Israeli instructors of military self-defence fighting system Krav Maga in India

The instructors of Krav Maga, a military self-defence and fighting system developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), are presently in India to impart life skills training in self-defence, the Embassy of Israel today said.

Refael Kashani, KMIA's co-founder and principal instructor with experience of 26 years, will head the training program in India.

The first phase of the program will be led by Israeli instructors. It is Kashani's aim to find and train Indian instructors in future, an official statement said.

"As someone who was trained in Krav Maga, I can say that it is a practical self-defence training, which anyone can learn. It also builds self-confidence. Israeli civilians as well as police and army receive training in it.

"We are proud of it and now we are spreading it to the rest of world...We view it as a great opportunity that strengthens the long-term cooperation between both the nations," said Maya Kadosh, Charg d' Affaires of the Embassy of Israel.

The art of Krav Maga was developed in Europe to protect the Jewish community during the Holocaust.

After Israel was formed, the Jewish community migrated here and brought with them the art. Soon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began training its staff in it and it became mandatory. Later, it was also taught to Israeli civilians, the statement said.

"By learning its techniques, people of all age groups can learn to keep themselves safe in the real world. Krav Maga is easy to learn because it is based on our natural reflexes and real-life situations," it added.