About

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is not a traditional martial art. Originating in pre-World War II Europe and developed for training the Israeli Defense Forces and Security Forces, Krav Maga is a modern and dynamic self-defense and striking system. There are no forms (katas) or rules or set combinations as reactions to attacks. Instead, Krav Maga was developed to bring students to a high level of skill in a relatively short period of time, with a training focus on teaching simple self-defense techniques which are specifically catered to reality-based attack situations.

Krav Maga emerged in an environment where extreme violence was common, giving it ample opportunity to be tested and improved under real life conditions. Using instructive, simple to learn, movements, aggressive counter-attacks and a no-holds-barred mentality, by design it stresses:

“…efficiency, aggression, innovation, and above all, survival….”

This mindset becomes very important in dealing with some of deadliest types of assaults and attacks, like those involving attackers armed with guns, knives, and blunt weapons as well as aggressive acts like punches, kicks, chokes, bear hugs, headlocks and grabs.

Krav Maga is the most sought after system of self-defense for more United States Law Enforcement agencies than any other. Many techniques originated in Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling, while other techniques call from Ju-Jitsu and Karate.

As a system, Krav Maga is alive, adaptive, and evolving. If a better technique is discovered, it is pressure-tested, refined, and incorporated into the system. Similarly, each practitioner possesses a unique combination of age, shape, size, and skill and therefore applies Krav Maga differently to so that “one may walk in peace.”

Because Krav Maga is a self-defense system and not a sport, there are no competitions or tournaments. Like other arts, Krav Maga issues colored belts to mark higher levels of expertise.

At American Drengr, we follow the original colored belt grading system used by Krav Maga’s founder and Grand Master, Imi Lechtenfeld.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned martial artist there is a place here for you!

The Aim of Krav Maga

• To educate and build people mentally, spiritually, and physically so that in a time of need one will be able to defend and attack with maximum speed and efficiency.
• To establish in one a sense of self-worth.
• To work toward the bringing together of hearts and ending violence around the world, between all peoples, irrespective of color, race, or religion.

Origins of Krav Maga

Translated literally as “contact-combat”, Krav Maga originated in Czechoslovakia in the 1930’s, derived from the street-fighting experience of Hungarian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld to protect his people from brutalization in Pre-World War II Europe. He was an expert in boxing and wrestling, trained by his father who taught defensive tactics for the local police. Lichtenfeld grew up in an increasingly tough neighborhood and dealt regularly with thugs, violent gangs and anti-Semites. On these tough streets, Krav Maga was born as Lichtenfeld began to combine different techniques to form an effective, simple approach to self-defense for the Jewish community. This would form the basis of Israeli Krav Maga training.

In the late 1940s, Lichtenfeld immigrated to Mandatory Palestine, providing training to what was to become the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). In 1948, when the State of Israel was formed, he became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. He 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.

Our Name: American Drengr

We chose to adopt American Drengr as our name because it represents a courageous and honorable warrior in Old Norse and the Viking culture.  We believe the meaning of Drengr captures the essence of Krav Maga in that it teaches us how to protect ourselves and others who are unjustly threatened.  It is not violence for the sake of violence.

There is no higher compliment in Old Norse than to call a man or woman a “Drengr.”  A Drengr protects the weak, and prepares to fight a worthy opponent.  A Drengr does not target those who are weaker or less capable.  A Drengr is brave, magnanimous, respectful of others, and has the physical and spiritual strength to be just and do what is right. A Drengr has a strong moral code and a sense of honor.

Self-defense is about protecting what matters.  It is a values-based martial art.  Its goal is to walk in peace.

Our Affiliations

We are members of the American Krav Maga Federation, a group of like-minded Krav Maga schools dedicated to preserving Krav Maga in the United States. Training at an American Krav Maga Federation certified training center will help you reach your self-defense and fitness related goals. The AKMF provides guidance on rank requirements, quality of instruction and integrity of the system, offers instructor training, and provides mobile training for US Law Enforcement Agencies and the US Military. As an AKMF school. American Drengr Krav Maga subscribes to a self-defense instruction philosophy based on a curriculum and promotion system that is both time-tested and pressure-tested.

Krav Maga Universal (KMU) is a self-defense system and progressive martial arts training program developed to improve defensive tactics for individuals. It was founded in 2010 by Ernie Kirk, a 5th Degree Black Belt, and is affiliated with the Wingate Institute in Israel. The American Drengr’s Instructor Team has undergone Krav Maga Universal (KMU) instructor certification that includes both Practical Instructor Theory as well as 16 hours of live training.