What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is the official hand-to-hand combat system of the Israeli military. As Israelis deal with constant imminent threats across their military and civilian populations, they require a system that is instinctive, efficient, and easily trained. The effectiveness of Krav Maga is so well known it has become the most searched martial arts industry term on Google.

Krav Maga is not a combat sport with rules. It is not a traditional martial art with set forms that often have little connection with reality. What Krav Maga founder, Imi Lichtenfeld, did was to successfully extract simple empty hand and weapon defense principles and tools from Western boxing, karate, judo, and aikido and combine them into a system of self-defense that can effectively be used by everyday people…not just big, young, fast, or strong individuals.

The Aim of Krav Maga

  • 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 toward the bringing together of hearts and ending violence around the world, between all peoples, irrespective of color, race or religion.
IMI LICHTENFELD, Grand Master
May, 1910 – January, 1998

Core Principles

Flashy fighting techniques requiring fine-motor skills are usually lost in stressful violent situations. Krav Maga focuses on easy-to-remember, and simple-to-execute, principles in its flexible and customized curriculum.

  • Using Leverage
  • Closing the Distance
  • Moving Off the Line
  • Simultaneous Defense and Offense
  • Taking a Position of Control
  • Attacking Soft Targets
  • Using Common Weapons of Convenience

Skills & Scenarios

Kapap instructor demonstrates self defense techniques against a gun
Girl who knows self defense.
Thief pointing gun to victim and hijacking car
So yet another person asked me this week, "how long does it take to become good at Krav Maga?". Amazing to me that people have a pre-set expectation on length of time to being confident in a complex physical activity. The number of variables that can occur during a violent encounter ( standing, seated, ground, off angle, armed, multiple attackers, terrain, etc.) are the reason regular training over a length of time, is needed. By comparison, many of my prospective students invest a lot of time and money in tennis lessons. How long should you take tennis lessons before you play Wimbledon? Defending yourself against a physical attack is far more complex and , certainly, more serious than playing Wimbledon....you cannot afford to be unprepared. The stakes are very different if you lose in a tennis tournament than if you lose in an attempted assault. Take the time to train properly. Practice often, train regularly and learn the skills that will save you, in the time it takes for your body to adapt to the movement patterns. The journey is the goal..Peace.

Our self-defense programs are broken down into multiple modules. Each module is designed to address a real-life situation that our students might face. We then empower them with the right strategies and principles to establish a path to safety. Throughout each module, our students will perform various footwork and striking drills, as well as all physical requirements needed to defeat an attacker.

Our sole mission to ensure that regardless of age, ability, or injury, all solutions created are customized to ensure the greatest chance of success.

  • Abduction Defenses (Open Handed)
  • Active Shooter Protocols
  • Airport/Travel-based Defenses
  • Carjacking/Parking Lot Defenses
  • Control and Containment for Institutional:
     Government, Academic, Medical or Security Personnel
  • Defending a Third Party (VIP or Family member)
  • Ground Attack Survival
  • Sexual Assault Defenses
  • Weapons of Convenience
  • Weapon Survival

Be S.A.F.E. Not Sorry

We believe that when a person “Feels Safe”, they can “Live Free.” That’s why our training emphasizes the concept of being S.A.F.E.

S
Situation: Be aware of your surroundings and situation to avoid most dangers before they ever occur.
A
Avert: De-escalate/defuse potential threats by learning how to calm down potentially aggressive social confrontations with verbal skills and body language.
F
Fight: When there is no other option, fully commit and apply the self-defense skills/principles taught to you by our expert team of instructors.
E
Exit: Once a threat is neutralized with the appropriate amount of force necessary, depart as quickly as possible.

While in a violent encounter you are ultimately responsible for being your own protector, you are not alone in how you prepare for one. It takes a village…and our team is standing behind you to help build your skills and confidence to remain safe.