Krav maga instructor Steve Sulze does not teach his students how to win martial arts competitions.

There aren't any in krav maga.

"We train real life, for the street," the owner of Xtreme Krava Maga and Fitness in Fenton said. "At the same time, it's an aggressive, full-body workout."

If there were tournaments, somebody likely would get hurt, he said.

"The philosophy is defend and counter, meaning eliminate the most immediate danger," said Sulze, 29, of High Ridge. "For example, with a choke, a headlock, a weapon, we defend the immediate threat with combatives, like punches, kicks, knees, elbows, head butts."

The point of krav maga is to stop the attacker in his tracks and get away, he said. It combines techniques from other martial arts and is associated with the Israeli defense forces. It was developed in the 1930s as a means of protecting Jewish communities in Europe against potential attackers.

On a recent cold weekday night, a couple dozen or so people crammed into Sulze's storefront studio at 24 Fenton Plaza for a beginners class.

They could not see what was going on inside before entering the door because the glass front window was fogged from a jiu-jitsu class just letting out. The krav maga enthusiasts stepped into the studio's small entrance way, then removed their shoes as instructed before stepping on the mats covering the rest of the large open room.

At the designated time, Sulze called out for the class of young and old to take positions on the mats. The session of two dozen or so was male-dominated, although there were several female students.

"We have a lot of women who come in here because of something that's happened in their past or feel close to something happening," Sulze said. "But others come in just for the workout."

The pupils spread out as best they could in a room where they would be throwing punches and kicks.

After guiding his charges in some loosening exercises, Sulze began the night's lesson. He told participants to find a partner for footwork practice. An assistant blasted a stereo while Sulze went from pair to pair analyzing each twosome as they went back and forth and side to side, all the while watching each others' moves.

Krav maga is not difficult to learn, he said.

"You become proficient in a matter of months," Sulze said.

The more a person works at it, the better he can get, the instructor said. Students may advance to higher levels of the martial art, though there are no belts involved.

After a while, it was time for a simulated punching drill. Sulze told students to change partners because attackers can come in all sizes. Class members started trading air punches.

The active session continued under his supervision.

Sulze trained for three years to become a certified krav maga instructor. He worked in information technology at Anheuser-Busch before opening his self-defense/fitness studio.

Because he is the Xtreme Krav Maga and Fitness owner, he must handle all the usual chores of running a business in addition to teaching his classes. There are four other certified instructors and five apprentice instructors at his studio that he oversees.

"I'll do a little business work," he said of the times at work when he is not teaching classes. "I'll try to get reliable information out to our customers on Facebook. I plan out curriculum for my classes and look over the lesson plans of other instructors."

He also gives krav maga seminars at places like businesses and schools. Some places use the seminars as team building exercises, while others seek basic self-defense instruction for their staffs, he said.

Sulze was drawn to krav maga after seeing a television news segment on it.

The best part of his day is passing along knowledge that can save other people's lives, Sulze said.

"I enjoy instructing krav maga," he said. "I'm getting paid to work out and help people."