Impact Krav Maga Self-Defense

I had read about Krav Maga and sought out a school to give it a try. I went to a free class to see if I liked it and I loved it! A good workout, excellent skill building. The instructors give plenty of individual attention as the classes are relatively small. Classes are about 70−80% male so don’t go thinking this is a girls only thing.
I am not a physically aggressive person by nature, so the idea of throwing punches took a little getting used to; but the more advanced students are patient and helpful as well as the instructors. A couple of months in and I feel more confident and able already.
The lessons are all very practical and each one is different so you won’t get bored. The focus is self defense in the event of physical attack, not being the aggressor but it is required for practice with classmates. Safety is priority but some classes are very physical, so prepare to get a little bruised in some of the floor mat work.
I’ll be going here for a while!

Decent workout, but misses the heart of Krav Maga.
If you’ve never been to another KM gym, you’ll probably think Impact is amazing, and it has some amazing aspects to it. But it can just be so much better. I only went to the basic class because they won’t let you check out intermediate until you’ve been there a while, so I’m not sure if they’re intermediate and advanced classes are better. But even the basic class could be much better.
–The warmups are low-​impact and boring – just running around in random circles with 20 other people in the room.
–When doing a striking session, we’re never taught to hit as hard as we can to prepare us for a real-​life street encounter.
–We don’t practice getting used to surprise attacks by closing our eyes as the defender. –Instead, the training remains slow, predictable, and not really representative of what you’d face on the streets.
–We’re not pushed hard enough physically. There’s little motivation to do so. There are no consequences like pushups or burpees if we waste time or don’t follow instructions.
It’s not bad, but for around $ 100/​mo, I’m sure you could find much better.

Couldn’t recommend Impact Krav Maga more. Yury and Veronica bring their impeccable training to bear in a relaxed, friendly environment, ensuring the accessibility of the program for anyone regardless of skill level. The lessons are thorough and easy to follow and the vibe is always very positive.
I’ve been going for a few months now after some friends of mine talked about how much they liked the school. Wish I would have gone sooner! The street fighting techniques are, of course, valuable, but you can also get a decent workout depending on the lesson, especially during the strike lab.
Not knowing what to expect, I thought the school might be mostly fighters or martial arts type of people, but that’s not the case at all. The class is pretty evenly divided between men and women along a very wide age spectrum. You kind of go at your own pace and ability, which is the best part of the program. Yury and Veronica make sure to provide 1:1 instruction during and after class.
This is the perfect place to learn basic self defense techniques or take your game to the next level in the advanced classes. Either way, there’s something for everyone.

Impact really is perfect in every way. I have taken 3 other types of martial arts, and this has been by far the best overall learning experience.
The instructors: Yury and Veronica make it their mission to ensure you walk away from each lesson a better practitioner. They stop and give you individualized attention with patience that belies the fact that they could kill you seven times before you hit the ground.
The school/​equipment: clean, orderly, and well-​maintained. You won’t find duct tape on the punching bags, a cloud of BO, or dirty jockstraps lying around here. Class starts on time.
The other students: everyone is welcome, and everyone is non-​judgmental. Students of all skill levels work together in harmony.
Location: easy to find, with parking available on the street. Sometimes have to find parking half a block away on busy days, but you can walk that half a block with the confidence that you are learning Krav Maga from Yury and Veronica, and can now fight off a polar bear… blindfolded.
Price/​Miscellaneous: It is not as cheap as buying an used Tae Bo video and deluding yourself into thinking you can now defend yourself, but considering you are learning a skill that can save your life one day, it is worth it. Impact has a great website that lists their rates up front, the class schedule, school news, and other important updates. They will even let you try a class for free, so considering the high probability of a polar bear attack in Southern California, you should give it a try… like, yesterday.

This review for Impact Krav Maga comes after about a year training with the owners/​instructors Yury and Veronica .
First of all I can tell you it’s not like any other self defense or martial arts class I’ve ever practiced at. These drills are very realistic, they come straight out of Israeli combat training. Unlike traditional martial arts that come with numerous rules and a stylized technique this is very real, street level fighting. Having said that, the training is presented in a very friendly, patient and safe environment. It’s ideal for beginners and experts alike.
The other great thing about Impact Krav is the students, this is not MMA. Everyone I’ve met here is pretty chill for the most part and not much attitude going around. I can say for sure this school has changed my life for the better, come check it out!

