'Work on Your Problem-Solving': Krav Maga Experts’ Views on Optimal Learning Environments for Self-Defence Training

The current study reports a qualitative phenomenological investigation of the development of expertise and the experience on learning environments in the domain of self-defence. Semi-structured interviews with two Israeli Krav Maga Experts are analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. This inductive approach aims to capture the richness and complexity of the lived experience of the development of expertise in self-defence. Two analytic themes are presented here: developing expertise in self-defence from the view of the instructor and the good training partner, with an emphasis on its characteristics and the interaction between partners. We conclude by examining the analytic observation through a theoretical lens with regards to pedagogical practices for expert performance and optimal learning environments.