About us 
IKMF - International krav maga
federation
The need for an international Krav Maga body came about in the early 1990's, as the system began to spread outside of Israel. In early 1996 Imi consented to and fully supported the formation of the International Krav Maga Federation - the IKMF. It was founded by Avi Moyal, Eyal Yanilov, Gabi Noah, Eli Ben-Ami and several other respected and highly ranked instructors. From that time on until he died , Imi authorized all Expert and Master Diplomas, grades and levels as issued by the IKMF. With Imi's heavy involvement, this new organization quickly emerged as the leading and true source of Krav Maga around the world.
Since forming in 1996, the IKMF has grown to be the largest and most professional Krav Maga organization in the world! The IKMF operates successfully in Israel, and all over the world Generally each country with an active IKMF branch has local Director and instructors with different grades, levels, and qualifications. The local director is responsible for the growth of both Krav Maga as a system and the growth of their local IKMF branch.
IMI The Founder of krav maga and the father of I.K.M.F
Imrich ("Imi") Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld) was born on May 26, 1910, to a Hungarian Jewish family in Budapest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire . He grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital, with a father who provided him quite an unusual childhood. Samuel Lichtenfeld, his father, was a chief inspector on the Bratislava police force and a former circus acrobat.
With his father's encouragement, Imi engaged in a wide range of sports, such as swimming, boxing, wrestling and gymnastics. He trained at a Gymnasium owned by his father, who taught self-defense. Imi excelled in wrestling both as contestant an as trainer, Also winning several awards in these fields.
In the mid thirties, Fascist and anti-Semitic groups appeared in Bratislava, threatening to harm the city's Jewish community there. Imi led a group of former boxers and wrestlers to defend his Jewish neighborhood against the fascist gangs. This group attempted to block the anti-Semitic gangs from entering the Jewish quarter. Encountering as many "street fights" as he did, Imi quickly realized that sport had little in common with real combat and began developing a system of techniques for practical self-defense in life threatening situations.
In 1940 Imi fled the Nazi occupation of his homeland, and boarded the last immigrant ship that succeeded in escaping the Nazis' clutches. He boarded the vessel "Pencho", which shipwrecked on the Greek Dodecanese Islands, and arrived to Palestine in 1942.
At his arrival, Israel's early leaders recognized Imi's fighting abilities and in 1944 he began training fighters in his areas of expertise: physical fitness, swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, and defenses against knife attacks. During this period, Imi trained several elite units of the Hagana and Palmach (striking force of the Hagana and forerunner of the special units of the IDF), including the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers. After the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the formation of the IDF he became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. Imi served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat.
IKMF - International krav magafederation
The need for an international Krav Maga body came about in the early 1990's, as the system began to spread outside of Israel. In early 1996 Imi consented to and fully supported the formation of the International Krav Maga Federation - the IKMF. It was founded by Avi Moyal, Eyal Yanilov, Gabi Noah, Eli Ben-Ami and several other respected and highly ranked instructors. From that time on until he died , Imi authorized all Expert and Master Diplomas, grades and levels as issued by the IKMF. With Imi's heavy involvement, this new organization quickly emerged as the leading and true source of Krav Maga around the world.
Since forming in 1996, the IKMF has grown to be the largest and most professional Krav Maga organization in the world! The IKMF operates successfully in Israel, and all over the world Generally each country with an active IKMF branch has local Director and instructors with different grades, levels, and qualifications. The local director is responsible for the growth of both Krav Maga as a system and the growth of their local IKMF branch.
IMI The Founder of krav maga and the father of I.K.M.F
Imrich ("Imi") Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld) was born on May 26, 1910, to a Hungarian Jewish family in Budapest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire . He grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital, with a father who provided him quite an unusual childhood. Samuel Lichtenfeld, his father, was a chief inspector on the Bratislava police force and a former circus acrobat.
With his father's encouragement, Imi engaged in a wide range of sports, such as swimming, boxing, wrestling and gymnastics. He trained at a Gymnasium owned by his father, who taught self-defense. Imi excelled in wrestling both as contestant an as trainer, Also winning several awards in these fields.
In the mid thirties, Fascist and anti-Semitic groups appeared in Bratislava, threatening to harm the city's Jewish community there. Imi led a group of former boxers and wrestlers to defend his Jewish neighborhood against the fascist gangs. This group attempted to block the anti-Semitic gangs from entering the Jewish quarter. Encountering as many "street fights" as he did, Imi quickly realized that sport had little in common with real combat and began developing a system of techniques for practical self-defense in life threatening situations.
In 1940 Imi fled the Nazi occupation of his homeland, and boarded the last immigrant ship that succeeded in escaping the Nazis' clutches. He boarded the vessel "Pencho", which shipwrecked on the Greek Dodecanese Islands, and arrived to Palestine in 1942.
At his arrival, Israel's early leaders recognized Imi's fighting abilities and in 1944 he began training fighters in his areas of expertise: physical fitness, swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, and defenses against knife attacks. During this period, Imi trained several elite units of the Hagana and Palmach (striking force of the Hagana and forerunner of the special units of the IDF), including the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers. After the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the formation of the IDF he became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. Imi served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat.
