Compared to most other forms of martial arts and self defence out there, Krav Maga is a relatively new system – one based on more modern methodologies and contemporary requirements for self protection. While popular martial arts such as karate and kung fu have roots tracing back centuries, even millennia, the genesis of Krav Maga was only decades back. The man who started it all was Imi Lichtenfeld (also known as Imi Sde-Or, the Hebrew calque of his name), a Hugarian-Jewish-Israeli self defence visionary.
The founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld, lead an incredible life and influenced thousands of people – and there was no other practitioner of martial arts like him.
Early Days
Lichtenfeld was born in Budapest in to a Hungarian-Jewish family who moved to Bratislava, the Slovakian capital when he was still in his infancy. Imi’s father Samuel Lichtenfeld was the chief inspector in the Bratislava police force, but also owned a modern gym – the first in the capital – where people practiced self-defence; then mainly boxing and wrestling. It was here that young Imi cut his teeth in athletics.
His father, bei
The Unabridged History of Krav Maga
The history of Krav Maga (What is Krav Maga?) is famously linked to the lives of Imi Lichtenfeld and the first generation of instructors he trained. Despite the popular belief, though, he was not, strictly speaking, the founder of Krav Maga.
The origins of the style go deeper in time and benefited greatly from the influence of other major figures who have been largely ignored by most commentators.
What is true, however, is that it all began in eastern Europe
The origins of Krav Maga
The history of Krav Maga can be traced back to pre-World War II Eastern Europe. But before the fighting system itself, there was the idea that Jewish people could be the master of their own destiny.
In , the co-founder of the World Zionist Organisation, Max Nordau, then a doctor in Budapest, came up with the concept of a "muscular judaism" which encouraged its adherents to develop moral and physical toughness through training.
This is important because it gave Jewish communities a direction. They had a right to self-defence but they needed method, training and organisation. This turned out to be the common thread from which Krav Maga develo
Imi Lichtenfeld
Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld) est né à Budapest en Son père, Samuel, était lutteur et acrobate de foire, il rejoignit les forces de police et fut, pendant de nombreuses années, Inspecteur en chef. Il devint célèbre pour ses nombreuses arrestations et spécialement celles de dangereux criminels.
Dans sa jeunesse, Imi étudia la lutte, la boxe et la gymnastique. En , il remporta le championnat slovaque de lutte pour jeune et, en , le championnat adulte. La même année, il remporta également les championnats de boxe et de gymnastique.
La décennie suivante, les activités sportives d’Imi se focalisèrent principalement sur la lutte aussi bien comme compétiteur qu’entraîneur. Dans le milieu des années 30, les conditions changèrent à Bratislava.
Des groupes fascistes et anti-sémites firent leur apparation, déterminés à perturber et malmener la communauté juive.
Imi devint le chef d’un groupe de jeunes juifs, dont la plupart avaient une experience en boxe, lutte ou haltérophilie. Ce groupe avait pour but d&#;empêcher les factions anti-sémites de pénétrer dans le quartier juif. Dans les années qui suivirent, Imi fut régulièremnt forcé de se battre dan
Imi Lichtenfeld - Biography
Imre "Imi" Lichtenfeld (May 26, – January 9, ) was an Israeli martial artist who founded the Krav Maga self-defense system. He was also known as Imi Sde-Or, the Hebrew calque of his name.
Early life
Lichtenfeld was born on May 26, , to a Hungarian Jewish family in Budapest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He grew up in Bratislava. His father, Samuel Lichtenfeld, was a chief inspector on the Bratislava police force and a former circus acrobat. Lichtenfeld trained at the Hercules Gymnasium, which was owned by his father, who taught self-defense. As a young man, Lichtenfeld was a successful boxer and wrestler. He competed at national and international levels and was a champion and member of the Slovakian National Wrestling Team.
Development of Krav Maga
In the late s, anti-Semitic riots threatened the Jewish population of Bratislava. Together with other Jewish boxers and wrestlers, Lichtenfeld helped to defend his Jewish neighborhood against racist gangs. He quickly realized that sport has little in common with real combat and began developing a system of techniques for practical self-defense in life threatening situations.
In , Lichtenfeld
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