Krav Maga
קרב מגע
Krav Maga (קרב מגע, "contact combat") is an Israeli self-defense system developed for the IDF — Tzahal (צה"ל). It focuses on real-world threat neutralization using instinctive movements, simultaneous defense-and-attack — haganah v'hatakafah (הגנה והתקפה) — and aggression under stress.
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Krav Maga is designed to get you street-ready fast. Its retzev (רצף, "continuous motion") principle teaches you to handle the most common real-world attacks — chokes, grabs, weapons — with aggressive, decisive responses.
At a Glance
Who It's For
What You'll Learn
Combative striking — hakaot (הכאות, palm strikes, hammer fists, elbows, knees)
Choke and headlock escapes — shihrur me'chanikot (שחרור מחניקות)
Weapon defenses — haganah neged sakin (הגנה נגד סכין, knife), ekdach (אקדח, gun), makel (מקל, stick)
Simultaneous defense-and-counterattack — haganah v'hatakafah (הגנה והתקפה)
Stress inoculation and scenario-based drills — retzev (רצף, continuous motion)
Ground survival and rapid stand-up — lehilachem al hagav (להילחם על הגב)
Your First Class
Wear athletic clothing and bring a water bottle. Expect combative striking on pads, choke and bear-hug escapes, and stress drills. Classes run 60 minutes.
Watch & Learn
Gallery
Legends of Krav Maga
Imi Lichtenfeld
Imi Lichtenfeld developed Krav Maga on the streets of Bratislava defending Jewish neighborhoods from fascist gangs, then refined it as the Israeli Defense Forces' official combat system. His philosophy — neutralize threats as quickly as possible with no rules — made Krav Maga the world's most widely adopted military self-defense system.
Eyal Yanilov
Darren Levine
Bas Rutten
Related Styles
MMA
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) combines striking and grappling from multiple disciplines into a unified combat sport. Competitors fight using techniques from boxing, wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai, and more.
Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest combat sports, with Olympic roots dating to ancient Greek pankration (παγκράτιον) and wrestling events from 708 BC. Modern competitive wrestling includes Freestyle and Greco-Roman styles, emphasizing takedowns, control, and pinning.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai (มวยไทย), the "Art of Eight Limbs," is Thailand's national combat sport. It uses punches, kicks, elbows, and knees along with a powerful clinch — plam (ปล้ำ) — making it one of the most complete striking arts.
Jiu-Jitsu
Japanese Jiu-Jitsu — jujutsu (柔術, "gentle art") — is the original grappling art of the samurai (侍), encompassing nage-waza (投技, throws), kansetsu-waza (関節技, joint locks), osae-waza (抑え技, pins), and atemi (当身, strikes). It is the ancestor of Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Popular With
Guardian
Only a warrior chooses pacifism; others are condemned to it.
Tactician
There is no such thing as a fair fight.
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