You may be your first and last line of defense in an increasingly violent world. You must be prepared to do whatever it takes to survive. Most important, there are no rules on the street.
Battle-tested and street-proven Israeli krav maga ("contact combat") is the Israel Defense Force's official self-defense and close-quarters-combat system. The Israeli military, law enforcement and security institutions needed a close-quarter-combat training regimen based on utility, instinct, simplicity and adaptability. Imi Lichtenfeld's krav maga system has provided a solution that has reached global prominence.
Krav maga is based on our most primitive and natural instincts. In developing the self-defense system, survival in any situation was foremost in Imi's mind. Accordingly, krav maga relies on a person's natural instincts and reflexes for self-defense. Awareness and mental conditioning are integral to krav maga training.
Krav maga's philosophy is never to do more than necessary, but to react with speed, economy of motion, and the appropriate measure of force. If a situation is dire, the defender must do whatever is necessary to overcome the threat. This may include multiple strikes to the groin, throat, and kidneys, a finger planted into an eye, shouting into an attacker's ear, a head butt, breaking an attacker's elbow using an armbar variation, severing an attacker's Achilles tendon using an ankle lock, a bite to the neck, or choking an assailant into unconsciousness.
Speed is paramount and one is taught to strike instinctively at the human body's vulnerable parts. Krav maga is dynamic and constantly evolves as situations require.
The Israeli krav maga system is one of the most effective, practical, and holistic fighting systems in the world. Krav maga will build your body, mind, and soul. Imi designed krav maga to benefit people of all shapes, sizes, and physical abilities regardless of age. The six pillars of krav maga training include:
The Krav Maga Six Pillars Grid©
| Simultaneous Defense and Attack Combine your defense and offense into one complete strategy. |
Focus on Vulnerable Soft Tissue Counter-attack the vulnerable areas of your opponent's body including the groin, eyes, and throat. |
| Retzev Continuous Combat Motion Move fast, continuously, seamlessly and determinedly to overwhelm your attacker giving him no time to react. |
A Building Block Learning Process Learn one elemental technique at a time and then build on it over time. |
| Decisive Action Be both decisive and quick in responding to a violent encounter. Do whatever is necessary to overcome a dangerous threat. |
Subduing Techniques
If possible, use subduing techniques to de-escalate a situation quickly. |
The Krav Maga Mental Preparation Grid©
| The Mind of a Kravist In a physical confrontation, you are likely experience a combined surge of stress, fear, and excitement. Mental and physical conditioning will allow you to harness your adrenaline and channel it into action. Mental confidence and toughness provides a decisive |
The Four Steps to Action
When confronted, the mind goes through a series of steps to choose a response:
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| Reacting To an Attack A surprise attack will force you to react from an unprepared state. Therefore, your self-defense reaction must be instinctive and reflexive. Krav maga training prepares you for just that. The subconscious mind turns instinctive trained responses into immediate action. |
Understanding the Human Body
The body can withstand a high amount of physical punishment. Adrenaline is a powerful energizer and allows the body to momentarily insulate itself against pain. The body's resilience works for both victim and assailant. To stop an assailant, target the body's vulnerable and vital areas using retzev. |
| Making the Training as Real as Possible Training will help you overcome the fight paralysis that can easily set in. You will learn how to alleviate fear, panic and other sensations. You will learn effective physical techniques while mentally adjusting to a harsh violent reality. |
Visualization and Scenario Planning
Use your mind to train your body to automatically and instinctively react to danger. Visualization and scenario planning boosts your confidence, reduces fear, improves your fighting technique, and helps cope with unanticipated hostile situations because you will have envisioned them beforehand. |
Krav maga uses the same building blocks from the most simple defenses to the most advanced techniques including empty-handed defenses and disarms against bladed weapons, firearms, hand grenades, and even rocks. Krav maga is world-renowned for these disarming techniques. In summary, krav maga is well known for its: simplicity, instinctive nature, utility, use of weapons of opportunity, adaptability and proficiency.
For more information on krav maga and its founder, Imi Lichtenfeld, in either English or Hebrew, please visit www.kravmagaisraeli.com and click "Founder."
A more a complete explanation and in-depth history of krav maga may also be found in the book, KRAV MAGA by ST MARTIN'S PRESS (2004), available for purchase online and all major book stores.