Krav Maga — The Israeli Self-Defense System

Krav Maga (קרב מגע, “close combat” or “contact combat”) is the Israeli self-defense and combat system — the most pragmatic, most military-oriented, and most widely practiced close-combat system in the modern world. No competition, no art, no philosophical superstructure: Krav Maga has a single function — to enable the practitioner to survive and neutralize real attacks as quickly as possible. The system was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld (1910–1998) in the 1930s in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia — as a direct response to antisemitic street violence. Lichtenfeld was a European wrestling champion and boxing champion; he recognized that competition rules could kill in a survival situation. He synthesized the most effective elements from boxing, wrestling, and street fighting into a rule-free system aimed at rapid neutralization. With the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Krav Maga became the official combat art of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and was personally developed by Lichtenfeld as Chief Instructor for over 15 years.

History and Founders

Imi Lichtenfeld (full name: Imre Lichtenfeld) was born on May 26, 1910 in Budapest and grew up in Bratislava. His father Samuel Lichtenfeld was a Detective Inspector and circus athlete — he taught his son boxing, wrestling, and acrobatics.

In the Bratislava of the 1930s, antisemitic violence escalated. Lichtenfeld organized groups of young Jewish men to protect their community. He recognized a fundamental difference: competition techniques were inadequate for street self-defense. An opponent attacking with a knife does not follow boxing rules. A drunk attacker in a mob is not a fair opponent.

From this insight emerged the core of Krav Maga: only what works in genuine danger has a place in the system.

1948: Lichtenfeld immigrated to Israel and joined the Haganah (Jewish underground army). With Israel’s statehood he became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF Combat Fitness School — a position he held for 15 years.

1964: He left the army and adapted Krav Maga for civilian self-defense — with modifications for ordinary people of all ages and fitness levels. This version is today practiced in millions of schools worldwide.

Lichtenfeld received Israel’s civil rights award in 1997, a year before his death — for his lifetime service to national security.

Principles

Krav Maga has no fixed techniques or forms — only principles:

Principle	Meaning
Simultaneous attack and defense	No separate blocking and striking phases
Attack vital points	Eyes, throat, genitals, knees — no sport rules
Maximum efficiency	Fastest possible neutralization
Adaptability	Use any available weapon — bottle, chair, keys
Scenario training	Training under stress, surprise, exhaustion

Core Techniques

Simultaneous block-strike combinations: Krav Maga combines defense and counter-attack into a single movement — typically: inner arm deflection + fist to throat simultaneously.

360° defense: System for defending against attacks from all directions — with minimal, automated responses.

Knife and weapon defense: Krav Maga is known for its curriculum of weapons defense techniques (knife, gun, club).

Ground attacks: Krav Maga trains getting up from the ground under attack — no extended ground fighting like BJJ.

Training Philosophy

Krav Maga teaches under real stress: exercises are conducted with surprise elements, multiple opponents, darkness, and exhausted body. The goal: techniques should become automated before the mind has fully processed the situation.

“Krav Maga has no good or evil, no beautiful or ugly. There is only: does one survive or not?” — Imi Lichtenfeld

Connections to Other Martial Arts

Boxing — foundation of hand techniques and footwork
Wrestling / Judo / Sambo — takedown and clinch techniques
BJJ — ground fundamentals (but without extensive groundwork)
MMA — Krav Maga and MMA overlap strongly technically; Krav Maga adds multiple opponents and weapons

Today

Krav Maga is practiced in police, military, and civil protection in over 50 countries — officially deployed. Numerous international organizations (IKMF, Krav Maga Worldwide, KMG) have however led to fragmentation of the system.

Criticism: Many “Krav Maga” schools have little in common with the original IDF system. Without clear quality standards, training quality varies enormously.