Military Krav Maga
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.
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What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
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About Military Krav Maga
Military Krav Maga is the army version of Israeli close combat. It has no founder in the personal sense — it is a training syllabus of the armed forces — but its shape was set by Imi Lichtenfeld, who had been teaching the method in the Haganah and the Palmach since the mid-1940s and who became chief close-combat instructor after the Israel Defense Forces were established in 1948; he held the post until 1964. The year 1948 here therefore marks the founding of the army that adopted the method, not the origin of the method itself.
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The starting point was practical necessity. Recruits arrived from different countries with different ages and fitness levels, and training lasted weeks rather than years. The syllabus therefore dropped everything that requires long acquisition and built itself on a small number of movements derived from natural reactions, each usable against several different attacks. What separates it from the civilian version is the assumption, not the technique. A soldier is not to leave but to complete a mission, and he is expected to be armed and not to be acting alone. The syllabus therefore covers offensive use of rifle, pistol and knife, the transition from shooting to close combat and back, detaining and escorting a person, work in pairs, and fighting in confined space, in a vehicle and in built-up terrain. The actual content of IDF training is not public, and what civilian schools offer under the name "military Krav Maga" is a derivative, not the army syllabus. The amount taught also differs by unit: the basic course is short, while special units receive considerably more.
History
Military Krav Maga comes from the work of Imi Lichtenfeld. According to a bachelor's thesis at the University of West Bohemia (2024), he arrived in Palestine in 1942, joined the Hagana and trained the Palmach strike units. In 1948, according to English Wikipedia, he became chief instructor of physical training and Krav Maga at the Combat Fitness School of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). For the system, the names kapap, judo shimushi and Krav Maga were used interchangeably at first. According to the same thesis, the army issued a manual titled Krav Maga in the late 1950s and the name became official in the early 1960s. Lichtenfeld left the army in 1964 and founded a private training centre in Netanya.
How it differs
According to a bachelor's thesis at the University of West Bohemia, military Krav Maga arose for survival in combat, and civilian schools often omit free sparring. In the 1960s civilian Krav Maga adopted judo belts and the kimono in place of a military uniform. The IKMF international federation states that Krav Maga was military from the start, so it had to be learnable by anyone quickly.
Technique
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the main principle is not to fight for its own sake but to neutralise the attacker, leave and call for help. Soldiers learn defence against abduction, stabbing and other threats, including attacks by rioters. In the instructors' course, according to a 2012 Arutz Sheva report, cadets begin with knife attacks using plastic knives. Strikes below the belt are allowed because, according to the IDF, anything that stops the attacker goes.
Training
According to the IDF, all soldiers must complete a few basic Krav Maga lessons. According to a 2012 report, the instructors' course lasted five weeks and was meant for soldiers who want to go beyond basic training. Men and women trained in pairs and eight cadets left the course. Krav Maga lessons are also part of the programme for female soldiers preparing for the role of physical education instructors. According to the IDF, Corporal Rachel Shir was, at the time of the interview, one of three Krav Maga instructors in the whole army.
Ranks and progression
We have not found a grading system for army Krav Maga in public sources. Progress in the army follows training, from a few basic lessons for all soldiers to a five-week instructors' course. According to a bachelor's thesis at the University of West Bohemia, Krav Maga took civilian belts and dans from judo only in the 1960s, for civilian teaching.
Today
According to the IDF, Krav Maga should keep combat and non-combat soldiers safe in any situation. The IDF and the Israeli press link stronger close-combat training to fears of abductions after the Gilad Shalit exchange deal. According to English Wikipedia, the IDF has run an annual Krav Maga contest since May 2013.
Did you know
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) translate the name Krav Maga as contact combat. In his youth, according to English Wikipedia, Imi Lichtenfeld won the Slovak wrestling championship and also a national boxing championship. According to popular overviews, he built the system to teach newcomers the basics in about three weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Krav Maga taught in the Israeli army?
Yes. According to the Israel Defense Forces, all soldiers must complete a few basic Krav Maga lessons, and those interested can take the instructors' course.
How long does the Krav Maga instructors' course in the IDF last?
According to a 2012 Arutz Sheva report, it lasted five weeks. Men and women trained in it and eight cadets did not finish the course.
What is the difference between military and civilian Krav Maga?
Military Krav Maga arose for survival in combat. In the 1960s the civilian version took belts and the kimono from judo, and according to a bachelor's thesis at the University of West Bohemia some civilian schools leave out free sparring.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.