Krav Maga

Krav Maga
קְרַב מַגָּע‎
Krav Maga course at an Israeli paratroopers school in 1955
FocusHybrid
Country of origin Israel
CreatorImi Lichtenfeld
Parenthood
Olympic sportNo

Krav Maga (/ˌkrɑːv məˈɡɑː/ KRAHV mə-GAH; Hebrew: קְרַב מַגָּע, IPA: [ˈkʁav maˈɡa]; lit. 'contact combat') is an Israeli self defence system. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),[1][2] it uses techniques derived from Aikido, Boxing, Judo, Karate and Wrestling.[3][4] It is known for its focus on real-world situations.[5]

Krav Maga was originally developed by Hungarian-born Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld. Having grown up in Bratislava during a time of anti-Semitic unrest, Lichtenfeld used his training as a boxer and wrestler to defend Jewish neighborhoods against attackers in the mid-to-late 1930s, becoming an experienced street fighter.[6][7] After his immigration to Mandatory Palestine in the late 1940s, he began to provide lessons on combat training to Jewish paramilitary groups that would later form the IDF during the 1948 Palestine war. As an instructor, he compiled his knowledge and experience into the combat system that would later become known as Krav Maga. This system would continue to be taught long after he left the IDF.[2][8]

From the outset, the original concept of Krav Maga was to take the most effective and practical techniques of other fighting styles (originally European boxing, wrestling, and street fighting) and make them rapidly teachable to conscripted soldiers.[9] It has a philosophy emphasizing aggression[10] and simultaneous defensive and offensive manoeuvres.[11] It has been used by Israeli special forces and regular infantry units alike.[12] Closely related variations have been developed and adopted by Israeli law enforcement and intelligence organizations, and there are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally.[13] There are two forms of Krav Maga, with one type adapted for Israeli security forces and the other type adapted for civilian use.[13]

  1. ^ "About Krav Maga". sgskravmaga.com.au. 25 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Green, Thomas A. (2001). Martial Arts of the World: En Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1576071502. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Traditional Krav Maga(TM): Eli Avikzar the Second in Israeli Defense Force Krav Maga Chief Instructor". kravmaganewyork.blogspot.com.
  4. ^ "Krav Maga Federation – Israeli Martial Arts and Self-Defense". kravmagainc.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference kravmagaguild was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Hodsdon, Amelia (8 February 2005). "Get your kicks with Israeli tricks". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  7. ^ Levine, Darren; Whitman, John (2009). Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 200 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1569751794. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Imi Lichtenfeld". smartkravmaga.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  9. ^ Inside Israel, Nov 2002, Vol. 40, No. 11, p. 68 Black Belt Magazine, Active Interest Media
  10. ^ Black Belt Magazine, July 2000, Vol. 38, No. 7, p. 37 Krav Maga’s Top 10, Active Interest Media
  11. ^ "All change on the buses". BBC News. 15 January 1998. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Elite soldiers fight it out in IDF's first-ever Krav Maga tournament". IDF Blog. 27 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016.
  13. ^ a b Jim Wagner and Maj. Avi Nardia. "Inside Israel". Black Belt Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2009.