Krav Maga FAQ

• Who created Krav Maga?
  
• How does it differ from martial arts? 
  
• Is there a difference between Krav Maga that is taught to the military and Krav Maga that is taught to civilians? 
  
• What should I do if I want to try Krav Maga? 
  
• How long will it take me to learn Krav Maga? 
  
• How fit do I have to be to take up Krav Maga? 
  
• Who can learn Krav Maga? 
  
• What happens in the class and what should I bring/wear? 
  
• Do I have to do an induction if I have done martial arts? 
  
• How do I find a qualified instructor? 
  
• Does Krav Maga also include defence against weapons? 
  
• Are there gradings?

Who created Krav Maga?

Krav-Maga was created and developed by Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld), Israeli Grand-master (1910-1998) who started it in the late 1940's when serving as Chief Instructor for hand to hand combat and combat fitness training for the Israeli Defense Forces. Imi, as a young man growing up in Bratislava, Slovakia, was a champion heavy weight boxer, a top-level wrestler, and an expert in judo/jujitsu. Imi's father was a police officer in-charge of the detectives in Bratislava, taught his detectives (and Imi) police defensive tactics. Imi grew up in an environment where combative sports, law enforcement, and ferocious street fights played equal rolls. Imi took part in numerous street fights defending the Jewish quarter against local fascists and Nazis before and during the first phase of World War II. After 2 years of travel, Imi immigrated to Palestine (1942), which became Israel in 1948. Due to the political situation, Israel was immediately at war with its neighbours and did not have the luxury of six-month boot camp for its young soldiers, who were literally conscripted and sent to fight. Because of this situation, the Israeli military needed an effective hand to hand combat system that could be learned very quickly, easy to retain, and very effective. This was the birth of Krav Maga in Israel. Beginning with Israeli special forces units like the Haganah, Palmack, and Palyam, Krav Maga became the official combatives training for all military personnel, Israeli police and security forces. Since then it has been studied, tested, improved and developed extensively so that now Krav Maga techniques are applied in areas such as law enforcement, elite military units, VIP protection and civilian self defense programs for men, women and children. 

How does it differ from martial arts? 

Most martial arts require years before a student is able to apply the techniques they have learned against a very real attack. Krav Maga techniques are very simple to learn and remember and therefore a student is able to perform them immediately. There are no rules in Krav Maga and you are free to attack any part of the body. Consequently there are no ‘sports’ type competitions in this system. Finally there are no religions attached to the principles as there are with some Eastern arts. 

Is there a difference between Krav Maga that is taught to the military and Krav Maga that is taught to civilians? 

Basically the techniques are the same but the goal of the self-defence practitioner and the special forces operative are very different. Special forces aim to maim, disable or kill their opponents, we just want to defend ourselves and leg it away from trouble as quickly as possible! 

What should I do if I want to try Krav Maga? 

Simply attend an induction! The quicker you start to learn, the quicker you will be able to defend yourself. Not all people in the class have a background in a fighting art – and you will not be at a disadvantage if you have never done anything like this before. 

How long will it take me to learn Krav Maga? 

Krav Maga is one of the easiest Self-Defence Systems to learn. Imi Sde-Or who developed the system watched how soldiers behaved under stress and adapted the body’s own natural reactions and reflexes to form defensive techniques. This means most people are able to learn and retain Krav Maga in a short period of time. 

How fit do I have to be to take up Krav Maga? 

Krav Maga was designed for the Israeli Army which consisted of a mixed bunch: fit young men and those reservists in their forties that sat behind a desk all day. The system had to be easy for both groups to learn and to maintain with minimal amount of practise. Everyone in the class learns at their own pace and if you are not fit this will not matter. Your fitness will improve in time! You are also free to abstain from any techniques or exercises where they feel they may aggravate existing injuries or risk a repeat injury. 

Who can learn Krav Maga? 

Anyone! Young, old, male, female, fit, unfit…! I did Krav Maga throughout both of my pregnancies with no problems. Currently, I only teach over 18s and will not teach anyone with a criminal conviction. I reserve the right to ask for a Current Convictions Certificate. 

What happens in the class and what should I bring/wear? 

Please see the CLASSES/INDUCTIONS and TRAINING sections for details. 

Do I have to do an induction if I have done martial arts? 

Yes, as the system is completely different, being based on a military system with no rules. You are welcome to continue practising other martial arts as well as Krav Maga, but the classes will only contain Krav Maga techniques of self-defence. It will be to your benefit to concentrate solely on Krav Maga rather than trying to ‘mix and match’ techniques. 

How do I find a qualified instructor? 

Go to the national website at www.ikmf.org.uk and there will be a list of recognised, active instructors. 

Does Krav Maga also include defence against weapons? 

Defence against weapons such as knives, sticks and guns is an integral part of the system and will be included right from the induction and continue in every class. 

Are there gradings? 

Yes, these are held by the UK branch of the IKMF and you can check that website for details. Training is not geared around gradings or following a syllabus in order to get to a particular level. The emphasis is on learning the techniques, not passing an exam. Krav Maga levels are indicated by badges not by belts. A system of belts was proposed at one time, but this is not used and is mainly a historical development.