Krav Maga 4 Peace: fighting for the name
#KravMaga4Peace #nonIDFKrav
Krav Maga, a self-defence sport, originally developed within the Israeli military. Some instructors travel to Israel for masterclasses. However, a new initiative—symbolised by a redesigned logo—seeks to redefine that association so students can choose a school that suits them. With the logo schools reclaim the name Krav Maga, free from IDF. In the near future we will see if the logo catches on and if enough schools reclaim their sport.
“Our sport is about self-defence, not attack”.
“We welcome students of all ethnicities and religions.”
The new logo features the traditional Krav Maga symbol at its center, encircled by two blue olive branches. These branches reference the emblem of the United Nations. The UN Security Council recently issued a report , stating that the IDF commits war crimes. The olive branches also signify respect for UN borders and aid.
Krav Maga schools are welcome to download the logo and use it on their social media platforms with the hashtags:
#KravMaga4Peace and #nonIDFKrav.
A dedicated KravMaga4Peace website will be launched soon, along with other initiatives aimed at spreading the message: Krav Maga is separating itself from the IDF. This step is necessary to preserve the integrity of the name. Some schools had already stopped using the name Krav Maga and started referring to their classes simply as "Self-Defence" to avoid the association. But Krav Maga is a distinct discipline, with its own training methods and exams.
By adopting this peaceful logo, schools hope to protect the reputation of Krav Maga— and to signal to IDF that they have lost the sport. But most of all the logo indicates that students of all etnicities and religions are welcome.