By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA — A former Israeli soldier stood in a Chelsea exercise studio, calmly showing a room full of civilians which body parts are the most vulnerable to attack — the eyes, nose, ears, jaw, throat, knee, pubic bones, Achilles tendon and the groin.
There was only one problem with the class full of would-be combatants — it didn't have enough women to suit Krav Maga instructor Matan Gavish.
"Women are taught that they have to be gentle and kind," said Gavish, 29, a former Israeli Special Ops soldier who runs the 5,000 square foot Krav Maga Academy at 25 W. 26th St.
"The hardest thing in Krav Maga is to transform yourself from an educated, well-mannered person into a super-aggressive, super-destructive being."
Gavish's Level I Krav Maga classes teach students the Israeli combat system that he describes as a brutally-efficient combination of martial arts and self defense techniques.
And while his classes are already packed to capacity, Gavish has been trying to get the word out to attract more women to his class, since they're outnumbered two to one by men.
Gavish said he firmly believes the program holds more value for the feminine set — helping them to inflict "maximum damage in minimal time" on would-be muggers, kidnappers, rapists and other trouble makers.
But showing up, he acknowledged, can be intimidating.
One of the women who has made that leap is Stephanie Montrallo, a 5-foot, 2 1/2-inch grants manager who recalled head-locking strangers during her first class. She has been fighting now for months, she said, because the atmosphere, at once daunting, has helped her build confidence.
"It's physically challenging and mentally challenging," said Montrallo, 29. "It's getting over that psychological barrier — if you're going to get attacked, you can't wait."
Gavish has taught the defense moves to U.S. Navy Seals and Army Rangers, private security firms, the NYPD's Tactical Training Unit and other law enforcement personnel.
He decided to expand his classes to include New Yorkers of all shapes and sizes, in hopes of helping them get into the right mindset to defend themselves.
"You make yourself crazier than the guy who is trying to hurt you," added Gavish, who's also a graduate of Psychology at Columbia University.
Another female student, environmental specialist Jennifer Chernowski, 35, said the sparring moves she's picked up impressed even her Apache helicopter pilot ex-boyfriend.
Key lessons she's learned, Chernowski said, include acting against many typical defense instincts. If someone grabbed her arm, for example, she now knows it's smarter to jab forward than try to yank it away.
"I know that if something happened — I know at least I'd have a fighting shot as opposed to feeling helpless," Chernowski said.
The Krav Maga Academy offers one free class to all beginners. Then, packages include $100 a month for a year membership, or $250 for ten classes.
