Krav Maga

Krav Maga Imi Lichtenfeld, founder of Krav Maga. / Photo Source: Krav Maga Toronto

Summary

Krav Maga is a self-defense system developed in Israel. It was initially developed to teach military conscripts. Practitioners shy away from calling it a martial art style because it does not subscribe to the ideals that conventional martial art forms subscribe to. It is a fighting technique that has evolved over the past 70 years. It can be applied in combat situations and in situations that may befall a normal person on the street. The system of Krav Maga is meant to be simple, but very effective and intuitive. Today, it is taught to Israeli officers and other law-enforcement agencies globally. It has been translated from the battlefield to the ordinary streets where it is taught as a martial art for self-defense.

 

History / Origins

ETYMOLOGY

The words “Krav Maga” come from the fusion of two Hebrew words: “Krav”, which means “battle” and “Maga”, which means, “contact”.

BEGINNINGS

The person credited with creating Krav Maga is the Jewish Czechoslovakian Imi Lichtenfield. He used this blend of Jujutsu, Boxing, Wrestling and gymnastics to survive the mean streets of Czechoslovakia. Imi wanted to do something to alleviate the Jewish persecution, and in 1942, he moved to Israel to join the Jewish Haganah (a Jewish paramilitary group) to protect Jews living in Palestine as well as those who were returning to Israel. The Military leaders noticed Imi’s fighting style and asked him to teach it to other military personnel.

When Israel gained its Statehood, separate Israeli fighting forces were combined into one group, but Imi continued teaching his brand of martial arts which was and is still known as Krav Maga.

PRESENT DAY

Krav Maga has become an international phenomenon. It is a form of martial arts that is taught to law-enforcement officers, and civilians alike. It is not only being taught in many gyms across the globe as a self-defense art, but also in the training academies of SWAT, FBI, CIA and some branches of the U.S military. Aspects of Krav Maga can be adapted to suit any kind of practitioner. Krav Maga can be deadly, but a lot of people gravitate towards it because it improves fitness and strength and gives practitioners a sense of power in knowing that they can defend themselves against attacks.

FOLKLORE

To understand Krav Maga one has to know the history of the Jews in Israel. They were always regarded as peaceful and therefore weak and helpless against the often, volatile Bedouin Arabs. In addition to the uneasy relations with Arab neighbors, there was a global wave of anti-Semitist sentiments that drove world wars. With all that in mind one can understand why an entire nation had to be militant and adopt a serious military style-like self-defense that was simple, yet deadly, like Krav Maga.

The Arabs often referred to Jews as “Walid el mita” – the child of death because Jewish blood was not considered to be valuable. With fascism on the rise and rising anti–Semitic sentiment, Jews all over the world felt threatened. Imi Lichtenfield took it upon himself to advance his own training to develop a real-life self-defense martial art form. This would be different from methods used by groups like the 1907 Hashomer and Ze’ev Jabontinsky’s Haganah whose main form of combat style was stick fighting or Kapap.

Discipline
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Israel
TIME OF ORIGIN:
PRACTISED:
FOUNDERS:

Imi Lichtenfield

FOCUS: 

Hybrid

ALSO KNOWN AS: -
PARENTHOOD:

Boxing, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Savate, Wrestling

DESCENDANTS:

OLYMPIC SPORT: No

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NATIONALITY:
DATE OF BIRTH:
AGE:
BORN:

RESIDENCE: -
ALSO KNOWN AS: -
OCCUPATION:

Hybrid

JOB TITLE:

Boxing, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Savate, Wrestling

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COUNTRY: Israel
LOCATION: -
FOUNDED:
OPERATIONAL:
FOUNDERS:

Imi Lichtenfield

ALSO KNOWN AS: -
SECTOR:

Hybrid

DESCRIPTION:

Boxing, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Savate, Wrestling

WEBSITE:

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Practices

PHILOSOPHY

Krav Maga’s core philosophy is “do not do more than what is necessary”. Practitioners are taught to be self-aware, intuitive and fast. They are taught to be aware of their own natural strength, and to be able to utilize it without too much effort when they are being attacked. The movements are economical but effective. Krav Maga is dynamic. It requires the practitioner to react to the situation as quickly as it arises. It is a martial art form that is designed for street fighting where no rules can be applied; this means that if the situation calls for it the practitioner can strike areas that most martial art forms forbid like the throat, kidneys or groin. Krav Maga encourages practitioners to inflict as much pain or do what is necessary to disarm their attacker and if it means attacking the groin, then that is where the attack should be directed.

TECHNIQUES

Information coming soon

TRAINING

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RANKS & GRADING

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WEIGHT CLASSES

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Rules / Rulesets

RULES / RULESETS

Krav Maga is not suited for tournaments. There are no hard rules and no distinctions between men and women. Krav Maga is not a martial art sport. There are no competitions held or belt systems. There are some organizations that have attempted to bring some standards in terms of ranking fighters, but the bottom line and the only point of Krav Maga is to deliver maximum, debilitating blows in real-life situations. The techniques that are taught by Krav Maga instructors should enable practitioners to neutralize whatever threat they are being faced with as quickly and efficiently as possible. A good defense is a crippling attack on any vulnerable body part using your own body and anything else that might come in handy. The ultimate goal is to survive – at all costs! In Krav Maga, the body is the ultimate weapon.

Organisations & Historical Places

ORGANISATIONS

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HISTORICAL PLACES

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Popular Culture

POPULAR CULTURE

Krav Maga can be seen in movies, television shows and video games.

Movies:

  • Kristanna Loken trained in Krav Maga for her role in “Terminator 3”.
  • Brandon Fraser is reported to have trained in Krav Maga for his role in “The Mummy“.
  • Jennifer Lopez who plays Slim in the movie “Enough“, also learned Krav Maga

Television:

  • Sydney Bristow, a character played by Jennifer Garner in “Alias” is a Krav Maga practitioner.
  • Jack Bauer, the main character in the hit TV series “24”, is said to be a Krav Maga expert.
  • Ziva David, who is a former Mossad agent in the TV series “NCIS” is said to be a skilled Krav Maga practitioner.
  • The cast of the TV series, “The Unit”, was trained in Krav Maga

Games and Comics:

  • Sam Fischer in “Splinter Cell
  • Niko Bellic in “Grand Theft auto IV”.
  • Shadowcat from the X-Men comics is a Krav Maga practitioner.

Useful Links

USEFUL LINKS

Israeli Martial Arts: Krav Maga As A Post SHTF Self Defense Technique

References

REFERENCES

  1. http://www.kravmaga.com
  2. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/10/a-primer-on-krav-maga-the-combative-system-of-the-israeli-defense-forces/

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