E73: Self-Defense as Insurance: Why Everyone Needs Krav Maga Training

Ever wondered what real self-defense training looks like beyond the Hollywood portrayals? Leo Haberkamp of Colorado Krav Maga pulls back the curtain on this powerful combat system, revealing why he considers his studio not a traditional dojo but a "self-defense university" where everyday people learn to protect themselves using natural instincts and practical techniques.

Leo's journey into Krav Maga began with his bodybuilder father's humbling experience—coming into a class overconfident at 310 pounds and leaving with seven stitches across his forehead after discovering what real-world combat training feels like. This transformative moment brought Leo's entire family into the practice, setting him on a path that would eventually lead from Marine Corps service to becoming a respected Krav Maga instructor.

Throughout our conversation, Leo dispels common myths about Krav Maga, explaining that it's far more than just eye gouges and groin kicks. The true genius of the system lies in how it works with your body's natural reactions to threats, refining instinctual movements into effective defensive techniques. His studio welcomes an impressively diverse range of students—from toddlers as young as three to seniors in their seventies—proving that effective self-defense isn't limited by age or physical prowess.

Beyond the physical training, Leo shares his personal growth journey, candidly discussing how teaching Krav Maga has helped him overcome the "God complex" developed during his military service. This vulnerability adds a profound dimension to his teaching philosophy and reminds us that martial arts offer benefits far beyond physical protection. And when he's not training students? You might find this self-proclaimed "nerdiest individual ever" running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns or playing Magic: The Gathering.

What's Leo's most powerful message? Everyone needs "self-defense insurance." Just as we wouldn't drive without car insurance or live without health coverage, developing the skills to protect yourself and loved ones is an essential investment in your security and peace of mind. Ready to learn more about Colorado Krav Maga? Check them out on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@KravMagaColorado, on Instagram @kravmagafortcollins, or visit https://www.coloradokravmaga.com/ to discover how you can train with Leo and his team.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of exceptionalKrav Maga training right here in
Colorado?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
leo Haberkamp, with ColoradoKrav Maga.
Leo, how's it going?
Pretty good.
How about you, nick?
Excellent, we're excited tolearn all about you and your

(00:32):
practice.
Tell us about your dojo, ifthat's the right word.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh, dojo, studio, it doesn't matter.
We like to say studio becausewe are not a traditional martial
arts in that sense.
We like to think of ourselvesas more of a self-defense
university rather than a dojo topunch, kick and fight in right.
Krav Maga, meaning contactcombat, is our bread and butter
here and it's a way for us toteach regular ordinary people

(00:59):
how to defend themselves withreal-world situations as well as
real-world tactics.
How did you get into thisbusiness?
Funny story my father actuallywas able to first find this back
about 22, 23 years ago, and atthe time he was a bodybuilder.
He was massive, he was about310 pounds, and he came into one

(01:20):
of the studios at the time Atthat time there's only about one
of them he did a class.
He thought it was kind of dumbbecause he was big and so he was
letting people have it.
The instructor at that time lethim know that we're essentially
training and we're not actuallygoing real world.
If you want to go real world,we can.

(01:40):
Hank essentially messed aroundand found out and he had seven
stitches across his foreheadafter he found out what it
actually feels like to do Krav.
So then he got myself and therest of my family into it and
I've just stayed in it eversince.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
What are some myths or misconceptions in Krav Maga?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
The biggest myth I hear all the time and it's from
other martial artists or othercombat sports is that Krav Maga
is just eye gouges and kickingor groin kicks, and that's all
it is, and it really isn't.
The biggest thing is that weteach natural reactions to the
threats that are given to us.
For example, the universal signfor I'm choking is your hands

(02:23):
coming up to your throat.
So if you could imagine someoneputting their hands around your
throat, your natural reactionis to come up here and grab it
right.
We just now take that naturalreaction and change it into a
more effective use of that,without removing the instinctual
nature of it.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Who are your target customers?
Do you guys teach all agegroups?
I've got a four-year-old in oneof your classes and I know that
you cater very well to smallchildren.
But yeah, who are the targetcustomers and how wide is the
bandwidth that you cast yourmarketing net to?

