Krav Maga History From the streets of a Bratislavia ghetto to the battlefields of the Middle East, preventing anti-Semitic groups from terrorizing the Jewish community and fighting with the Haganah to create the independent state of Israel, Krav Maga's founder devoted his life to testing his self defense techniques and tactics in real-life situations. To read more about Imi Lichtenfeld, Krav Maga's founder, and the development of Krav Maga, click here.