The History of Krav Maga

Krav Maga is a comprehensive system of self defense, third party protection, and fighting skills forged in the field under real life conditions, both in the battlefield and on the streets.

Emerging out of the needs of a persecuted, resource-strapped minority defending itself against those bent on its destruction, Krav Maga was developed through extensive experience in the war for survival, and in face-to-face confrontations.

Today, Krav Maga is an integrated system, incorporating clear logic, highly effective and systematic techniques, concepts, and principles of action, as well as unique advance training methodologies.

Throughout its development, the concepts laid down by Krav Maga’s founder have remained constant. Simplicity and efficiency, upholding the highest moral values and respect for all mankind.

Grandmaster Imi Sde-Or, founder of Krav Maga, was born Emrich Lichtenfeld in Budapest, Hungary, in May of 1910. He grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia, where his father, Samuel, was head of the city police department’s detective unit. As part of his role, Samuel was charged with training his subordinates in defensive tactics.

Under his father’s influence, Imi started training at an early age and quickly emerged as an exceptionally talented athlete.

As a teenager, he trained in gymnastics, wrestling, and boxing. By the age of 19, he was already recognized as an international champion in these fields. Later, he focused on wrestling and competed as a member of Slovakia’s national team for a decade.

In 1936, fascism begins to spread throughout Europe, bringing with it a wave of violence against minorities. Entire Jewish communities find themselves defenseless, under constant attack instigated by the authorities.

Imi, a young, proud Jewish athlete, is not prepared to put up with the humiliation and helplessness of the victims. Together with other young men, he organizes a group dedicated to the active defense of those targeted for attack. Under his leadership, the brave defenders successfully fight back, driving off the assailants using only their bare hands.

It is under these circumstances that the seeds for an effective combat and self-defense system are planted. A system nurtured and developed by Imi a few years later into what would become known as Krav Maga.

The year is 1940, and World War 2 is raging throughout Europe. Imi leaves Bratislava just moments before it is taken over by the Nazis, and he boards an underground immigrants’ boat to Palestine. After a long journey, during which he joins the Czech Legion of the British army, Imi arrives in Palestine, which at that time was under the control of the British mandate.

He quickly becomes involved in the training and instruction of Jewish defense organizations, fighting against the Arab insurgency.

With the establishment of the state of the of Israel, Imi naturally integrates into the newly established Israel defense forces. Due to his extensive experience and formidable abilities, he is nominated as the army’s chief physical fitness and hand-to-hand combat instructor. It is in this role that he begins to develop Krav Maga, and to train soldiers, officers, and instructors.

In 1964, after 20 years of service, Imi is honorably discharged from the military. He decides to organize his vast knowledge and practical experience into a system suitable for civilian application as well.

As part of this initiative, Imi opens two self-defense studios, training many students and instructors, all the while adapting and improving the Krav Maga system for civilian self-defense as well as for the needs of elite military and police units.

In 1974, at the age of 15, Eyal Yanilov begins to practice Krav Maga. Early on, he shows extraordinary talent, both as a practitioner of the system and as an instructor. He is quickly recruited by Grandmaster Imi to train other instructors, and he later takes Imi’s place teaching higher level classes.

In the early 1980s, Eyal becomes Imi’s foremost instructor and his closest disciple, as well as his most trusted assistant and advisor. After completing his studies in Electrical Engineering, Eyal starts training Israel counter-terrorist units. Along with Imi, he writes a series of books laying out the principles of Krav Maga. Considering Eyal’s substantial knowledge and experience, Imi decides to appoint him as head of the professional committee of the Israeli Krav Maga Association.

In this position, Eyal creates and upgrades the curriculum, formalizing Krav Maga as a coherent system built around principles of action and unique instructional and training methods.

In the mid-1980s, Eyal travels abroad, introducing Krav Maga to people in countries around the globe, first in the United States and then in Europe. He teaches the system to elite military and law enforcement units as well as to civilians.

In order to manage the challenge of spreading Krav Maga beyond Israel’s borders, Eyal founds the International Krav Maga Federation and serves as its Chairman and head instructor under the tutelage and support of Grandmaster Imi.

Imi regarded Eyal as family and as the natural choice for leadership of the Krav Maga system. For this purpose, Imi awarded him with the founder’s diploma of excellence, and the first ever rank of expert eight, the highest rank awarded to a Krav Maga practitioner.

Imi Sde-Or Lichtenfeld passed away in 1998 at the age of 88. To the day he died, Grandmaster Imi served as mentor and spiritual guide for Eyal Yanilov, and, together, they enhanced and developed Krav Maga.

Since Imi’s death, Eyal has taken upon himself the responsibility of leading and developing Krav Maga, and taking it to the next level. He trains instructors and staff all over the world, and has created a global infrastructure for disseminating the system.

In practice, Eyal has trained all of the world’s first generation Krav Maga instructors. At present, a team of elite instructors, the global team, is assisting him in spreading the knowledge and the system of Krav Maga to numerous countries around the world.

In addition to the many civilians training in Krav Maga centers, military and police special forces from around the world have also adopted Krav Maga as taught by Eyal and his team as their preferred hand-to-hand combat and tactical defense system.

Over the years, the global network of Krav Maga branches has increased substantially, along with the numbers of practitioners and instructors. Different offshoots developed, all training under the umbrella name of Krav Maga.

The International Krav Maga Federation, which was founded as a sports association, could barely meet the various changing needs of the times, and it became impossible neither to develop Krav Maga within the IKMF, nor to preserve the moral and professional spirit outlined by Imi.

Therefore, Eyal decided, along with others, to harness his vast experience in Krav Maga, close to 40 years in the field, and founded Krav Maga Global, the KMG.

KMG is the vehicle for Eyal and his team to disseminate and promote Krav Maga in an ethical, unique, and uncompromising manner. Activities in various countries and close contact with those in the field enable tactical and technical growth and development, suitable for each location and particular set of circumstances.

Today, years after the passing of Grandmaster Imi, Krav Maga Global carefully supervises the professionalism of its instructors, and the quality of instruction at all levels. Insistence on the highest moral and professional standards preserves the spirit and original path of Krav Maga’s founder.