We now offer adult only Krav Maga classes
Krav Maga is only offered at our North Liberty location
Krav Maga is only offered at our North Liberty location
Mr. Anderson is certified Warrior Krav Maga
Our classes are
Tuesday evening 8:15-9:00
Thursday evening 8:15-9:00
We charge $65.00 per month
We have also added a $12.00 per class drop in fee
What is Krav Maga?
Krav Maga /krɑːv məˈɡɑː/ (Hebrew: קרב מגע [ˈkʁav maˈɡa], lit. "contact combat") is a non-competitive tactical martial system
developed in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-
jitsu, wrestling, and grappling, along with realistic fight training. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and
extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks.[1] It was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Hungarian-Israeli
martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish
quarter against fascist groups in Bratislava[2] in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he
began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the IDF, who went on to develop the system that became
known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for civilian, police and military applications.[3]
Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and
aggression.[4] Krav Maga is used by Israeli Defense Forces, both regular and special forces, and several closely related
variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement and intelligence organizations, Mossad and Shin Bet. There
are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally.
Etymology
The name in Hebrew can be translated as "contact combat". The root word krav (קרב) means "battle" or "combat" and maga
(מגע) means "contact".
Basic principles
Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes finishing a fight as
quickly as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that
avoid severe injury. Drills provide maximum safety to students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable
force.
Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks and are taught to counter in the quickest and most efficient way.
Ideas in Krav Maga include:[1]
Counter attacking as soon as possible (or attacking pre-emptively).
Targeting attacks to the body's most vulnerable points, such as: the eyes, neck/throat, face, solar plexus, groin, ribs,
knee, foot, fingers, etc.
Maximum effectiveness and efficiency in order to neutralize the opponent as quickly as possible.
Maintaining awareness of surroundings while dealing with the threat in order to look for escape routes, further attackers,
objects that could be used to defend or help attack, and so on.
Training can also cover situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings, learning to understand the
psychology of a street confrontation, and identifying potential threats before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal
with physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.
History
Imrich Lichtenfeld (also known as Imi Sde-Or) was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Bratislava (Slovakia)
(formerly known as: Pozsony). Lichtenfeld became active in a wide range of sports, including: gymnastics, wrestling, and
boxing. In 1928, Lichtenfeld won the Slovakian Youth Wrestling Championship, and in 1929 the adult championship (light and
middle weight divisions). That same year, he also won the national boxing championship and an international gymnastics
championship. During the ensuing decade, Imi's athletic activities focused mainly on wrestling, both as a contestant and a
trainer.
In the mid-1930s, anti-Semitic riots began to threaten the Jews of Bratislava. Lichtenfeld became the leader of a group of
Jewish boxers and wrestlers who took to the streets to defend Jewish neighborhoods against the growing numbers of fascist
and anti-Semitic thugs. Lichtenfeld quickly discovered, however, that actual fighting was very different from competition
fighting, and although boxing and wrestling were good sports, they were not always practical for the aggressive and brutal
nature of street combat. It was then that he started to re-evaluate his ideas about fighting and started developing the skills and
techniques that would eventually become Krav Maga. Having become a thorn in the side of the equally anti-Semitic local
authorities, Lichtenfeld left his home, family and friends in 1940 on the last refugee ship to escape Europe.
After making his way to the Middle East, Lichtenfeld joined Israel’s pre-state Haganah paramilitary organization to protect new-
coming Jewish from local inhabitants. In 1944 Lichtenfeld began training fighters in his areas of expertise: physical fitness,
swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, and defenses against knife attacks. During this period, Lichtenfeld trained several elite
units of the Haganah and Palmach (striking force of the Haganah and forerunner of the special units of the Israel Defense
Forces), including the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers.
In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was formed, Lichtenfeld became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness
and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he
developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Self-defense was not a new concept,
since nearly all martial arts had developed some form of defensive techniques in their quest for tournament and/or sport
dominance. However, self-defense was based strictly upon the scientific and dynamic principles of the human body. Before
retiring from the military, Lichtenfeld elected Eli Avikzar his military successor. With Lichtenfeld's blessing, Avikzar went on to
strengthen Krav Maga with the addition of new techniques which maintained Krav Maga's central principles of maximum
effectiveness and efficiency. Boaz Aviram succeeded Avikzar as Chief Instructor, and was followed only by a handful of others.
[8] [9]
Upon Imrich Lichtenfeld's retirement he decided to open a Dojo Martial Art school and teach a civilian form of the military form
of Krav Maga intending to keep most of the secrets of the system in the military, but yet teach a civilian version suitable for
youth.[10] Some of the first students to receive a black belt in Lichtenfeld's civilian Krav Maga Association of 1st Dan, were: Eli
Avikzar, Boaz Aviram, Raphy Elgrissy, Haim Zut, Haim Gidon, Shmuel Kurzviel, Haim Hakani, Shlomo Avisira, Vicktor Bracha,
Yaron Lichtenstein, Avner Hazan and Miki Asulin.[11]
In 1978, Lichtenfeld founded the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA) with several senior instructors.[12] Lichtenfeld
died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel.[13]
When Krav Maga started to spread beyond the borders of Israel, there arose a need to found an international civilian
organization. A few of Lichtenfeld's first and second generation students eventually formed a new, civilian, international Krav
Maga federation
Our classes are
Tuesday evening 8:15-9:00
Thursday evening 8:15-9:00
We charge $65.00 per month
We have also added a $12.00 per class drop in fee
What is Krav Maga?
