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Kravist05 · 06-04-2006, 10:14 PM

The generic name in Hebrew is usually translated as "close combat." The word maga (מגע) means "touch" or "close." The word krav (קרב) means "fight" or "battle." A translation like "contact combat," though, can be misconstrued as something like "kickboxing" or "full contact karate."

As a historical note, the original name of Krav Maga was Kapap (sounds like "ka-PAPP") which was an acronym for Krav Panim el Panim, face-to-face combat.

History
The beginning of the system that would become Krav Maga in Israel was developed in Hungary-Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld. This system was codified and first taught in Bratislava in order to protect the Jewish community from fascist militias.

When Imi Lichtenfeld came to British Mandate of Palestine prior to the reestablishment of the state of Israel, he began teaching hand to hand combat to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army. After the establishment of Israel, krav maga was the generic term used to reference the hand to hand combat taught to the Israeli armed forces and police.

When Lichtenfeld moved to Israel he changed his name to Sde-Or, a direct translation of his surname into Hebrew. Due to the fact that it is strictly a self-defense and military combat system, Krav Maga is constantly changing. After Mr. Lichtenfeld retired from a long career as chief instructor of close combat in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), he started teaching Krav Maga to the civilian population. In this way, a civilian version based on the principles of self-defense was developed.

Prior to 1985, all experts in Krav Maga lived in Israel. Many schools have opened outside Israel, with the instructors being certified by the Israeli Krav Maga Association. Since the death of Imi Lichtenfeld, a number of different schools and associations of Krav Maga have developed around the world. There is currently a controversy among various organizations and individuals who claim the mantle as Imi's successor.

In Krav Maga, there are no hard-and-fast rules. It is not a sport and there is no competitive component. All the techniques focus on maximum efficiency in real-life conditions. Krav Maga generally assumes a no-quarter situation; the attacks and defenses are intended to inflict or divert the most pain possible on the opponent. Groin strikes, headbutts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks are emphasized.

The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are:

1 avoid injury.
2 go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible.
3 use the body's natural reflexes.
4 strike at any vulnerable point.
5 use any tool or object nearby.

The basic idea is to first deal with the immediate threat (being choked, for example), to prevent the attacker from re-attacking, then neutralize the opponent, proceeding through all the steps in a straightforward manner, despite the rush of adrenaline that would occur in such an attack. The emphasis is put on taking the initiative from the attacker as soon as possible

06-04-2006, 10:14 PM	#47 (permalink)
Kravist05 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: California Posts: 20	Currently practicing Krav Maga Student The generic name in Hebrew is usually translated as "close combat." The word maga (מגע) means "touch" or "close." The word krav (קרב) means "fight" or "battle." A translation like "contact combat," though, can be misconstrued as something like "kickboxing" or "full contact karate." As a historical note, the original name of Krav Maga was Kapap (sounds like "ka-PAPP") which was an acronym for Krav Panim el Panim, face-to-face combat. History The beginning of the system that would become Krav Maga in Israel was developed in Hungary-Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld. This system was codified and first taught in Bratislava in order to protect the Jewish community from fascist militias. When Imi Lichtenfeld came to British Mandate of Palestine prior to the reestablishment of the state of Israel, he began teaching hand to hand combat to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army. After the establishment of Israel, krav maga was the generic term used to reference the hand to hand combat taught to the Israeli armed forces and police. When Lichtenfeld moved to Israel he changed his name to Sde-Or, a direct translation of his surname into Hebrew. Due to the fact that it is strictly a self-defense and military combat system, Krav Maga is constantly changing. After Mr. Lichtenfeld retired from a long career as chief instructor of close combat in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), he started teaching Krav Maga to the civilian population. In this way, a civilian version based on the principles of self-defense was developed. Prior to 1985, all experts in Krav Maga lived in Israel. Many schools have opened outside Israel, with the instructors being certified by the Israeli Krav Maga Association. Since the death of Imi Lichtenfeld, a number of different schools and associations of Krav Maga have developed around the world. There is currently a controversy among various organizations and individuals who claim the mantle as Imi's successor. In Krav Maga, there are no hard-and-fast rules. It is not a sport and there is no competitive component. All the techniques focus on maximum efficiency in real-life conditions. Krav Maga generally assumes a no-quarter situation; the attacks and defenses are intended to inflict or divert the most pain possible on the opponent. Groin strikes, headbutts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks are emphasized. The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are: 1 avoid injury. 2 go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible. 3 use the body's natural reflexes. 4 strike at any vulnerable point. 5 use any tool or object nearby. The basic idea is to first deal with the immediate threat (being choked, for example), to prevent the attacker from re-attacking, then neutralize the opponent, proceeding through all the steps in a straightforward manner, despite the rush of adrenaline that would occur in such an attack. The emphasis is put on taking the initiative from the attacker as soon as possible __________________ "Warriorship is a continual journey. To be a warrior is to learn to be genuine in every moment of your life."