Ladies, this class is empowering!
Besides being a great workout, the women only self-​defense class is great for teaching you different ways to protect yourself from a potential attack. They teach you about dealing with an attacker coming at you from the front, side, or behind; what to do if you end up on the ground during an attack and more. They also give you tips on how to deal with multiple attackers.
Veronica and Yury were both approachable, knowledgeable, and professional. They really know what they are doing and break the moves down step by step. When I wasn’t getting it right and needed help, I just let them know, or they noticed and came over to me on their own. They took the time to slow the moves down, explain them to me and demonstrate the proper form, always in a respectful way. They never made me feel dumb or inept, but worked with me to help me understand how to do the moves correctly.
Shannon, an advanced student, was also very helpful in showing me how to correct my form when I could tell that I didn’t have it quite right, but I didn’t know exactly what I was doing wrong.
They offer other classes at Impact that are co-​ed, which seem like a great opportunity to test your skills against men and women. Personally though, as a total beginner, I felt more comfortable being in a class alongside other women who were patient with me when I needed more practice and supportive. Everyone was friendly and encouraged me to punch and kick harder.
I would recommend this class to every woman. By learning and practicing these valuable skills, you have a chance to defend yourself. You can fight back!

I can confidently say that there is no other Krav Maga school in San Diego county that is better than Impact Krav Maga Self Defense. If you are looking for the best school, this is it! The good things I have to say about this school are endless! So let me see if I can share just a few of them, in an orderly way.
The teaching at Impact is of the highest quality. I’ll go so far as to say that I’ve never had a better teacher than Yury & Veronica. And not just in the field of Krav Maga; I mean in any area of my life!
That’s what is so amazing about this school. Not only are they extremely good at Krav Maga, but they can teach and instruct in such an understandable and receivable way. Yury & Veronica truly have the gift of teaching.
But they don’t stop there. They take it a step further and they really care about their students. They take the time to help you and make sure you are really understanding what you are doing. They always think of their students first and make a continual effort to make sure you as a student, are getting what you need to further your training. The instructors never hesitate to give of their time to answer a question or help you figure out different aspects of your training.
What has stemmed from the instructors is an inspiring, empowering community of people who all come together to train in a positive environment that will push you to your limits and allow you to have a blast at the same time. This environment is ego free and always encourages growth and you to be your personal best.
Impact has everything you need! Smart, kind, inspiring teachers. A friendly, uplifting atmosphere, a great workout, the best students, who create a great Krav community. A safe place to train, and the best Krav Maga in San Diego! At Impact Krav Maga Self Defense, you are getting only the best!

As good as it gets! I always wanted to learn a martial art, not for any particular reason but protecting love ones, and maybe bailing out that one friend who just had a bar stool broken over their head.
Yury and Veronica are superb trainers blessed with seemingly superhuman levels of patience and understanding. I came in with a decent level of fitness but almost no form or first-​hand knowledge of what kind of damage and defense the human body was capable of. In little more than a month at Impact, your confidence soars and you feel ready to stop any altercation.
You’ll learn to defend yourself against people, knives, guns, and perhaps more importantly, yourself. You can show up to nearly every class listed on the schedule, or as little as one class a week — scheduling is never an issue. There’s training equipment to hit every day running, and tons of like-​minded people of all skill classes.
Kida!

Impact Krav Maga is a great place to come in and learn how to protect yourself and get a good workout in at the same time. The instructors Veronica and Yuri are very patient and kind. Classes are planned out well and taught very efficiently. Classes might be full but Yuri and Veronica always manage to help every student out individually so they get the technique down. I highly recommend trying Impact Krav Maga.

