What do we mean by “American” Krav Maga? The very words Krav Maga are Hebrew meaning Contact Combat. The system was developed in Israel by an Israeli, Imi Lichtenfeld.
Imi taught hand to hand techniques in the military but the system was never called Krav Maga while he was in the IDF. Imi came up with that name in 1971, five years after he retired from the military and was teaching civilians. Imi actually wanted Krav Maga to be the Hebrew Martial Art. It was meant to be practiced in gi’s, belts were worn, there was bowing and the techniques were to be called by their Hebrew names, no matter where taught. I was told that Krav Maga was supposed to be ever changing and updated. Grandmaster Yaron Lichtenstein told me this was false. That “When Michelangelo finished the David he did not leave a hammer and chisel there for someone else to make better.”