KRAV MAGA

Krav-Maga is the Israeli martial art for self-defense, created by Imi Lichtenfeld in Israel in the ’60s and’ 70s of the 20th century.

Unfortunately in recent years many legends, lies, stories and myths were invented about the Krav-Maga. Let us try here to clarify exactly what constitutes our beloved martial art.

  1. Is Krav-Maga an “eclectic” martial art? That is, mixes various movements of other martial arts?

No! Imi in his past was a black belt in Judo and traditional Japanese Jujutso and in creating the Krav-Maga he observed what was missing or what did not exist in the traditional Japanese martial arts in the area of self-defense and created completely new techniques that the world never saw before.

  1. Is Krav-Maga a “fighting system”, “art of self-defense”, “defense ssystem”?

No! Krav-Maga, according to the definition of its own creator, is a MARTIAL ART

  1. Can Krav-Maga be practiced with any kind of clothing?

No! As we can see in the thousands of photos scattered over the internet of Imi himself,  Krav-Maga must be practiced with a completely white kimono (judogi), with no marks and clean. 

  1. Is Krav-Maga taught in its original language, Hebrew?

Yes! Imi’s dream was that the Krav-Maga be taught in its language of creation, Hebrew, just as judo is taught worldwide in Japanese or Kung-fu in Chinese. 

  1. Can everybody practice Krav-Maga? 

Yes and no at the same time…
Theoretically, everyone can learn the movements and the philosophy of the Krav-Maga. However, in the words of Imi, Krav-Maga is “intended for people with above-average Intelligence ...” This means that it is not necessary to be an athlete in order to be an excellent Krav-Maga practitioner, but that Krav-Maga presents a mental and intellectual challenge to any human being.

  1. Can Krav-Maga “evolve”, be “altered” or “adjusted”?

No! Krav-Maga is a complete and perfect martial art that provides solutions to any possible situation of Danger in the street. Unfortunately, many people who do not have sufficient body coordination to practice the movements created by Imi try to “shape” the Krav-Maga to their own situation, always failing.

Do not try to “adapt” the Krav-Maga to yourself, but adapt yourself to it.

  1. Are there various “styles” or “forms” of Krav-Maga?

No, no and no!!! There is only one Krav-Maga, which is the original Krav-Maga created by Imi and which is now practiced exclusively at Bukan School. Imi was the sole creator of Krav-Maga and he never authorized anyone to make any changes on his behalf.

  1. Is Krav-Maga just a physical activity, with no philosophy?

No! Along with the practical part, Imi included in the Krav-Maga a broad and profound philosophy, that without it the physical side of the Krav-Maga becomes useless. In addition, Imi established fifteen rules that explains and show how unique the Krav-Maga is.

  1. Are there competitions in the Krav-Maga? 

No! Krav-Maga is not a sport, but a martial art for personal defense, so it is impossible to have competitions in the Krav-Maga 

  1. Is Krav-Maga a “military” martial art?

No! This is another wrong legend about the Krav-Maga. Yes, Imi served for 20 years in the Israeli army, however there he did not teach Krav-Maga. In fact, at that time there was neither the name Krav-Maga (it was created only in 1971), and during his time in the army Imi taught soldiers how to kill enemy soldiers using their hands, knife, rope, etc. There were just some specific techniques, and no personal self-defense.

Only when he retired from the army did Imi have the time and availability to actually create a true martial art dedicated to self-defense.

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