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, so Sun's awesome.
We actually started as littleas three years old, and we can
go until you decide that youdon't want to train anymore.
My oldest clientele is 70 to 76years old is what I have.
I have four individuals thatare in that age range, but my
average age here is about 32.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
How are you marketing to them now, outside of word of
mouth, which I'm sure you have?
You have 138 reviews currentlyonline that add up to five stars
, so I know you don't have anyproblems with word of mouth, but
what are you doingextraordinary beyond that to
reach clients?

Speaker 3 (03:31):
Yeah, biggest thing is that we actually do seminars.
We host three yearly seminarsthat are completely free to the
public, that all five of thelocations that we're partnered
with do throughout the year.
We have a women's self-defenseseminar in April.
We have a kid safe seminar atthe beginning of school year and
then we have just a generalself-defense summer.
We do whenever we have anopening or available schedule.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Because people don't read much anymore.
Having videos on your websiteis immensely important and a lot
of business owners haven't putthat together yet.
You've got videos on yourwebsite.
I saw that, but I didn't lookdeeply enough to know if you
have any experience reachingpotential clients through
podcasting.
Have you ever done that orthought about doing that?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
You know, what's funny is I was thinking of
building a podcast for some typeof information, especially for
my student base, because a lotof them have questions like what
OODA loop is or what are thethree principles of Krav Maga
things in nature that we discussin class but we don't go over
into more detail, and I wasalways thinking about doing
stuff like that.
I just never have the time orenergy really to do it.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, I see that firsthand that you're very busy
For people that I see in thisindustry.
The parking lot doesn't fill upat anyone I've ever been to,
but it sure as it does.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
So outside of work.
What do you do for fun?
I am the nerdiest individualever.
On top of my normal workoutroutine and schedule, I actually
host several D&D campaigns forboth my friends and actually for
kids.
I've opened a second businessfor running D&D campaigns
because the DM, which is thetitle of the person that runs it
.
They're very scarce nowadaysand good ones are very hard to

(05:11):
come by, so I have that sidebusiness and I love doing that.
I'm building my own world forD&D and I also love playing
Magic the Gathering, and my wifeand I love hiking and camping
as well.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
For those of you that don't know what he means,
that's Dungeons and Dragons,right?
Yes, that is correct.
Okay, it took me a second.
It's been a while I have played, so let's switch gears.
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge that you
overcame and how it made youstronger?
What comes to mind?

Speaker 3 (05:44):
challenge that you overcame and how it made you
stronger.
What comes to mind, you know, Ithink the one I'm actually
still currently going through islosing that sense of ego.
It really is.
For those that don't know whomy past is, I was in the Marine
Corps for eight years, initiallyactive, and then I changed over
to reserves, and in the MarineCorps you're really taught to be
hardcore, to push.
Hardcore to push and to ignoreyour, your pains and your

(06:04):
feelings and really make sureyou get in the work done because
you know other people's livesare at stake.
When we first bought thislocation and then started
running it, I realized I had alot of that really self-inflated
ego.
It was I like to make the jokeof a God complex, essentially,
and now having so many peoplethat rely on me but also I rely

(06:26):
on them, especially myinstructors and other coaches
and my wife, for example.
They all.
I need them more than they needme, and that's been something
huge and life-changing it reallyis is that I'm doing this to
help everybody else, but it'snot because of me.
It's because of the messagethat we're sending.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Leo, please tell our listeners one thing they should
absolutely remember aboutColorado Krav Maga.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
The biggest thing is that everyone needs to be safe.
Everybody has health insurance.
Everybody has car insurance.
Just in case something badhappens, you should have some
safety or self-defense insuranceas well.
Car insurance just in casesomething bad happens, you
should have some safety orself-defense insurance as well.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
How can our listeners learn more about Colorado Krav
Maga in all of the online ways?
And then a phone number.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Our personal Instagram is4CollinsKravMaga.
You can also look us online atwwwColoradoKravMagacom.
You can also check us out onYouTube.
Our phone number is970-223-4180.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
Well, Leo, we really appreciate you being on the show
and we wish you and ColoradoCrav Magad the very best moving
forward.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
I appreciate it, Nick .
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
No-transcript.