Krav Maga (Hebrew: "contact combat") is a military defensive tactics system that originated in Europe around WWII, and is regarded by many professionals as the most effective defense system in the world today. It came to prominence following its adoption & development by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Border Police & other Security Forces as their official self-defence system. Krav Maga is not a sport or an art, but a 'hybrid' system, meaning that it has taken the most effective aspects of all the other martial arts and developed it purely for survival into one system. Based on your own bodies natural reactions, Krav Maga is aggressive, easy to learn, easy to retain, and is continually refined through actual combat situations encountered by the Israeli Commandos. It is characterised by a logical and coherent approach that enables one to achieve a relatively high level of proficiency within a relatively short period of instruction.
Photos of Itay Gil from Protect Security Training Solutions (Worldwide head of Tactical Krav Maga)**
MODERN HISTORY OF KRAV MAGA:
Krav Maga was created to protect Jews from Nazi's by the late Imi Lichtenfeld in Hungary and later in conjunction with the Israeli Defence Force, who developed the system as chief instructor of Physical Fitness and Hand-to-Hand Combat. Imi was brought up in Bratislava in Austria-Hungary as a champion boxer, wrestler, gymnast and swimmer, and was greatly inspired by his father who was a police trainer. In the 1930s as fascist & anti-semitic gangs began to emerge in Bratislava, Imi became the uncrowned leader in protecting the Jewish quarters in his city against the fascist gangs. In the 1940s when the Nazi regime came to Hungary, Imi escaped to Palestine. Due to his vast experience with self defence on the streets in Bratislava, he was asked to train the newly formed units of the Palmach and Haganah, which eventually became the core of the Israeli Defence Force. He became the Chief Instructor of Combat Fitness and Krav Maga for 20 years in the IDF. In 1964 Imi retired & took Krav Maga into the civilian market. Today the IDF continues to develop & evolve their Krav Maga program, with many instructors continuing to influence the system, and as a result there are now various 'versions' of Krav Maga in Israel. Read more about Krav Maga here at wikipedia or watch the introduction video on the Home Page.
Tactical Krav Maga was founded by Itay Gil - the former Chief Instructor for the YAMAM Special Forces in Israel, and is perhaps the most pressure-tested & realistic version of Krav Maga today. The Yamam has a world-wide reputation as a professional and successful Counter-Terrorism force and it is capable of lifesaving hostage-rescue operations and take-over raids against targets behind enemy lines. Yamam training is intense, frequently including urban rappelling, bomb detonation and tactical entry to buildings. Each year hundreds of applicants apply from other Special Forces units and on average only a small number are accepted into it grueling program. Yamam's primary duties are Hostage Rescue, SWAT duties, Counter-terrorism and VIP security, often requiring the use of close quarter combat tactics in enemy territory.
Itay Gil originally served in the IDF Paratroops brigade where he trained in Krav Maga under Eli Avikzer, Imi's top student. He was then chosen to join the Yamam, where he became a career combatant. From 1992-1997, Itay Gil was the chief close-quarter combat instructor for the Yamam. He was the executive director of all training programs for the Israel Border Police as well as the undercover police intelligence unit. Itay Gil continues to serve in the IDF reserves today where he is the senior combat instructor for an elite counter-terrorism team.
**Paladin Press
Besides being the Worldwide Head Instructor & Technical Director of Tactical Krav Maga, Itay Gil is also the president of Protect Security Solutions, one of the world's premiere training centres in Krav Maga, Shooting and Counter-Terrorism training based in Jerusalem. The Company is among the very few official private outsource solutions for governmental agencies and the defence forces.
Here in Australasia, Carl Halley a former security veteran and former IKMF Instructor trained by Eyal Yanilov & Itay Gil, is the Australasian Chief Instructor and represents Itay Gil here in Australiasia. Carl regularly hosts industry-specific training in Tactical Krav Maga, TKM Pistol Shooting, TKM Defensive Driving and TKM Security courses. Carl was also the first instructor to bring Krav Maga to Australia: www.tacticalkravmaga.com.au
SYLLABUS
The Ten Core Units of Tactical Krav Maga
Unit 1 – Striking Techniques, bursting, footwork and pre-fight training
Unit 2 – Defensive tactics against strikes whilst standing and grounded.
Unit 3 – Empty-hand Baton and Stick Defence
Unit 4 – Release from chokes, grabs and holds standing and on the ground.
