Do you like seeing girls kick ass? Like Jennifer Garner cleaning clocks on “Alias,” or Charlize Theron smashing her enemies' faces on “Aeon Flux,” or Rebecca Romijn putting the flying scissor-kick headlock on everyone who crosses her path in “X-Men”? What's not to like? You have to feel at least a little admiration for these women rocking a mean Judo chop. You may be interested to learn that these women (along with countless others) prepared for their fight scenes by learning Krav Maga, the hand-to-hand combat method developed by a boxer named Imi Lictenfield in the 1930s. Krav Maga is the official martial art of the Israeli Defense Force, but also many members of the FBI, LAPD and NYPD use this effective system on the streets of America. Krav Maga is a form of self-defense based on intuitive moves that are relatively easy to learn.

On an investigative journalism assignment, tennis superstar Anna Kournikova entered an introductory class at Moti Horenstein's Karate & Kickboxing Academy in Miami. For her workout sessions, Anna's training varied slightly from other civilian programs. For instance, everything she did was performed barefoot, which isn't the standard way to practice this hardcore technique.

After moving from a quick warm-up to punches and kicks, Anna ended up getting an incredible complete-body workout. Much of it had to do with her always being on her toes, moving quickly while focusing on swinging the arms correctly and coordinating her kicks. One advantage she found was that the results of Krav Maga come quickly, unlike in Karate, which can take years to master. “You'll notice a difference in yourself, mentally and physically, after studying twice a week for a few months,” she said.

Kournikova added, “Of the various workouts I've done while on assignment, this is definitely the best stress reliever. Every inch of my body was engaged, from the muscles in my feet (steadying myself without shoes) to the top of my shoulders (doing jabs and hooks).”