We are blessed with a great team of instructors.Markus Anderson, who came all the way from Denmark to join our international team. Markus dedicated a significant part of his life to practicing and teaching martial arts. After running his own club in Copenhagen, training the Danish army, and special police units he decided to dedicate his time to teaching Krav Maga in NYC.
1. What Motivated You To Study Martial Arts?
When I was a kid I used to play soccer and doing other sports just like any other kid. At the age of 15, I wanted to learn how to fight and defend myself. Some of my friends had taken up Martial Arts and I was impressed by how well they could kick. Van Damme was one of the biggest action heroes at that time so being able to kick high was equal to being able to fight well.
So, I quit soccer, which I was never really good at anyway, and stepped into the martial arts world. I really liked the fact that it was up to me, and not others, if I won or loose in a fight or in sparring. I also loved learning new moves and pushing myself to become stronger and faster.
2. Where Does Your Inspiration Come From?
My inspiration comes from two sources: First from my students, who inspires me every day. From the beginner who is just about to learn how to move, punch and kick. Seeing how they become more and more confident for every training session. To the more advanced ones who´s been training for a while. Who is able to get out of more difficult situations and being very efficient at defending themselves.
The second thing that inspires me is that Martial Arts is a never-ending journey. There´s always a new move or skill that I can learn or improve.
3. Did You Ever Had To Use Your Fighting Skills Outside of Class?
I´ve worked in the security field for 8+ years so there´s been more than a few situations were I´ve had to use Krav Maga. Either to stop fights, control people until the police come or to defend me from violent attacks.
4. What’s Your Advise To Newbies?
Focus on the basics first. How to move and through hard kicks and punches is the most important. The rest will come. Advanced skills are the basics mastered. Dedicate yourself to training, consistency is key to become a great Krav Maga practitioner.
- If you have more questions for Markus, leave comments on our facebook page!