Krav Maga

In recent years, Krav Maga has been part of the conversations when it comes to self defense. This somewhat modern day martial art has been featured on survival and self defense shows on television. Krav Maga was actually developed by the Israel Defense Force for self defense and to subdue opponents as quickly as possible. Krav Maga is roughly translated as "contact battle", Krav means battle, and Maga means contact.


Krav Maga is most popular for its attacking and defensive nature. It emphasizes attacking and defending simultaneously with aggressive moves that can be lethal or fatal. Krav Maga's attacks are usually directed towards the body's most vulnerable parts. This is extremely effective for self defense because a single attack can incapacitate an assailant which can allow a quick escape from harm.

Like many martial arts, Krav Maga was born out of the necessity to defend. Krav Maga was derived from a street fighting style developed by Imi Lichtenfeld. Imi was a boxer and a wrestler who defended his Jewish neighborhood together with other boxers and wrestlers against racist gangs in the late 1930s.

Today, there are a number of Krav Maga schools around the world who teach this as a self defense martial art.