RP348 Learn to Fight like an Israeli

 RP348 Learn to Fight like an Israeli

The story of Krav Maga is right out of a Hollywood movie. It begins with a man who grew up in desperate times. His name was Emrich "Imi" Lichtenfeld. Imi was a martial artist, boxer, and acrobat. He was also Jewish, which was very dangerous in 1930s Czechoslovakia. Facing violent threats over his religion, Imi decided to do something about it. He got together with other Jewish boxers and started working on a way to defend their people. The goal was to strip the "art" away from martial art. They wanted to create a fighting style that was practical, effective, and easily taught to others. Their style came to be known as Krav Maga.
Imi's story doesn't end there. After the Nazis invaded in 1940, he fled from Czechoslovakia. He reached Palestine in 1942, and set about training locals in self-defense. His talents were recognized immediately, and he was hired to train military and police forces. After the state of Israel was formed in 1948, he became the army's chief instructor. Imi spent over 20 years in the role, and his legacy is evident. Krav Maga is now the official martial art of the Israel Defense Forces.
Krav Maga is practical above all. Imi drew heavily from other martial arts when developing it, but he only took techniques that were efficient and easy to understand. Therefore, everything in Krav Maga is useful in an actual fight. It teaches how to defend against weapons like knives and guns. It shows how to turn any household object into a weapon. It also puts a premium on swift strikes that can take an attacker out of commission. A Krav Maga fighter will always target vulnerable spots like the eyes, neck, face, or knee.
Krav Maga is also a fighting style that anyone can learn. Imi wanted to develop something that wasn't complicated and easy to learn. Men, women, and children of all ages and body types can train in Krav Maga, but that doesn't mean the training will be easy!