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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Krav Maga in popular culture]]
*[[List of Krav Maga techniques]]
*[[List of Krav Maga techniques]]
*[[Hand to hand combat]]
*[[Hand to hand combat]]

Revision as of 10:45, 19 February 2010

Krav Maga
"Krav maga" lesson in paratroopers school. Israel, 1955
FocusHybrid
Country of originIsrael Israel

Slovakia Slovak Republic

Hungary Hungary
CreatorImi Lichtenfeld
ParenthoodKapap, Street fighting[1]
Olympic sportNo

Krav Maga (Template:Pron-en; Template:Lang-he, IPA: [ˈkʁav maˈɡa], lit. "contact combat" or "close combat") is an eclectic hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel which involves wrestling, grappling and striking techniques.[2] It was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish quarter during a period of anti-Semitic activity in Bratislava in the mid- to late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he began to provide hand-to-hand combat training to what was to become the IDF, developing the techniques that became known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for both civilian and military applications.[3] Some refinements include, but are not limited to, the incorporation of elements from traditional Asian martial arts.

Krav Maga's philosophy emphasizes threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggression.[4] Krav Maga is used by the IDF Special Forces units and several closely related variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement, Mossad, Shin Bet, FBI, SWAT units of the NYPD[5] and United States special operations forces. There are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally. [6][7][8][9]

Etymology

The name in Hebrew means "Hand-to-hand combat." Krav (קרב) meaning "combat" and Maga (מגע) meaning "contact" or "touch".[10][11][12]

Basic principles

There are no rules for Krav Maga fighting. Men and women generally undergo the same drills.[13][14] It has no sporting federation, and there are no official uniforms or attire, although some organizations do recognize progress through training with rank badges, different levels, and belts.[15][16]

Basic training is a mixed aerobic and anaerobic workout. Protective pads and other personal protection equipment may be used during initial training. Scenarios are used to train personal for situations typically encountered in street patrol or combat situations. Training scenarios teach students to ignore distractions.[17] Other training methods to increase realism might include blindfolding or exercising trainees to near exhaustion before dealing with a simulated attack, as well as training outdoors on a variety of surfaces and restrictive situations.

Training also covers situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings and potentially threatening circumstances before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal with potentially violent situations, and physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.

History

Imi Lichtenfeld

Main article: Imi Lichtenfeld

Krav Maga was developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld, also known as Imi Sde-Or (Sde-Or - "Light Field" - a calque of his surname into Hebrew). He first taught his fighting system in Bratislava in order to help protect the local Jewish community from the Nazi militia. Upon arriving in the British Mandate of Palestine, Imi began teaching Kapap to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Imi became the Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for 15 years, during which time he continued to develop and refine his hand-to-hand combat method.[18] In 1978, Imi founded the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association with several senior instructors.[19][20] He died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel.[21]

Expansion to the USA

Prior to 1980, all experts in Krav Maga lived in Israel and trained under the Israeli Krav Maga Association. That year marks the beginning of contact between Israeli Krav Maga experts and interested students in the United States. In 1981, a group of six Krav Maga instructors traveled to the US to demonstrate their system, primarily to local Jewish Community Centers. The New York Field Office of the FBI and the FBI's Main Training Center at Quantico, Virginia saw it and expressed interest. The result was a visit by 22 people from the US to Israel in the summer of 1981 to attend a basic Krav Maga instructor course. The graduates from this course returned to the US and began to establish training facilities in their local areas. Additional students traveled to Israel in 1984 and again in 1986 to become instructors. At the same time, instructors from Israel continued to visit the U.S. Law Enforcement training in the U.S. began in 1985.[22]

Expansion to South America

In 1990, Lichtenfeld appointed Kobi Lichtenstein to introduce krav maga to South America.[23][24]

Expansion to Scotland

The Institute of Krav Maga in Scotland has developed Krav Maga in Scotland and is the largest IKMF Affiliated Organisation. IKMS hold regular training in Krav Maga, including Seminars and trips to Israel.

Current usage

All Israel Defence Force soldiers, including all Israeli Special Forces units[25], learn Krav Maga as part of their basic training, although most non-Special Forces trainees only spend a small amount of time training in Krav Maga, up to a week of training for a few hours per day.[26] Further, Krav Maga is the defensive tactics system used to train the Israeli Police,[27] Israeli Intelligence and all Security Divisions.[28] Krav Maga is also taught to civilians, military, law enforcement and security agencies around the world. The Swedish Army uses Krav Maga lightly in close combat training for urban warfare. [29][30]

Leadership

There are numerous organizations around the world teaching Krav Maga or variants. Since the death of its founder, differences have arisen, with competing claims to heirship. Some organizations and individuals claim to be the sole heir while others contend it is an "open" art which should not be owned by any person or group.[31]

Despite attempts to trademark Krav Maga, there is no official head-instructor or organization.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ "A CRAVING FOR KRAV MAGA/ Israeli martial art wins armies of devotees in the United States". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  2. ^ Tucker, Ken (2004-09-12). "Kick! Punch! Slap!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  3. ^ "Fight Club". Haaretz. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  4. ^ "All change on the buses". BBC. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  5. ^ Krav Maga, Time Out New York / Issue 740 : Dec 3–9, 2009
  6. ^ "Inside Israel". Black Belt Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
  7. ^ "The mother of all fightbacks". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  8. ^ "Choke! Gouge! Smash!". Time. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  9. ^ "J.Lo's fitness fad and Salma's 'sweaty' hobby". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  10. ^ "Tough Enough? Try Krav Maga". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  11. ^ "Get your kicks with Israeli tricks". Guardian. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  12. ^ "Krav Maga of the Israeli Commandos". History Channel. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  13. ^ "Krav Maga teaches practical self-defense in tough workout". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  14. ^ "J.Lo's fitness fad and Salma's 'sweaty' hobby". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  15. ^ "Fight Club". Haaretz. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  16. ^ "Israeli self-defence system takes off in Britain". The Independent. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  17. ^ "Combative workouts: krav maga". Timeout. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  18. ^ "Krav Maga of the Israeli Commandos". History Channel. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  19. ^ "Krav Maga of the Israeli Commandos". History Channel. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  20. ^ "Fight Club". Haaretz. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  21. ^ "Krav Maga teaches practical self-defense in tough workout". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  22. ^ International Krav Maga Federation
  23. ^ South American Federation of Krav Maga: Master Kobi Retrieved on 2 February 2010.
  24. ^ Krav Maga 2010: Imi Lichtenfeld centenary celebration and 20 years of Krav Maga in Brazil Retrieved on 6 February 2010.
  25. ^ "J.Lo's fitness fad and Salma's 'sweaty' hobby". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  26. ^ "Israeli ex-commando teaches security forces worldwide how to 'protect'". Israel 21. Retrieved 2010-01-01. {{cite news}}: Text "The Sun" ignored (help); Text "Woman" ignored (help)
  27. ^ "Fight Club". Haaretz. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  28. ^ "Feeling a bit defensive . . ". The Times. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  29. ^ "Feeling a bit defensive . . ". The Times. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  30. ^ "Fight Club". Haaretz. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  31. ^ "Commando Krav Maga". Inside Kung Fu. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  32. ^ "TRADEMARKING KRAV MAGA". USA DOJO.com. Retrieved 2009-01-14.

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