During the last few years with the world being challenged in different ways, we saw a rise in online skydiving and tunnel flying instructions. Krāv, a company doing just that – offering courses in skydiving online – have been hitting the digital pavement by adding a variety of courses from the top names in our sport. We had a chat with founder Chris Fikes to see what his mission is…
What caused you to found Krāv?
Working in the tunnel allowed me to see the benefit of good coaching and the value of knowledge and instruction from experienced and skilled people who have worked very hard to progress to an elite level. It was obvious to me that I could learn more and progress faster when I was receiving instruction from someone who knows what they are talking about. So, I said to myself, “I want to learn as much as I can about every discipline of skydiving, but I want to learn from the best.” Very quickly, I came up against the pain points and obstacles that would keep me from being able to do that. I would need to attend skills camps or hire people for private coaching sessions. Both of these things would require a significant amount of time and financial investment. I couldn’t afford to miss a week of work and spend a large sum of money to attend a camp or hire a private coach. Even though I recognized the value and benefits of these opportunities, I just didn’t have the means to make it happen. I figured if that was the case for me, surely that was the case for other people as well. About the same time, a friend introduced me to masterclass.com and I was blown away by the simplicity of the idea and knew I had found a way to meet this glaring need in our community. So, that’s the reason I started Krāv, it was actually kind of selfish, I wanted to get better and I believe the best way to do that is by learning from the most-skilled and experienced people out there. And, I wanted other people to have the opportunity to do the same thing.
There is another reason I started Krāv, it’s very different from the first reason, but just as practical and maybe more important. I want to make a good, honest living so I can take care of my wife and kids. By good and honest, I mean doing something I believe in, that meets a real need and is a blessing and benefit to those I serve. And I believe Krāv does that.
Put simply, I’m trying to make it easy and affordable for everyone to get exceptional instruction from the most experienced and highly skilled people in our community. I want to help skydivers around the world be better and safer.
Tell us a little bit about the journey of creating Krāv. What were the biggest challenges? What have you personally learned?
I’ve learned a lot about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses. Starting a business and being an entrepreneur is very hard. Lots of times people only see the “successes” of a business but never see or consider the struggles, labor, and toil that goes on behind the scenes. One of the biggest challenges has been getting people to stop and truly consider the tangible and real benefits available to them through Krāv. We have invested a significant amount of time, effort and money into what we are doing and I believe very strongly that it is good. It is very good and every person that seizes the opportunity will benefit. They will progress. They will “do more and be better.”
Who is the team behind Krav and what are they to the company?
- Chris Fikes: Founder/Idea Guy
- Sharon Har-Noy Pilcher: Director of Course Development and Production
- Josh Rottman: Director of Photography
And then, of course, all of the instructors.
Quick Tip– Snippet from Curt Bartholomew on canopy piloting
What might not be obvious to us about Krav at first glance that you definitely want people to understand about your concept / business?
This may seem strange, but Krāv isn’t for everyone. I think Krāv is most beneficial for those who are humble, hungry and have a growth mindset. A humble person doesn’t think too highly of themselves and recognizes that there is always more to learn; the opposite of a skygod. A hungry person wants more; more knowledge, more experience, more opportunity. They enjoy learning, enjoy hard work, and they have learned to find joy in the struggle of progression. A person with a growth mindset is less focused on reaching a “destination” and is more focused on the trip. For them, the journey truly is the destination. Growth is their goal, not contest. Contest is comparing yourself to others, growth is comparing yourself to the you of yesterday. They just want to be better today than they were yesterday and do better on this jump than they did on the last one. So for Krāv, that means a humble person will instantly see the value of learning from the best; if they’re hungry, they’ll be excited for the opportunity to learn and will devour the content; and if they have a growth mindset, they’ll implement what they learn, persevere through the struggle and find joy in their own progression.
The attendant consequence is that this person will be a blessing to the other skydivers around them, their home DZ and the skydiving community at large. In effect, they are helping to raise the foundation of knowledge to a higher level, thus increasing safety, skill, and fun for everyone.
Krav’s Quick Tip – Val Sobol on wingsuiting – what to look for in a First Flight Course
Can you tell us a little bit about your own journey as a skydiver?
I did my first tandem at Lake Taupo, New Zealand back in 2003. I didn’t jump again for 10 years and then did the A-License in a week AFF program at Spaceland Houston in 2013. I was so impressed with my AFF instructor because he could fly right next to me all the time and made it look so easy. I remember thinking, “there’s no way I’ll ever be able to do anything like that in the sky.” We were living in Thailand at the time and were home on furlough for a couple of months so it was a good opportunity to get my license. However, once we went back to Thailand I didn’t have an opportunity to jump at all. We moved back to Texas in 2015 and that’s when I really started jumping a lot and eventually started working as a tunnel instructor in 2018. Working in the tunnel helped me improve and develop my own flight skills but also gave me something else I didn’t expect at all: an opportunity to coach others and help them improve. I was genuinely surprised to find such joy and fun in coaching others and helping them improve. It can be invigorating and energizing and has definitely aided in my own progression. I also like coaching because, selfishly, it means there are more awesome flyers to shred with. And that’s always fun. I started organizing at a couple of local dropzones a couple of years ago and have been trying to jump as much as possible. I like learning and developing my own flight skills and really enjoy the growth and struggle that comes with all the different disciplines of skydiving.
You have a wife and four kids. Did they ever skydive?
My wife has done one tandem and thought it was “Ok”, which I don’t understand at all. How can skydiving be just “okay”? I don’t get it. I wish she would jump. I dream of shredding the sky with my wife, smiling and laughing together in freefall, hugging on the ground because we did something awesome, getting a kiss from her right before we climb out, or a knowing smile as she gives the count in the door. But, alas, it isn’t meant to be. My sons love flying in the tunnel and I hope will all skydive one day soon. My oldest just turned 18 and should be doing his first tandem and starting AFF by the time this article goes to print.
Where do you see Krāv in five years?
My grand vision for Krāv is that it will be the Masterclass of action sports. In five years, I hope we have 50 different courses covering everything from skydiving to paramotoring, freeflying, rock climbing, surfing, mountain biking, bmx, and everything in between.
Quick Tip – Ewan Cowie on creating a snag-free helmet camera
You can find out more at the Kravtofly website
