In Hebrew, Krav Maga means “contact combat”, and it is self-defense with the practical counterattack. It is a modern martial art created with an emphasis on displaying the best efficiency needed for survival in a real crisis and aims for martial arts that are easy to teach and learn. If other martial arts compete for strength and skill under equal conditions of each opponent, Krav Maga aims to overcome the situation in which is placed at a disadvantage. Thanks to the conscription system, all Israeli citizens(including women) who are obliged to serve two to three years in the military are learning basic Krav Maga skills.
Imrich “Imi” Lichtenfeld(אימריך “אימי” ליכטנפלד), the founder of Krav Maga, is a Hungarian Jew who has done various sports, including boxing, wrestling, and gymnastics. His father, then a police officer, was also teaching other police officers self-defense techniques, so he learned practical techniques from his father and organized these factors to develop Krav Maga. He began instructing Jews living in Bratislava against war and fascism. When Israel was founded, he moved to Israel and served as a senior instructor at the Israeli military and police. After retirement, he taught Krav Maga to ordinary citizens, and this martial art became widely known.