This is the true story and history of PRIMAL

Krav Maga is an Israel Martial Art system developed for the IDF Israeli Defence Force. Krav Maga directly translates to “Contact Combat”. Modern Krav Maga can vary a lot from organizations to different schools of thought, training, and teaching methodologies. Traditionally Krav Maga is a combination of aikido, Judo, Karate, Boxing, and Wrestling. The quality of the system comes down to the expertise and experience of the Instructor and his / her Martial Arts and Krav Maga background.

Krav Maga was originally developed by Hungarian-born Israeli Martial Artis Imi Lichtenfeld. Imi had become a well-rounded and experienced street fighter using his training in boxing and wrestling to defend Jewish neighborhoods against anti-Semitic gangs in the late 1930s.

In the late 1940s, Imi began to organize his combat experience into a system as he began teaching Jewish paramilitary groups that would later form the IDF. This system would later become known as Krav Maga and would be taught in the IDF at different levels long after Imi left.

After Imi completed his service and left the IDF he would establish a civilian Krav Maga school in Netanya Israel, the IKMA Israeli Krav Maga Organisation. The IKMA is the original governing body for Israeli Krav Maga, recognized by the Israeli government and headed by Grandmaster Haim Gidon. Haim was a member of Krav Maga founder Imi Lichtenfeld’s first training class in the early 1960s. Today there are many organizations in Krav Maga some with a direct lineage to Imi and the original IKMA and his system and others that have no connection to Imi. Krav Maga is constantly evolving however principles in combat with always remain a constant. There are many great teachers and experts in Krav Maga today.

Ryan Davies founder of PRIMAL- training and education started in 2010 when he took it upon himself to travel to the IKMA to study Krav Maga under Grandmaster Hiam Gidon and his top students. Ryan qualified as a full Krav Maga instructorship over 4 years of training tours back and forth from South Africa to Netanya Israel training alongside some of the biggest names in business, Yigal Abriv, Vitor Martins, David Khan, and Ricardo Pinto to name a few. 

In 2014 Ryan decided he would like to test his knowledge and training under Military Krav Maga instructor and IDF Major Itay Gil eventually passing his 40-hour full Krav Maga instructor exam in Jerusalem Israel. In 2023 after 16 years of professional Krav Maga teaching and practice, Ryan would Achieve his black belt under Dr Itay Gil and the Protect Krav Maga Academy (Yamam Krav Maga)

Other Israeli Martial Arts

Beyond Krav Maga, Israel has some of the world's best combative instructors and teachers. This is for obvious reasons. The holy land has been entrenched in conflict for centuries. Israeli Martial Arts extend beyond just Krav Maga. There are very good systems that deserve to be mentioned Kapap, Akban, and A.C.T Armed Combat & Tactics. Ryan has had the privilege of learning the A.C.T Knife and practical weapons system directly from both Noah Gross and Alexander Zhelezniak.

PRIMAL Krav Maga was officially established by Ryan Davies in 2009. Ryan had the plan to become the best self-defence instructor he could be to serve a greater South African public in desperate need of good quality schools dedicated to Martial Arts for Self Defense and Survival. Today Ryan is recognized by as the father of both original Israeli Krav Maga (IKMA), Protect Krav Maga (Itay Gil), and A.C.T Armed Combat & Tactics in South Africa.

Striking in Krav Maga

There is no Krav Maga without proper knowledge of striking. Striking both with all 9 limbs, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, head butts, and with striking weapons- Bats, sticks, poles, bottles, stools, bladed weapons knives and machetes. A Krav Maga black belt will be able to teach both Boxing and Kick Boxing. Depending on a Krav Maga school's lineage, the striking style they train might be influenced by either Boxing, Karate, or MuayThai. Like all these individual arts the algorithm should be developed on target striking or pad work. A great Krav Maga teacher/coach will be great at holding and teaching his / her students how to hold pads and create fight context through all the ranges from long, mid, close and clinch back out to long range.

Grappeling in Krav Maga

There is no Krav Maga with no Judo and Wrestling. Most military hand-to-hand combat systems have a foundation in Judo and Wrestling. A Krav Maga black belt “should” have a decent level of judo-throwing didactics of Judo and wrestling. In Krav Maga Judo wrestling is combined with striking much like modern MMA Mixed Martial Arts. Throwing happens when is close and clinch range. Krav Maga makes use of aggressive head butting, elbows and knees strike 1st to set up reaction and off-balancing (Kazushi) to set up throw and ground controls.

The knife problem

Defense against a knife attack is not practiced in any sport grappling or striking school. Krav Maga must address the knife problem in all ranges. With distance you have the upper hand and boxing under a knife context will give you tools to keep long-range without forcing the clinch. Without stating the obvious, mid and close range is the range that a knife lands, the range you get hit/stabbed die against a blade. This is why distance. In Krav Maga, the objective is always to be on your feet and wherever possible or capable of getting out back to distance, back to safety. There are of course situations where this might not be possible. This is why striking and throwing against weapons is necessary to train in all ranges with long being the optimal range and close and clinch being forced on you. 

P.A.C.T Armed Combat

PACT is where empty hand Krav Maga meets Armed Combat & Tactics, teaching and practising edge and Impact weapon carry, conceal and deployment under full pressure knife / Machete attack. We teach how to keep space and create space to cancel the threat where ever you can and fight to survive not to win. PACT teaches the practical use of Knife, Tactical baton, Tactical Pen, weapons that can be improvised and traveld with and used for self protection purposes.