Imi LICHTENFELD

Imi LICHTENFELD was born in 1910 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Inspired and encouraged by his father Samuel, a former circus acrobat and wrestler, physical education teacher, detective, and Chief Instructor of the local Police Force renowned both for his teaching of self-defense and for his many arrests, Imi practised numerous sports. He eventually focused on gymnastics, wrestling and boxing, actively taking part for ten years in a great number of competitions, from which he often emerged victorious, mainly in wrestling.

When fascism emerged in the 1930s, Imi gathered a group of young athletes around him, whose mission was to protect the local Jewish community by fighting against fascist troops. He took part in numerous street fights, which sharpened his awareness of the differences between street combat and sporting competition. The first principles of Krav Maga were born.

Because of his actions, he quickly became unpopular with the local authorities and had to leave Bratislava. His journey lasted two years, at the end of which he arrived in Israel, joined the Haganah (the Jewish paramilitary organization) where he taught basic self-defense techniques, then continued his activities within Tsahal, the Israeli army.

It was within Tsahal, over twenty years, that Imi perfected his system, while also training instructors and members of the army's elite units. During his service, Imi wrote the official manual on self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. In 1964, he left the army while continuing to oversee Krav Maga instruction, both in a military context and for law enforcement.

Alongside this activity, he worked tirelessly to refine, improve and adapt Krav Maga to the needs of the civilian population.

Later, Krav Maga became part of civilian life, in both private and public institutions, having been recognized by the French Ministry of National Education. It eventually spread across the world and is now notably taught in France, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Finland, Norway, Hungary, Poland, Australia, Thailand and the United States, among others.

The Krav Maga system developed by Imi is founded on moral and human values, which emphasize the importance of integrity, humility and respect for others. In 1995, he created the IKMF to meet the growing worldwide demand for Krav Maga.

Imi LICHTENFELD passed away on January 9, 1998