Civilian Krav Maga
The civilian form of Israeli self-defence, adapted by Imi Lichtenfeld for ordinary people after he left the army. It has had its own association since 1978.
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About Civilian Krav Maga
Civilian Krav Maga is the form of Israeli self-defence intended for people outside the armed forces. It grew out of the military system Imi Lichtenfeld had been building since the 1940s; after leaving the army in 1964 he reworked the method for police and for ordinary civilians and opened schools in Tel Aviv and Netanya. The organisational frame came only on 22 October 1978, with the founding of the Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA), which is why that year is given here rather than earlier estimates. The international federation IKMF followed in 1995, and Lichtenfeld died on 9 January 1998. The difference from the military version lies in the goal, not the technique. A soldier attacks and completes a mission; a civilian is meant to get away. The syllabus therefore drops offensive weapon use, team work and killing techniques, and concentrates on reacting from a losing position — from behind, seated, in a confined space, with the hands trapped. Its core is the 360 principle, a circular forearm block against an attack from any angle, combined with an immediate counter and an exit. Training deliberately works with fatigue, noise and stress, because it assumes the defender will be neither prepared nor rested. Testing happens in scenarios rather than sport bouts; Krav Maga has no competition and grading systems differ between organisations. After Lichtenfeld's death the scene split into several federations — IKMA, IKMF, KMG and others — which differ in syllabus and in how much weight they put on physical conditioning.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.