Imi Lichtenfeld
Creator of Krav Maga · Father of modern Israeli self-defense
Early life in Bratislava
Imrich (Imi) Lichtenfeld was born in Budapest in 1910 and grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia. His father Samuel was a chief detective inspector and a renowned wrestler. Imi excelled in boxing, wrestling, and gymnastics, becoming a Slovak national champion in his teens.
In the 1930s, as anti-Semitic violence rose in Bratislava, Imi led groups of young Jewish men to defend their community against fascist mobs. The street fights of that era — chaotic, brutal, real — taught him that sports combat techniques rarely worked under genuine assault. He began developing a practical defense system born from necessity.
From Europe to Palestine
In 1940, Imi fled Nazi Europe on a ship bound for Palestine. After a perilous voyage and detention by the British, he reached the Holy Land in 1942 and joined the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary defense organization.
His combat skills caught the attention of Haganah leaders. By 1944, Imi was teaching hand-to-hand combat, knife defense, and survival tactics to elite units. He developed what would become Krav Maga as a system specifically designed for: anyone to learn quickly, anyone to use effectively under stress, against any threat (armed or unarmed).
Krav Maga and the IDF (1948-1964)
When Israel was founded in 1948, the Haganah became the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Imi was appointed Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF's elite training center, the Wingate Institute.
For 16 years, Imi taught Krav Maga to every IDF unit: Sayeret Matkal, paratroopers, special forces, regular infantry, intelligence officers. He continually refined the system based on real-world feedback from combat. By the time he retired from active duty in 1964, Krav Maga was the official combat system of the Israeli military.
Civilian Krav Maga and Eli Avikzar
After retiring from the IDF, Imi adapted Krav Maga for civilians — particularly women, children, and elderly people who needed effective self-defense without years of training. He opened civilian schools in Tel Aviv and Netanya.
His most dedicated student during this civilian phase was Eli Avikzar, who trained under Imi from 1964 onwards. On May 1st, 1971, Imi awarded Eli the world's first Krav Maga black belt — a historic moment marking Krav Maga's recognition as a complete codified martial art. Eli later became Imi's appointed successor at the IDF Wingate Institute.
Death and legacy
Imi Lichtenfeld passed away on January 9, 1998, in Netanya — the same city where Yehouda Avikzar teaches today. He was posthumously awarded the 10th Dan, the highest rank in Krav Maga.
His direct lineage continues through Eli Avikzar → Yehouda Avikzar — a father-son transmission that preserves the original combat efficiency Imi created. Many organizations claim Krav Maga heritage today; only the Avikzar System maintains the unbroken biological lineage from the founder himself.
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