David kahn krav maga wikipedia

Israeli self-defense system

Krav Maga (KRAHV mə-GAH; Hebrew: קְרַב מַגָּע, IPA:[ˈkʁavmaˈɡa]; lit.&#;'contact combat') is an Israeli self-defence system. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),^[1][2] it uses techniques derived from aikido, boxing, judo, karate and wrestling.^[3][4] It is known for its focus on real-world situations.^[5]

Krav Maga was originally developed by Hungarian-born Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld. Having grown up in Bratislava during a time of anti-Semitic unrest, Lichtenfeld used his training as a boxer and wrestler to defend Jewish neighborhoods against attackers in the mid-to-late s, becoming an experienced street fighter.^[6][7] After his immigration to Mandatory Palestine in the late s, he began to provide lessons on combat training to Jewish paramilitary groups that would later form the IDF during the Palestine war. As an instructor, he compiled hi