Krav Maga /krɑːv məˈɡɑː/ (Hebrew: קרב מגע [ˈkʁav maˈɡa], lit. "contact combat") is a non-competitive tactical martial system
developed in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-
jitsu, wrestling, and grappling, along with realistic fight training. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and
extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks.[1] It was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Hungarian-Israeli
martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish
quarter against fascist groups in Bratislava[2] in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he
began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the IDF, who went on to develop the system that became
known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for civilian, police and military applications.[3]
Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and
aggression.[4] Krav Maga is used by Israeli Defense Forces, both regular and special forces, and several closely related
variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement and intelligence organizations, Mossad and Shin Bet. There
are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally.
Etymology
The name in Hebrew can be translated as "contact combat". The root word krav (קרב) means "battle" or "combat" and maga
(מגע) means "contact".
Basic principles
Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes finishing a fight as
quickly as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that
avoid severe injury. Drills provide maximum safety to students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable
force.
Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks and are taught to counter in the quickest and most efficient way.
Ideas in Krav Maga include:[1]
Counter attacking as soon as possible (or attacking pre-emptively).
Targeting attacks to the body's most vulnerable points, such as: the eyes, neck/throat, face, solar plexus, groin, ribs,
knee, foot, fingers, etc.
Maximum effectiveness and efficiency in order to neutralize the opponent as quickly as possible.
Maintaining awareness of surroundings while dealing with the threat in order to look for escape routes, further attackers,
objects that could be used to defend or help attack, and so on.
Training can also cover situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings, learning to understand the
psychology of a street confrontation, and identifying potential threats before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal
with physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.
History
Imrich Lichtenfeld (also known as Imi Sde-Or) was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Bratislava (Slovakia)
(formerly known as: Pozsony). Lichtenfeld became active in a wide range of sports, including: gymnastics, wrestling, and
boxing. In 1928, Lichtenfeld won the Slovakian Youth Wrestling Championship, and in 1929 the adult championship (light and
middle weight divisions). That same year, he also won the national boxing championship and an international gymnastics
championship. During the ensuing decade, Imi's athletic activities focused mainly on wrestling, both as a contestant and a
trainer.
In the mid-1930s, anti-Semitic riots began to threaten the Jews of Bratislava. Lichtenfeld became the leader of a group of
Jewish boxers and wrestlers who took to the streets to defend Jewish neighborhoods against the growing numbers of fascist
and anti-Semitic thugs. Lichtenfeld quickly discovered, however, that actual fighting was very different from competition
fighting, and although boxing and wrestling were good sports, they were not always practical for the aggressive and brutal
nature of street combat. It was then that he started to re-evaluate his ideas about fighting and started developing the skills and
techniques that would eventually become Krav Maga. Having become a thorn in the side of the equally anti-Semitic local
authorities, Lichtenfeld left his home, family and friends in 1940 on the last refugee ship to escape Europe.
After making his way to the Middle East, Lichtenfeld joined Israel’s pre-state Haganah paramilitary organization to protect new-
coming Jewish from local inhabitants. In 1944 Lichtenfeld began training fighters in his areas of expertise: physical fitness,
swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, and defenses against knife attacks. During this period, Lichtenfeld trained several elite
units of the Haganah and Palmach (striking force of the Haganah and forerunner of the special units of the Israel Defense
Forces), including the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers.
In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was formed, Lichtenfeld became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness
and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he
developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Self-defense was not a new concept,
since nearly all martial arts had developed some form of defensive techniques in their quest for tournament and/or sport
dominance. However, self-defense was based strictly upon the scientific and dynamic principles of the human body. Before
retiring from the military, Lichtenfeld elected Eli Avikzar his military successor. With Lichtenfeld's blessing, Avikzar went on to
strengthen Krav Maga with the addition of new techniques which maintained Krav Maga's central principles of maximum
effectiveness and efficiency. Boaz Aviram succeeded Avikzar as Chief Instructor, and was followed only by a handful of others.
[8] [9]
Upon Imrich Lichtenfeld's retirement he decided to open a Dojo Martial Art school and teach a civilian form of the military form
of Krav Maga intending to keep most of the secrets of the system in the military, but yet teach a civilian version suitable for
youth.[10] Some of the first students to receive a black belt in Lichtenfeld's civilian Krav Maga Association of 1st Dan, were: Eli
Avikzar, Boaz Aviram, Raphy Elgrissy, Haim Zut, Haim Gidon, Shmuel Kurzviel, Haim Hakani, Shlomo Avisira, Vicktor Bracha,
Yaron Lichtenstein, Avner Hazan and Miki Asulin.[11]
In 1978, Lichtenfeld founded the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA) with several senior instructors.[12] Lichtenfeld
died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel.[13]
When Krav Maga started to spread beyond the borders of Israel, there arose a need to found an international civilian
organization. A few of Lichtenfeld's first and second generation students eventually formed a new, civilian, international Krav
Maga federation