What is Krav Maga?

Picture the scene:

A lonely candle burning on the bedside table.

Its flame casting a dim orange glow, barely strong enough to illuminate the single-roomed abode.

A mother — let’s call her Nina — lies trembling on the old wooden floor, back pressed against a door with no lock, clutching her sleeping, three-month-old baby girl.

Outside snarls of hatred pollute the night air, screams for help echo throughout the district, followed by the laughter of vile beasts.

Through tear-filled eyes, Nina watches as the flickering light causes shadows to dance across the paint-deprived walls, their hypnotic movements, her only escape from the terror's taking place on the cobbled streets below.

If only someone, anyone, would stand up to these fascist thugs.

A Community Living in Fear

In the late 1930s, murderous gangs plagued the streets of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. 

Like a clan of wild hyenas scavenging for prey, these vicious mobs patrolled the neighbourhoods in search of ‘victims’ to unload their hatred upon.

Their primary target? The Jewish population.

Racism, violence and anti-Semitic rioting became part and parcel of everyday life for the residents of the Jewish quarter.

Communities left devastated as synagogues, their only place of solace, were demolished in a spate of malicious attacks.

Homes, businesses and livelihoods systematically destroyed in an instant.

‘…they would confront the bullies, fight back against evil…’

Life for the Jewish people of Bratislava? Terrifying.

Destined only to get worse.

In March 1939, the Slovak State formed — known to support and collaborate with Nazi Germany — causing further discriminatory measures to be put in place against the Jewish people.

Much of the community lived in fear for their lives.

Every day survived was a miracle.

However, a small group of fearless warriors decided enough was enough.

That they would confront the bullies, fight back against evil, do what it took to defend their friends, families and loved ones against such barbaric attacks.

They would be victims no more.

The Creation of Krav Maga

Leader — and founder — of this vigilante troop, a young man by the name of Imi Lichtenfeld, stood shoulder to shoulder with his Jewish brothers as they risked their lives on the frontline.

Imi, a successful boxer, wrestler and gymnast — competing and winning at national and international levels — took to the streets, determined to put his acquired skills to use and do his part to make safer the area which then he called home.

However, Imi soon discovered that competition and fighting for your life on the streets were two completely different kettles of fish — as mentioned in this article written by Imi’s close friend and student, Eyal Yanilov.

In order to survive in the real world, dealing with life-threatening situations, Imi needed to develop a new system of fighting techniques.

A system he would then go on to teach his brothers in arms — and later, developed for use by the Israeli army.

Krav Maga was born. 

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga — roughly translated as Contact Combat — is probably best known as the fighting system used by military forces around the world — most famously the I.D.F (Israel Defence Force).

‘…a fighting system, designed solely for survival on the streets. There are no rules, anything goes.’

Though, nowadays Krav Maga training is regularly taught to members of the public who wish to use the system as a means of self-defence.

When it comes to the techniques used in Krav Maga, focus is solely on what works best and not what looks good for the ‘cameras’ or what will impress your friends at a dinner party.

Krav Maga takes the most effective techniques from a number of martial arts; boxing, judo, aikido and wrestling to name but a few, then adapts them to work in real-world situations.

But don’t be mistaken, Krav Maga itself is not considered to be a martial art, — there are no competitions, sports councils or ‘codes’ to be followed — it’s a fighting system, designed solely for survival on the streets.

There are no rules, anything goes.

Krav Maga’s Core Principles

Despite Krav Maga having no rules, there are a number of basic principles that best sum up the ethos of Krav Maga. 

One of which being;

‘Attack hard, attack fast and do not stop until you have immobilised the threat or you can escape to safety.’ — alluded to in this interview with Eyal Yanilov.

Krav Maga students are taught to go from 0–100 at the flick of a switch, using controlled aggression to surprise and overwhelm their attacker; but only when absolutely necessary.

When asked about Krav Maga many people jump straight to the ‘glitz and glam’.

Dealing with multiple attackers, overcoming knife threats, the removal of firearms from an assailant.

Basically, all the stuff you’d expect to see in the latest Jason Statham movie.

However, there is one side to Krav Maga training that almost always fails to get a mention.

Krav Maga teaches first and foremost to avoid confrontation at all costs. 

What many people don’t know is Krav Maga training also includes situational awareness.

Krav Maga teaches how to spot potential threats, how to recognise threatening body language as well as how to de-escalate a possibly violent situation in order to avoid physical altercations, at all costs.

To sum it all up, Krav Maga is one of the most effective self-defence systems in the world and certainly one to be considered if you’re looking to learn new, life-saving skills. 

What Krav Maga Means To Me

What first attracted me to Krav Maga training wasn’t the history, or the need to defend myself against violent attackers.

In all honesty, the real reason I wanted to learn Krav Maga in the beginning — now, don’t judge me —was because it looked cool and I’d seen it appear in some of my favourite movies— yea I know, sad but true.

I still recall my first Krav Maga lesson, I started late in the year so the techniques being taught in that particular class were a little more advanced, but I did my best.

However, as the instructor taught us the drills, and we followed along to the best of our abilities, I do remember thinking one thing to myself;

“This isn’t like the movies at all, it’s better. This is real.”

From that moment on I’ve been hooked.

Although the origins of Krav Maga weren’t the initial appeal to me — because I didn’t know them at the time — I can’t help but feel a sense of pride every time I train.

It amazes me to think techniques developed way back in the 1930s & 40s are still being taught to this day and are changing just as many lives for the better.

Krav Maga to me is more than just a system of techniques in which to defend yourself with, it’s a way of life.

The skills learned at Krav Maga are always with you, 24/7.

Whether you’re at work, school or even whilst doing your weekly shop, Krav Maga is always on your mind.

The skills learned at Krav Maga can easily be applied to other areas of your life, enabling you to enter into any situation with confidence and self-belief.

Since training in Krav Maga, my life has drastically changed for the better.

Krav Maga has me standing that little bit taller, speaking a little bit louder and has boosted my self-confidence like no other.

Krav Maga is empowering.

So, if you feel like shaking things up, injecting a little bit of adrenaline into your life and learning skills that will aid you in every situation, then look no further than Krav Maga.

It will be the best decision you ever make.

Orininally published by Ryan Justin (me) on my blog site Bloodyknuckle.org