"Tryouts" features exercise and wellness classes and other fitness activities. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808