KRAV MAGA HISTORY
"Don't get hurt, be humble, and conduct yourself properly (with dignity) - reach proficiency so you won't have to take lives." - Imi Lichtenfeld
Krav Maga is not a traditional martial art; the words krav maga literally translate to "contact combat". It is a system of techniques created by Imi Lichtenfeld in the early 1930s as a practical self-defense system to deal with real life threatening situations. It was developed in an environment where the Israeli military could not devote many hours to hand to hand combat training. Therefore, the Krav Maga system was created to bring students to a high level of skill in a relatively short period of time. There are no forms (katas) or rules or set combinations as reactions to attacks. Many techniques originated from other martial arts such as; Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling. Over the years techniques from Ju-Jitsu and Karate have also been incorporated.
​
The art of Krav Maga is much more of a survival system dealing with personal safety issues. It is considered to be a modern, highly refined, street fighting system, designed to be used against armed and unarmed attackers. Krav Maga addresses a wide variety of aggressive acts which include punches, kicks, chokes, bearhugs, headlocks, grabs, as well as defenses against multiple attackers and assailants armed with a firearm, edged weapon, or blunt object.
Imi Lichtenfeld
In addition to self-defense, Krav Maga teaches hand to hand combat. This is a more advanced and sophisticated phase, and shows how to neutralize an opponent quickly and effectively. It embodies elements related to the actual performance of the fight including tactics, feints, powerful combinations of different attacks, the psychological dimensions of the fight, and learning how to use the environment to your advantage.
Krav Maga includes specialized training methods to not only challenge students physically, but to also instill a special mental discipline meant to strengthen the spirit and to develop the ability to deal with violent confrontations under intense stress. Because of the Krav Maga’s combat-orientation, there are no competitions or tournaments. Like other arts, Krav Maga issues colored belts to mark higher levels of expertise.