Bad Ass martial art class and instruction. Best offense is a good defense! Instructor is excellent in coaching and technique

I have been training at Impact for about a year now, and I absolutely love it. The enviroment that Yury and Veronica provide is totally supportive and fun, so if this is your first time trying anything like this out, don’t worry, you are in great hands! The students at Impact are also great training partners at all levels. You will NOT find, like at other martial arts/​MMA gyms, the trainers/​students who want to go full-​strength, full-​speed, all the time. That being said, Yury and Veronica KNOW their stuff and they are so good at helping you achieve your full kick-​ass potential. If you feel comfortable and want to step it up a knotch, you absolutely can.
I used to be in another martial art until I decided that I wanted to learn something useful in case of a real emergency. This is exactly what Krav Maga is all about. You will hear at least twice in every class «if you’re walking down the street and…».
I can’t say enough about Yury and Veronica as instructors and about Impact Krav Maga in general. If you’re even considering trying it out, just do it, you’ll ge glad you did!

Being recommended to me by the many awesome Unilocal reviews and an intelligent and respected co-​worker, and with a free introductory class (just to see if it’s a good fit), it was easy for me to go try Impact Krav Maga first.
I never left. Impact is an awesome school. Another review described the instruction methods as teaching with humility, patience, and skill — great description. Veronica and Yury, besides being highly intelligent, kind, thoughtful, amazing individuals, are also absolutely incredible instructors. They are ever patient (truly without limits in my case), have a mastery understanding of the skills, techniques, and practices they are teaching, and they involve you in a very fun and compelling manner, which seems to strongly promote maximum learning retention and muscle memory. It’s a rare find, such a combination of caring and skillful deadliness.
They’re creating a sense of community around the studio that keeps you connected and involved through social media and newsletters. They’re never selling you anything. From the «test it out» class where they didn’t mention membership until I asked, to today, they’ve never tried to push anything or sell me anything. The facilities are very nice, lots of equipment to use anytime, lots of space to work out, filtered water on tap, and a lot of great students to work with. They’re also very safe. Lots of sensible precautions in gear and in practice, without anything getting in the way of getting it done and learning it well. Oh! and the strike labs, so awesome!
I find a ton of services, contractors, etc on Unilocal and so far I only write a review when the business is beyond top notch in my opinion.
Enjoy your training and your new skill set!

My wife and I have been training at Impact for several years now… One major thing keeps us coming back again and again — the instructors, Yury and Veronica. Not only are they highly-​trained KMG instructors with a ton of experience, but they work with every level of ability to get you to quickly realize your full potential. They use positive reinforcement and encouragement to help you solidly learn new techniques and ways to protect yourself, without yelling at you or putting you down.
If you had told me four years ago that I would be going every week to a Krav Maga class and enjoying it, I would have told you that you were crazy. But that’s where we are today, and we plan on continuing to come to train here and learn practical ways to defend ourselves in the real world.

I have been training with Yury and Veronica since early Spring 2014, and I am absolutely hooked on Krav Maga and training at Impact!
THE TRAINERS & CLASSES
Yury and Veronica are outstanding instructors who care about the safety and development of their students. They’ve created a safe, non-​judgmental, supportive and fun training environment that is strengthened by the dedication of the regular Krav Maga practitioners. I previously trained with another Krav Maga group in San Diego, and while the training was solid, I never got the sense that those instructors were invested in my growth as a practitioner. Not at Impact. Yury and Veronica are supremely patient and skilled instructors who take time to explain how, when and why you’d be using the techniques they teach.
One aspect in particular that I appreciate at Impact is that every Core and Basic class is accessible to all skill levels, and that all levels of practitioners take those classes. As a beginner I was able to be in classes that had advanced components, but I still learned tons. Now that I’ve learned a lot of the basic techniques, these classes help me practice and hone my skills.
I’d also recommend staying for the 30-​minute Strike Lab class, currently offered 4x/​week. Other than being an incredible workout, it really helps solidify the striking techniques you’ll be learning in class.
THE STUDENTS
As a female practitioner, it’s important for me to train in a safe and supportive atmosphere. I started with Impact by taking their 6-​week women’s course to get a sense of the environment, students and trainers. It was a fantastic introduction to Impact, and I signed up as a full-​time student soon after, as did 3 other fellow students who are still regulars at Impact. Everyone I’ve met here is supportive and are always willing to help each other out, and we have a lot of fun while doing it! Even when I’m paired up with someone who is seemingly light years ahead of me in skill level, it’s a welcome challenge as I inevitably learn something from that partner.
THE ENVIRONMENT /​ATMOSPHERE
Impact offers a no-​frills training space — it’s open, clean and easily accessible as parking is free & ample around El Cajon and Hamilton. There is no sales pressure at all, just a sincere interest from everyone at Impact that students get what they need out of training. This is why you can take a free intro class to see if it’s right for you. If not? No worries! But if it is, you’re about to embark on a great experience in a supportive environment.
Thank you Veronica, Yury and my classmates for creating a fun and supportive training environment!

