KMLI - FAQs

How are KMLI's Krav Maga instructors trained?
Our Krav Maga instructors are among the most rigorously trained in the United States, and are certified by Krav Maga Worldwide (KMWW)*--the nationally and internationally recognized certifying body for Krav Maga instruction. To be eligible to teach Level 1 at KMLI, our instructors must have trained in Krav Maga for a miniumum of six months with at least 75 hours of Level 1 training. They are then required to go through Krav Maga Worldwide's 56-hour Phase-A Instructor Certification Course at the National Training Center in Los Angeles.  KMWW also requires that all prospective instructors be certified in Basic First Aid and CPR.  (*In some cases, our instructors may have additional certifications with other established and acredited Krav Maga organizations)

Phase A Certification (for Level 1 instruction) entails training for seven days, eight hours per day, learning not only how to break down every Level 1 technique, but how to transfer knowledge effectively to students. Prospective instructors must do combatives drills for hours at a time, self-defense techniques through hundreds of repetitions, and then demonstrate their ability to teach these techniques to fellow students. Expert instructors from the National Training Center provide ongoing feedback and evaluation throughout the week. At the end of Phase-A, all participants must retest on all Yellow belt material, regardless of what belt-rank they may currently hold. The test is both for proficiency and for the ability to teach all Yellow belt material. It is not uncommon for up to 30 or 40% or more of the participants to fail one or more parts of the test and have to retrain and/or test.

To teach Level 2 classes at KMLI, instructors must already be Phase-A certified. They have to have trained in Level 2 Krav Maga classes for at least 6 months or at least 75 hours. They also have to have kept up their Level 1 training during that time. They are then required to go through Krav Maga Worldwide's Phase-B Instructor Certification Course. During this Phase-training, prospective instructors again must train for seven days, eight hours per day, during which they not only drill on all Orange belt material, they must also demonstrate their Yellow belt skills throughout the week. At the end of Phase-B, all participants must test on Orange belt material, regardless of what belt-rank they may currently hold. The test requires proficiency in all Level 2 material, even greater proficiency in all Level 1 material, and a demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge of all this material to students.

To teach Level 3 Krav Maga classes, KMLI instructors must not only complete Phase-C Instructor Certification at Krav Maga Worldwide's National Training Center (or a certified affiliate), they must also have trained in Level 3 Krav Maga for a minimum of one year with at least 100 hours of Green belt training, in addition to ongoing training in both Level 1 and Level 2 material. To teach beyond Leve 3, instructors must complete additional Instructor Training courses at the National Training Center and at KMLI, as well.

By the time a KMLI instructor is teaching Level 3 (Green belt) classes, he or she has had a minimum of 250 hours of Krav Maga training, plus nearly 170 hours of Instructor Training (Phases A - C).

How are KMLI's non-Krav Maga instructors (Power Punch, Kombat Grappling TM, Kombat Kidz TM) trained?
All of KMLI's non-Krav Maga instructors must provide evidence of training and proficiency before they are permitted to teach classes. They must also continue to train at KMLI as well as at other locations that may have certified them in their skills-areas. Every instructor must teach demo-classes to the KMLI Senior Staff and be evaluated for their ability to effectively transfer knowledge and to motivate students.

What ongoing training is required of KMLI's instructors?
KMLI instructors are required to keep up their training in Krav Maga and other relevant skill-areas. In addition, KMLI holds regular teaching-staff meetings not only go over curriculum but also to discuss and practice techniques, teaching points, and questions that may have come up in class.

There are other Krav Maga organizations that require certification of some kind in Israel. Why?
One or two Krav organizations now claim that to become a "full" instructor, one must complete one's training, test for black belt, and receive their certification from Israel. While this may sound more authentic, it is an aribitrary requirement that has virtually nothing to do with the effectiveness of an instructor's training and preparedness to teach. While a trip to Japan to train in karate, or to Korea to train in tae kwon do, might be a great experience, it is no less authentic to become an excellent practitioner--and teacher--of these styles without ever setting foot on Japanese or Korean soil. The same is true for Krav Maga. In the United States, there are already expert practitioners and instructors who are recognized nationally and internationally--not only by Israeli authorities, but by Krav centers throughout the world--as highly qualified to teach students and instructors of Krav Maga. On the flip side, one can go to Israel (or Japan or Korea), test for black belt, get certified there, and still be a poor instructor.  KMLI will only permit those individuals who have been duly certified by Krav Maga Worldwide and/or by another internationally recognized Krav Maga organization AND who demonstrate excellence in teaching to become instructors on our mats.