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EMRICH LICHTENFELD
History Of Krav Maga
(26.5.1910 - 9.1.1998)
Emrich "Imi" Lichtenfeld (Sde-Or), founder of Krav Maga (contact combat), was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary. Inspired by his father, he began practicing a variety of sports. He excelled in swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, and boxing. In 1928, he won the wrestling championship for teenagers in Slovakia, and in 1929, he won the national championship. That same year, he won the Slovak national boxing championship as well as an international gymnastics championship.
In 1942, "Imi" emigrated to Israel and was sent by Izchak Sade to the "Hagana." In 1944, "Imi" trained soldiers in his areas of expertise, which included physical training, swimming, and defense with a knife and hand-to-hand combat, using techniques with sticks (a technique borrowed from the British police). "Imi" gained the status of a physical education teacher responsible for self-defense. After the declaration of independence, "Imi" joined the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and continued as chief physical education officer and Krav Maga instructor.
He continued developing defense techniques for knives, firearms, harpoons, and various attacks. He incorporated Jujitsu exercises such as grip releases. This marked the birth of Krav Maga (contact combat) in the IDF, along with "Imi's" memorable saying: "The shortest and fastest is the best."
Over time, "Imi" noticed that some of the exercises were too complicated and could not be performed by all soldiers. He revised and adjusted the exercises so that every soldier could execute them after a short period of practice. "Imi" retired from the army in 1964 and later established a private training center in Netanya for Krav Maga, Jujitsu, and gymnastics.
In civilian life, Krav Maga reached new heights as civilians interested in self-defense compared this method to other techniques, further stimulating the development of the method. The ideology behind these methods was to avoid injury: "Do what you can, but don't get hurt" and "use the simplest and easiest way." According to this ideology, "Imi" developed new exercises suited to each individual.
In 1971, "Imi" awarded the first black belt in Krav Maga to his loyal and talented student, Eli Avikzar, who continued to develop Krav Maga (now known as Krav-Magen) and later founded the Israeli Krav Magen Association – KAMI.
The first levels of black belt Dan 1 awarded by "Imi": 1971 - Eli Avikzar
1973 - Rafi Elgarisi
1975 - Him Zut
1975 - Shmuel Kutzviel
1975 - Haim Hakani
1975 - Shlomo Avsira
1975 - Victor Bracha
1978 - Yaron Lichtenstein
1978 - Avner Hazan
1979 - Avi Abeceedon
1980 - Miki Asulin
EMRICH LICHTENFELD
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