Texas Krav Maga

About Texas 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.