Krav Maga

Histoire

Krav Maga — "contact combat" in Hebrew — was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, a boxer and wrestler from Bratislava who used his skills in the 1930s to defend the Jewish quarter against fascist gangs. He fled Europe in 1940 and reached Palestine in the early 1940s.

From 1948 Lichtenfeld was chief instructor of physical fitness and Krav Maga in the Israel Defense Forces. After leaving the army in the 1960s he adapted the system for civilians, police and women's self-defence. Today several international organisations teach it.

Le saviez-vous ?

• Krav Maga has no sport competitions: its goal is to end a threat fast and get away.
• Training includes defence against knives, sticks and firearms, and fighting while tired or stressed.
• Strikes to vulnerable targets (eyes, throat, groin) are part of the training, done with control.
• Its motto is often summed up as "so that one may walk in peace".

Glossaire des techniques

360° defence

outside blocks against circular attacks

Retzev

continuous, flowing counter-attack

Bursting

block and strike at the same time

Disarms

taking away knife, stick or gun

Armes et équipement

Training knife and gun

rubber or plastic replicas

Figures clés

• Imi Lichtenfeld (1910–1998) — founder of Krav Maga
• Eli Avikzar (1948–2004) — student of Imi, developed Krav Maga in the army and civilian world

Sources: Krav Maga Global · Israel Defense Forces · Encyclopaedia Britannica