Krav Maga
קרב מגעAn Israeli self-defence system aimed at fast, simple responses to real danger rather than at competition.
Quick Facts
IsraelCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Krav Maga
About Krav Maga
Krav maga is not a martial art in the traditional sense — it is a self-defence system designed to be learned quickly. It formed around Imi Lichtenfeld, a boxer and wrestler from Bratislava who carried his experience of 1930s street confrontations into the training of the Israeli army. From there it spread to civilians in the 1970s and 1980s. The core idea is economy of time. Instead of a catalogue of techniques, krav maga teaches a small number of responses that work against several kinds of attack, and builds them on natural movement — on what the body does by itself when startled. Hence the emphasis on defending from a disadvantaged position, on striking vulnerable targets, and on the rule of neutralising the threat and leaving rather than winning a fight. Training covers defence against strikes, chokes, holds, sticks and knives, and at advanced levels against firearms. Stress work is characteristic: drills done after physical exhaustion, with eyes closed, against multiple attackers, or in confined space. Krav maga has no competition — and that is the fundamental difference from sporting systems. The missing competitive feedback puts a heavy load on the quality of the instructor and on whether classes actually spar. The system is not unified: several independent organisations run their own syllabi and grades.
Styles & Branches
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.
A Canadian offshoot of Israeli self-defence led by Moni Aizik. It leans more on judo and jujutsu than the Krav Maga mainstream.
British tactical branch of real self-defense for urban environments and nightclubs.
The army version of Krav Maga in the Israel Defense Forces. Unlike the civilian form, it assumes attack, a weapon and a mission to complete.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.