Krav Maga - From Israel: meaning "close combat or contact combat" A practical and tactical system which teaches how to prevent, deal and overcome all kinds of violence and attacks. KM prepares the trainees in the subjects of self-defense, self protection, fighting and combat skills, as well as skills to defend others, all in unique and comprehensive teachings and way. Krav-Maga was developed in Israel, under realistic demands and conditions. Founded and formed by Imi Lichtenfeld (Sde-Or) and continues to advance and be modified by Eyal Yanilov, assisted by the top instructors of IKMF.

Krav-Maga is a horizontal system with a unique and logical approach. It is easy to learn and retain, performed naturally and intuitively, and practically be use under stressful conditions. An essential part of KM is its teaching process, methodology and ways of training. Krav-Maga contains special approaches, tactics, techniques, subjects, drills and training methods for the different sectors: Civilians of all ages, men and women, young and old; Law-enforcement officers; Military personnel and units; Correction service officers and wardens; Security officers; As well as: Close protection officers; Undercover agents; Antiterrorists groups; Air-marshals; Special and commando units.

 

Basic principles
 
A key principle of Krav Maga is finishing a fight as quickly as possible and therefore all attacks are aimed towards the most vulnerable parts of the body (e.g., face, neck, groin, knee, etc.). Because there are no sporting rules, individuals trained in Krav Maga are not limited to techniques that avoid severely injuring their opponents, but training and sparring drills provide maximum safety to the students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable force. For example, kicks to the groin during sparring is commonplace, but groin protection must be worn and students should demonstrate due diligence with regards for their partners' safety.
 
Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks before engaging in full-contact sparring. Students are taught to respond to attacks in the quickest and most efficient way; a common lesson taught is 'always use the nearest tool for the job'. This basically means use whichever limb is closest to your attacker at the time and whichever feels most natural. Men and women generally undergo the same drills.[9][10] It has no sporting federation and there are no official uniforms (such as a gi). Usual training attire consists of a t-shirt and loose fitting trousers. Krav Maga is also one of the few martial arts in which footwear is habitually worn, due to it being 'reality-based training'. Most organizations recognize progress through training with rank badges, different levels, and belts.
 
General principles include:

Counter attacking as soon as possible (or attacking preemptively).
Targeting attacks to the body's most vulnerable points such as the eyes, jaw, throat, groin, knee, etc.
Neutralizing the opponent as quickly as possible by responding with an unbroken stream of counter attacks and if necessary a take down/joint break.
Maintaining awareness of surroundings while dealing with the threat in order to look for escape routes, further attackers, objects that could be used to defend or help attack and so on.

Basic training entails a warm-up, learning essential pressure points, and learning how to approach and control an opponent using force. Students learn how to execute strikes and kicks including punches, hammer fists, elbows, and various kicks. Students learn defenses against take-downs, chokes, bear-hugs, arm bars, and other possible attacks. Training also includes learning to defend against various weapons, such as knives, bats, guns, etc. Pressure drills, in which students engage with multiple attackers, are also common. Other tests include students closing their eyes and reacting to a variety of potential threats. Fitness and endurance training is also incorporated into regular classes.
 
Training can also cover situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings and potentially threatening circumstances before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal with potentially violent situations, and physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.

 

Below is a video about Krav Maga from The History Channel TV Series Human Weapon

 

Please refer to our references as we have used a few different sources for the basic explanation of each martial art discipline. Many of our direct links, images and text will be from the site Wikipedia which is not known for the most accurate information when it comes to doing a thesis or studying for ones P.H.D. but does have a large collection of data that is well organized. Much of the text regarding martial arts styles on Wikipedia seems to generally sum up each discipline as good as many other sources. We do not intend to re-invent the wheel, but we do want to roll you in a good direction in order to get a glimpse of each style.

References:	http://www.usgyms.net
	http://en.wikipedia.org