Krav Maga was devised by Imi Lichtenfeld in Bratislava, modern day Slovakia, in the early 1940s. After his escape to Palestine and following the foundation of the state of Israel, he became a close quarters combat instructor for the Israeli Army and taught Krav Maga there. Nowadays, Krav Maga is regarded as one of the most acclaimed and effective systems for self-defense. Krav Maga is taught to units of the Israeli Security Forces, the military, Mossad and Israeli Police Forces. The system was developed to reach maximum proficiency in the shortest time and to withstand violent situations as well as mental stress. Krav Maga focuses on improving an individual’s self-confidence, defense capability and both mental and physical fitness. Of course, Military Krav Maga has been widely modified for civilian use. These adaptations for today’s needs have made Krav Maga what it is – highly efficient and extremely practice-oriented.