Hands down the best Krav gym in San Diego. If you’re looking to get into Krav, this is the place to check out. Yury and Veronica are amazing, and so is Assen when he is in town to teach. You’ll never have a bad experience (except maybe a sore muscle or two the next day), and you’ll learn some great self-​defense for the streets! Classes are fun and exhausting in a good way, and they do in-​house seminars once a quarter where they teach everyone a fairly advanced technique for a couple hours. I highly recommend checking this place out!

Veronica is awesome! I booked a self defense class with 20 women and we had a great time! Veronica was very easy to work with and accommodating when making the reservation.
During the class we learned a lot of moves that could potentially help save our lives if we were ever approached. Veronica and her assistant made sure we had correct technique and understood all angles of possible attacks. I would suggest this gym to anyone who is looking for a self defense class.
Thanks again Veronica!

Impact Krav Maga, (of Krav Maga Global) is fantastic. The studio is centrally located in University Heights, air conditioned, and well-​appointed for the focus of this type of training.
The training is excellent! My husband has been a student for almost two years, while I am still a beginner, but we were both hooked once we started. We find ourselves discussing techniques we’ve learned and practicing defense scenarios just because we’ve enjoyed it so much. The reason is that Yury and Veronica have such passion for what they do, and they instill that passion in the students with their skill, patience and good humor.
The school was featured in August 2014 in a positive light on NBC news because, in response to attacks on women in North Park, Yury and Veronica offered two free seminars for women in San Diego. That sort of generosity of spirit personifies the feeling at Impact Krav Maga. Everyone shares that spirit in class, so it’s more than just a self defense course, or a martial arts gym, it’s a community.
I urge anyone who is curious about Krav Maga to do their homework and learn about the origins of this martial art, developed «so that one may walk in peace». Iyal Yanilov, the leader of Krav Maga Global, studied with Imi Lichtenfeld, the originator of Krav Maga, and while other teaching groups focus strictly on the original techniques, Iyal has always encouraged not only expertise in the the essentials, but adaptation to the modern world and changing scenarios of today’s streets. Yury and Veronica (both Global Expert level) train directly with Iyal, so you are getting two of the best in the U.S.

I assisted in the organization of an event here for a two hour self defense workshop for my company. It was absolutely fantastic! We had rave reviews from our 17 participants, and some people are even thinking about signing up on their own. Veronica and Yury are great, and I’m SO glad we did this. The class was private, interactive, and very educational. Thank you so much Impact Krav Maga studio!

One word to describe this is place — AMAZING. Yury and Veronica teach you the right techniques with passion which is relevant, collaborative. This is the right school for everyone — people of different age groups, different skills.
I have previously trained with Dana Ben Kaplan at Krav Maga San Diego and it sucked big time. Dana has one approach to every one. He is not a good instructor and will teach you irrelevant stuff that is suitable for law enforcement agency, not for we people.

Yury and Veronica teach with such passion and purpose. Each session that I’ve participated in asks for my personal best. Call this a review or a reflection, I see it as both. I leave every session adding to my bank of life saving skills. It’s through their carefully thought out exercises that I have learned independently and with a partner. The repeated drills allow the instructors to observe and assist you one-​on-​one and give you time to practice. The instant feedback motivates me to work harder and smarter. It’s so empowering! They truly want all of us to succeed!
My husband Ed asked me to come to one class to see for myself why he loves it. I came, saw, and joined!
Come and participate, and I guarantee, you’ll be signing up after the introductory class!