What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga (Hebrew: “contact combat”) is one of the most effective self-defense/fighting systems practiced in the world today. Originally developed for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to protect their soldiers in the modern world, Krav Maga is now taught to various law enforcement, military, and civilian organizations worldwide. Krav Maga’s simple, no-nonsense and realistic approach to person safety makes it an ideal self-defense solution for men, women and young and elderly people of all ages and physical abilities.

Krav Maga was created by the late Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld) during his tenure as the Chief Instructor of Hand-to-Hand Combat with the newly formed Israeli Defense Forces. Faced with training soldiers, efficiently and quickly, with a wide range of ages and physical attributes, he developed a system that relied on simple, instinctive movements rather than rigid techniques that requires years of training. With a practical approach in both technique and training, Krav Maga was perfectly suited for the violent world facing IDF soldiers. With real-world application by the IDF, Krav Maga has emerged as the world’s most battle-tested system that is continuously being tested, checked and improved.

In recent years, Krav Maga has migrated from the military to the law-enforcement/civilian world. Although some techniques have been adapted to meet non-military personnel, the core Krav Maga techniques remain the same.

Guiding Principles of Krav Maga

Make use of one’s natural reflexes. Krav Maga techniques are an extension of one natural body movements.
Defend and counter-attack in the shortest and most direct way possible.
Strike correctly at any vulnerable point.
Use your surrounding environment (i.e. any nearby object) for your defense and counter-attack.
Address the threat and respond with the appropriate force.
In Krav Maga there are no rules.

The Aim of Krav Maga

As emphasized by Imi Lichtenfeld:

To educate and build people mentally, spiritually, and physically, so that in a time of need one will be able to defend and attack with maximum speed and efficiency.
To establish in one a sense of self-worth.
To work towards the brining together of hearts and ending violence around the world, between all peoples, irrespective of color, race and religion.