History of Krav Maga

Krav Maga was developed in Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld (“Imi Sde-Or” in Hebrew). Imi, who was already a champion boxer, wrestler and gymnast, first taught his fighting system in Bratislava in order to help protect the Jewish community from Nazi militia. Upon arriving in Palestine, Imi began teaching hand-to-hand combat to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army.

With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Imi became the Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he continued to develop and refine his hand-to-hand combat method.

In 1981, Imi Lichtenfeld asked his senior student and instructor, Eyal Yanilov, to help train the first American group of Krav Maga instructors. Three years later, Imi placed Eyal in charge of preparing the complete and comprehensive series on the Krav Maga discipline (including the official manual).

In this capacity, he is in charge of the development, definition, and dissemination of the system. Mr. Yanilov is the only individual who carries the highest grade ever given by Imi ( Master level 3/Expert level 8 ) and holds the unique “Founder’s Diploma of Excellence”. In 1996, two years before Imi’s death, he charged Eyal with the formation of the International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF) –an organization designed to promote, update, and maintain the high standards of Krav Maga.

Larry D. Escher, the Owner and Chief Instructor of Texas Krav Maga, practiced several martial arts for years before meeting Eyal Yanilov in March 2007. Larry Escher later took part in the first I.K.M.F. Instructor’s Course ever to be held in the United States and was one of only 3 to complete the entire course.

Texas Krav Maga was started in Houston, TX to continue the high standards of authentic Krav Maga and extend the lineage of the founder, Imi Lichtenfeld to the good people of Texas.

"You punch, you kick, you also learn to get out of a choke hold. I love, love it!"
Hilary Swank, Academy Award-Winning Actress
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"To build proficiency in a short period of time, there is nothing better than Krav Maga!"
Black Belt Magazine
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"Best in the World for self defense."
GQ Active Magazine
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"The workouts are always interesting and varied, and I love getting in shape while learning instinctive and practical ways to defend myself in real-life situations."
Kathryn S., Age 37, Katy, TX
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"The hottest martial art, Krav Maga takes a step beyond mere self defense... using training methods that simulate reality"
Men's Fitness Magazine
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"Unlike most Martial Arts, Krav Maga is extremely effective for the street."
Bas Rutten, UFC Heavyweight Champion
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"I really enjoy the Krav Maga classes, it's a mixture of self defense and cardio. After taking a class I feel stronger physically and emotionally."
Jackie S., Mother of 2, Katy, TX
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"In 25 years of martial arts, this is the most practical, progressive, and, to me, logical system of teaching I've ever seen."
John Graden, Martial Arts Professional Magazine
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"Krav Maga, the world's best form of self defense. Very enjoyable & easy to learn."
Time Out Magazine
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"I think it's the most complete system that you can find."
Oleg Taktarov, Former UFC Champion
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"It has more self defense than any other system we know about. And we know quite a bit about the subject."
Combat Magazine
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"No martial artist should go without this information!"
J. Hsu, 3rd Degree Black Belt, Tae Kwon Do
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"Everybody should know Krav Maga, it works! The best self defense system on the market."
P. Douglas, Bodyguard, Scotland Yard Anti-Terrorist Branch
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