Unit 5 – Knife threat defence, and defence from being held and hit.
Unit 6 – Utilising improvised weapons for defence
Unit 7 – Take-downs, throws and falls.
Unit 8 – Ground fighting
Unit 9 – Defence against handguns. Empty-hand Control techniques.
Unit 10 – Defence against long arms (rifle, shotgun etc) and Third-party Protection
TRAINING METHODS:
What makes Tactical Krav Maga unique is how we train. Tactical Krav Maga is built on a simple set of problem solving techniques, but it is much more than just techniques...it's the hebrew soldier/warrior mindset, stemming back to ancient biblical history that makes 'Krav Maga' unique - click here for more info. Once you've learnt the techniques, we apply the techniques to every situation, with an emphasis on full contact 'Pressure-Tested' training drills, which allows you the student to learn to adapt & improvise naturally. Training is always done with safety gear.
- What is 'Pressure Tested'? It means that we keep it logical, simple and only use what works in reality under pressure. Techniques has to be based on your natural instincts. We often train under worst-case conditions or from disadvantaged positions (for example, against multiple opponents, when protecting someone else, with one arm unusable, when dizzy, or against armed opponents). Training is an intense mixed aerobic & anerobic workout, relying heavily on protective gear such as: PADS, TACTICAL VESTS & GUARDS in order to experience both delivery and defense of strikes. Once you've learnt the techniques, we will progressively introduce you to train with a 'resisting opponent' as much as possible. There are no predefined sequences of moves or choreographed styles; instead Krav Maga emphasizes rapid learning, using techniques that builds on other techniques, solving as many problems as we can before we introduce new techniques.
- What is Scenario Training? Training may take place in the dark, in a carpark, in hallways, in small confined spaces, inside a car, in a bus, in an airplane, under water or in a park. This is to teach the student to function effectively in all scenarios. It may involve pre-planned scenarios involving sudden & surprise attacks occuring in confined spaces. You may be taught role-playing or verbal tactics to de-escaluate tension and danger. You may be trained to rescue or protect a third-party in a crowd. All techniques are fully pressure tested to train the student to perform calmly while under stress.
- What is difference between civilian & military training? Read this article
WHO USES KRAV MAGA?
Krav Maga is used as the primary Defensive Tactics / Close Combat system by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli Police and Military Police and its Special Operations and Anti-Terrorist Units. The IDF including their Special Forces Units, Israeli Police, and Internal Security Branches currently use variations of this style on a day-to-day basis. Several European militaries have also adopted Krav Maga. Krav Maga is taught to Sky Marshals and commercial airline crews. Though relatively unknown in New Zealand, Krav Maga is used worldwide in many security forces, and has become one of the most popular training options among civilians.
In the USA, personnel from various Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies and military units around the world have received mandatory training in Krav Maga, including the FBI, CIA, AFOSI Anti-terrorism Specialty Team, US Air Force (see photo to the right), United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration Arrest and Control Unit, U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, State Department, several divisions of the United States Coast Guard, and police and sheriff's offices in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and California.
In addition to the Special Operations Forces of Israel (e.g. Sayeret Matkal, YAMAM, etc.), several special units from other countries have adopted this system for their hand-to-hand combat. These units include GIGN, Federal Police Special Units, FBI HRT, and SWAT, among others.
IN POPULAR CULTURE:
In recent times, Krav Maga has also been used in certain Movies and Films that needed a more realistic fighting style, as well as by various actors and actresses for their physical training, fight training and personal protection.
It is also very similar to the fight style - a mix of Krav Maga and Kali ideas - as used by Matt Damon in his Jason Bourne character in the Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum Movies. (Disarming pistols, dealing with multiple opponents, using common objects as improvised weapons and tactical fighting)
Jennifer Lopez plays a domestic violence victim in the movie "Enough", where she learns Krav Maga to defend herself & daughter in a desperate struggle for life.
In the game and book series "Splinter Cell" the main protagonist, CIA agent Sam Fisher, uses Krav Maga exclusively as his hand to hand combat system.
**Photo references are from "The Citizen's Guide to Stopping Suicide Attackers" Secrets of an Israeli Counterterrorist. By Itay Gil and Dan Baron. Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado (c) 2004.
(C) Copyright Tactical Survival NZ. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website can be copied or duplicated without permission. Certain images belongs to the international Tactical Krav Maga community
