Even if you have never heard of krav maga (Hebrew for something like "contact fighting" or, perhaps, "close-quarter combat"), fans of "NCIS" might recognize it as the martial art that makes the diminutive former Mossad agent, Ziva David, a force to be reckoned with. This book uses photographs along with descriptions to demonstrate this no-nonsense approach to self-defense. As the title suggests, this volume focuses on unarmed self-defense against attacks by individuals armed with knives, clubs and guns.

Although the text was written by non-native speakers, it has been heavily edited by American practitioners, including Darren Levine, a Los Angeles attorney largely responsible for spreading krav maga in the United States. The chief authors are Imi Sde-Or (nee Immanuel Lichtenfeld) and Eyal Yanilov. The late Mr. Sde-Or was the founder of krav maga, which he fashioned using elements from boxing, wrestling and judo both before and after moving to Israel. Yanilov is Sde-Or's handpicked successor as the leader of the krav maga movement.

The after matter in the book is particularly interesting because it gives a biography of Sde-Or who led a fascinating life, and it tells a little about his equally interesting father, Samuel Lichtenfeld, who was a circus performer, athletic club operator, boxer, wrestler, weightlifter, judoka and police detective. The apple did not fall far from the tree: Sde-Or made it his special mission to teach his self-defense techniques to law enforcement as well as the military in many countries. (The Illinois State Police were the first U.S. law enforcement agency to offer a krav maga course to officers.) ( )

Krav maga is today's cutting-edge self-defense and hand-to-hand combat system. It has international recognition from experts in Martial Arts and combat instructors as an innovative, effective, and highly practical self-defense and fighting method.

Intitially developed by Gandmaster Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld) for the Israel Defense Forces (I.D.F.) and other national secruity services, Krav Maga has been thoroughly adapted to meet civilian needs. The method was designed so that ordinary citizens, young and old, men and women alike, can successfully use it, regardless of their physical strength. The easily acquired natural techniques, due to modern and sophisticated training methods, combined with logically structured defense tactics, form a self-defense system characterized by simplicity; this is in fact the ture secret of Krav Maga's effectiveness. The volatile Israeli reality gave the Krav Maga School ample opportunity to be teasted in real-life situations more fierce than ordinary street fighting, allowing it to be improved upon and refined accordingly.

This is the first and only authorized, comprehensive manual on the Krav Maga discipine, written by its founder, Imi Sde-Or, and his senior disciple and follower, Eyal Yanilov. Illustrated with over 500 photographs and diagrams, the book specifically addresses the official Krav Maga techniques for coping quickly and efficiently with lethal confrontations.

This volume especially focuses on the various facets of dealing with an assailant armed with a sharp-edged weapons, a blunt object, or a firearm. Other subjects as defensive weapons, defending against two armed assailants, and neutralizing threat from a handgun or a hand grenade directed at a third party in a hostage situation.

As Mr. Shimon Peres, one of Israel's foremostn statesmen, wrote in his foreword to teh book: '...Terroism does not respect borders!'

Contents

Forewords (by Mr. Yitzhak Rabin and Mr. Shimon Peres)
Acknowledgment
Publisher's preface
Introduction
What is krav maga?
1 Defense against knife attack
2 Defense against impending threat with a knife
3 Defending against an assailant armed with a stick
4 Neutralizing a threat at gunpoint
5 Neutralizing a threat of rifle, shotgun or submachine gun
6 Hostage situations
7 Usning everyday objects as defensive weapons
8 Short stick against knife attack
9 Stick against stick
10 Defense against two armed assailants
11 Principles behind the defense technques
12 dealing with a violent incident: Evaluation, reaction, & training concepts
13 Additional traiing methods; how to use this book
14 Safety in training
15 About the authors: Grandmaster Imi, Founder of Krav Maga; Eyal Yanilov
Appendices: Deitor: Darren Levine
Publisher: Zvi Morik
Concepts and terms commonly sed in krav maga
Selected sayings of Grandmaster Imi sde-Or

stepping stone ( )