Why Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is the official hand to hand combat and self-defense

system of the Israeli Military. Its brutal and effective techniques

are focused solely on real world situations. If you have been

looking for a real-life self-defense system that will work with any

body style regardless of age, weight or stature this is the system

for you.

Striker’s Edge Krav Maga is the Elite

Striker’s Edge Krav Maga’s Chief instructor Michael Fritsch Has

been studying Martial arts for over 30 yrs. He is a retired Combat

Infantry Soldier with several deployments to combat zones

overseas. He has attained the rank of 4 th Dan in Taekwondo and

Anyo 4 in Presas Style Kombotan under Grand Master Chris

Rangel. He has also trained extensively in American and Muay

Thai Kickboxing and has been studying Krav Maga for over eight

years and Obtained his Instructors Certification in 2024 from Chief

Instructor of Krav Maga Association Prof. Marty Cale.

Credibility and Reputation

In a world that is saturated with Krav Maga Instructors, in Kansas

Striker’s Edge Krav Maga Stands apart. Michael receives top

level Krav Maga training from KMA’s Chef Instructor Prof. Marty

Cale and can Promote Students in Krav Maga. So not only will

you receive the top-level training with hard work and

determination you will receive Certificates of completion from

KMA for each Level of Krav Maga that you successfully complete,

but that is also recognized around the world. KMA is the source of

knowledge on the forefront of Krav Maga and fighting. Michael

receives knowledge and experience from the IDF instructors

through Prof. Marty Cale. He receives his knowledge from KMA

instructors through regular training events, curriculum updates

and instructor training videos.

History of Krav Maga

The history of Krav Maga is as exciting as the system itself. The

founder of Krav Maga was Imi Sde-Or. The history is closely

linked to the development of the state of Israel and the need for

the Israeli military to protect its country in one of the world’s most

hostile areas.

Given Imi’s extensive self-defense skills, Imi was recruited by

Issac Sadeh, the commanding officer of the Haganah in 1942.

Two years later he began to teach Kapap (hand to hand combat)

and physical exercise to the most elite special forces units of the

Haganah, Palmach, and Palyam. During this period, firearms

were outlawed and in very scarce supply. They were hidden away

from the British and only used for special missions. The fact that

firearms could not be used had a great influence on the

development of the style. Unarmed combat was absolutely

essential for the success of the military.

In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was

formed, Imi became the 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. It was his job to see to it that the troops of the IDF

including the special forces units were expertly skilled in hand-to-

hand combat. During this time, Imi further refined his face to face

fighting techniques (now referred to as Krav Maga).

Upon retiring from the IDF in the early 60’s, Imi began adapting

the style for civilian use. He established two schools, one in

Netanya and one in Tel Aviv.

The work in the following years and up to today, was to design the

system to confront everyday attacks and street confrontation

problems. Imi and his senior students set about designing Krav

Maga as a complete system.

New problems were discovered and Imi set about finding a

solution to them, with the help of his senior instructors. The core

of the system has always been simplicity and effectiveness, and

Imi was always looking for the easy solution to most problems.

Many changes were made to the system both technically and

visually, but in all the work that was done, Imi never forgot the

base of the system, simplicity, effectiveness and realism.

One interesting result of this was Krav Maga’s use of belts. In the

early system Imi did not use belts in training, because it was a

military system. But seeking recognition from his fellow martial

artists he designed a belt system based on the Judo system of

white-yellow-orange-green-blue-brown-black. The system was

divided into grades making it easier to organize. He also started

training in Gi’s (white training suits). In the 90’s, however, Imi

decided that belts no longer should be a part of the system as it

originally did not have any realistic or practical meaning in the

system. The system of grades was kept, but the belts were taken

out and replaced with the system of Practitioner/Graduate/Expert

Levels. The training suits today also consists of black pants and

t-shirts. Some countries still use the belts in the curriculum, but

not in training.

Imi and his senior instructors formed the first Krav Maga

Association in 1978, and in 1992 Imi expressed a desire to make

an international federation to help spread the system to the world.

In 1995 his dream came true, and the international Krav Maga

Federation was formed in Netanya, Imi’s home place.

To the present day the style has grown greatly with the

associations and affiliations in Israel, the United States, France,

Sweden, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Brazil, Thailand and

throughout the world. It is used on a day to day basis by the IDF

including the special forces units and the Israeli police and

security branches, and by many other elite units in North America,

South America, Europe and around the world. The style has also

became, as Imi sought to make it, a major source of civilian self-

defense instruction.

On January 9 th , 1998, Imi Licthenfeld, aged 88, passed away