Krav Maga System

Krav Maga is a fighting system different to martial arts. The difference is simple:

A fighting system is designed to give a very accurate solution to a very specific situation. As a result, it does not need to be beautiful or have a deep meaning behind it. It needs to do the job quickly and effectively.

Krav Maga was developed by Imi throughout his entire life – beginning with his experience in Bratislava and continued until his passing.

The official beginning of Krav Maga was when Imi joined the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and after teaching in the ‘Haganah’. Eventually he became Krav Maga’s Head Instructor in the IDF and was able to influence the entire system with his vision. 

His vision was developed around a fighting system that allowed a soldier to learn quickly and retain the fundamental skills.

The principles of self-defense

Imi developed the Krav Maga system based on the principles of self-defense. The guiding points to all techniques where very simple:

• No rules
• Most natural/instinctive reaction
• Shortest movement to defend and counter
• Fastest
• Strongest
• Most effective

Alongside this is the tactical behavior, which we, as instructors, expect students to do.

Before the fight:

• Awareness
• Prevention
• De-escalation
• Use of common objects

After the fight:

• Moving out of line
• Scanning
• Moving to a safe location
• Reporting the incident

Throughout the development of Krav Maga, Imi relied on his background in boxing and wrestling and drew from his extensive experience from fighting in the streets of the Jewish ghettos. 

The focus was to develop a system that was brutally effective with one goal in mind: survive a situation in the street. 

In order to stay true to this goal, it is important to train with those instructors who put self-defense first and have developed their skill with the experts connected to Imi’s true way.

The development of Krav Maga relied on 
IMI’s history and experience.

When Imi was released from the IDF, he took Krav Maga with him into the civilian life. He continued to develop Krav Maga with the same objective: define the problem and find the best solution.

 In the beginning, there was much trial and error and Imi incorporated the feedback from his students, incorporating changes until perfecting a technique. 

Imi always believed that Krav Maga should be a lasting skill available to all; allowing people to defend themselves in a reasonable way, even with only weeks of experience.

This is why the Instructor’s Course is so important in Krav Maga because  During the Instructor’s Course we introduce the best and most efficient ways to teach Krav Maga. 

Upon completion of this course, you will understand the logic behind the teachings and the drills we complete.

Teaching Krav Maga the most efficient way 
so students will survive street situations 

The basic assumption of the Krav Maga system is that in a street situation the attacker will have the upper hand. The defender will have to surprise the attacker and turn the tables around. 

One of the basic approaches of Krav Maga is a simultaneous defense and counter attack.

Krav Maga consists of several points each student should train around in order to increase their chances of survival in a street situation:

• Technical – the actual technique to perform against each attacker
• Fighting – the ability to fight, move, throw punches and kicks effectively
• Mental – do not break down under pressure
• Tactical – as mentioned above
• Ability – physical fitness

The role of the instructor is to train their student and so allowing them a chance to survive in the street.

An attacker will not care if the defender is trained because they will have an agenda to execute. 

Only if a defender shows strong and firm resistance will the attacker be forced to reconsider.

Krav Maga grading system

The levels of Krav Maga provide students goals to aim for. 

In the early days when Krav Maga was introduced outside of Israel, the idea was to differentiate from other martial arts. Therefore, a patch system was introduced with a division of ranks ranging from practitioner, graduate and expert.

When looking for a self-defense club, ensure the Krav Maga grading system reflects each of points mentioned above in order to ensure the best preparation possible.

Interested in a comprehensive Krav Maga grading system? Click here to go to the curriculum.

For the best, advanced, Krav Maga training experience contact Amnon Darsa today.