Israeli Krav Maga Association Gidon System -Grand Master Haim Gidon".

Gidon System Krav Maga is a direct continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s Krav Maga and its natural evolution.

A Legacy of Strength, Inspiration, and Gratitude 🥋

A Historic Moment at the National Institute for Excellence in Sport – The Wingate Institute

In this rare and historic video, we travel back in time to an extraordinary, emotional, and inspiring moment at the Wingate Institute — a special event that brought together more than 300 students and instructors of the Israeli Krav Maga Association.

The event was held in celebration of the birthday of Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder and creator of Krav Maga, and was initiated by his student and successor within the Israeli Krav Maga Association — Grandmaster Haim Gidon, Head of the System and developer of Gidon System Krav Maga.

The participants in this event — instructors and students alike — were all active members of the Israeli Krav Maga Association, including senior instructors. All were students of Grandmaster Haim Gidon, Head of the System and successor to Imi Lichtenfeld.

This moment powerfully reflects the generational chain of Israeli Krav Maga: from its founder, Imi Lichtenfeld, through his student and successor, Grandmaster Haim Gidon, and onward to the hundreds of instructors and students who continue to learn, train, teach, and pass this knowledge on to the next generation.

Gidon System Krav Maga is a direct continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s Krav Maga — and its natural evolution.

It preserves the original foundations, principles, and spirit upon which Imi built Krav Maga, while continuing to develop in accordance with accumulated experience, evolving training methods, and the changing realities of the world around us.

Because a true self-defense system cannot remain frozen in time.

Reality changes.
Threats change.
Experience continues to grow.
And therefore, the techniques, training methods, and ways of teaching must also continue to evolve and improve, while remaining faithful to the principles upon which the system was founded.

To me, this is the true meaning of continuity:

Not to erase the past — but to build upon it.
Not to change the roots — but to allow them to keep growing.
To preserve the path — while allowing it to evolve.

In the video before you, you can see a short demonstration of fighting and self-defense techniques taught within Gidon System Krav Maga, performed by senior instructors of the Association — all students of Grandmaster Haim Gidon.

Beyond the professional aspect, this event represents something far greater to me.

It represents gratitude.

A teacher bringing his students together to honor, appreciate, and thank the man from whom it all began.

To see more than 300 students and instructors, representing different generations of Krav Maga, standing together in one place — this is not simply an image of an organization or a fighting system.

It is an image of a living legacy.

True Pride in Belonging

To see generations come together, to feel the mutual respect and the unique energy in the room, reminds us of the powerful tradition to which we belong.

On one side — Imi Lichtenfeld, the man who created Krav Maga and laid its foundations.

Beside him — Grandmaster Haim Gidon, his student and successor, who continued to develop the system in accordance with its principles and the changing realities of real-world self-defense.

And around them — hundreds of instructors and students continuing the path.

The Roots of Success

There is a lesson here that goes far beyond Krav Maga.

To go far, we must know where we came from.

We must remember those who paved the way for us.
Respect our teachers.
Appreciate the knowledge we have received.
And remember that even as we continue to evolve, we stand upon the foundations built by the generations before us.

A Legacy That Continues to Resonate

Krav Maga is far more than a collection of fighting techniques.

It is a philosophy of inner strength, confidence, responsibility, discipline, gratitude, continuous learning, and the ability to adapt to a changing reality.

It is a legacy passed from generation to generation — from teacher to student, from instructor to instructor — continuing to evolve without losing its identity or the principles upon which it was founded.

And when the roots are strong, we can move forward with confidence.

To continue learning.
To continue exploring.
To continue improving.
And to continue developing Krav Maga so that it remains what it was always intended to be — a living, practical, and relevant system for protecting life.

Gidon System — a direct continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s Krav Maga and its natural evolution.

Honor the source.
Preserve the principles.
Continue to evolve.

It is an immense honor and privilege to be part of this extraordinary legacy.

With the deepest respect, gratitude, and appreciation. 🥋
Israeli Krav Maga Association Gidon System -Grand Master Haim Gidon".

A Legacy of Strength, Inspiration, and Gratitude
A Historic Moment at the National Institute for Excellence in Sport — The Wingate Institute
In this rare and historic video, we travel back in time to an extraordinary, emotional, and deeply inspiring moment at the Wingate Institute — a special gathering of members of the Israeli Krav Maga Association, Gidon System, all students of Grandmaster Haim Gidon, the devoted student and recognized successor of Imi Lichtenfeld, the legendary founder and creator of Krav Maga.
the Gidon System Krav Maga its a direct continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s Krav Maga the natural evolution of the system, built upon its original foundations while continuing to develop in accordance with its principles, accumulated experience, and the changing realities of real-world self-defense.
This powerful event — a celebration of Imi’s birthday — was organized entirely by Grandmaster Gidon.
To me, it represents the true meaning of gratitude and one of the deepest expressions of respect: a great teacher bringing together his students to honor, thank, and stand beside the man from whom it all began.
True pride in belonging:
Watching the generations come together, witnessing the mutual respect, and feeling the unique energy in the room reminds us of the powerful family and tradition to which we belong.
The roots of success:
A deep understanding that in order to be in the right place at the right time — and to reach the highest levels — we must never forget, and must always respect and appreciate, those who paved the way before us.
A legacy that continues to resonate:
This is far more than a fighting system.
It is a philosophy of inner strength, confidence, gratitude, and abundance.
It is a legacy passed from generation to generation, empowering thousands of people and serving as a beacon of inspiration around the world.
When we are connected to roots this deep and powerful, every step we take forward is taken with greater confidence — and our own success can, in turn, become a source of inspiration to those around us.
It is an immense honor and privilege to be part of this extraordinary legacy.
With the deepest respect and appreciation. 🥋

🥋 A Rare Moment in the History of Israeli Krav Maga

📅 June 19, 1993

A special archival video documenting Imi Lichtenfeld of blessed memory, founder and developer of Krav Maga, arriving at the home of his student, Grand Master Haim Gidon, to celebrate his birthday.

Not a training hall.
Not an official ceremony.
Not an event staged for the cameras.

This is a personal, natural, and authentic moment — a gathering at Haim Gidon’s home that allows us to see another side of the relationship between teacher and student.

Imi Lichtenfeld dedicated his life to developing Krav Maga and passing it on to future generations. Haim Gidon was one of his longtime and prominent students, and for decades continued to study, develop, teach, and preserve the principles of the system within the IKMA – Israeli Krav Maga Association.

Videos like this are far more than nostalgia.

They are part of the living archive of Israeli Krav Maga — authentic documentation of the people, relationships, and moments that stood behind the development of the system.

True legacy does not begin with stories written many years later.
It is preserved in the real moments when the people themselves were there.

We are proud to preserve, document, and pass on to future generations the history of Israeli Krav Maga and the legacy of the founder of the system, Imi Lichtenfeld, and his student, Grand Master Haim Gidon.

IKMA Israeli Krav Maga Association Gidon System -Grand Master Haim Gidon". KRAV MAGA – GIDON SYSTEM
Legacy. Path. Continuity.

1995 — Brown and Black Belt Promotion Ceremony

A historic belt promotion ceremony held at the main academy of the Israeli Krav Maga Association — Gidon System, under the leadership of Grandmaster Haim Gidon.

As seen in the footage, the brown and black belts are awarded by Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder and creator of Krav Maga, to the students of Grandmaster Haim Gidon.

The belts are handed to Imi by Grandmaster Haim Gidon, 10th Dan — the current head of the system, President of the Israeli Krav Maga Association, and Imi’s chosen successor.

Grandmaster Gidon developed the Gidon System as a direct continuation and evolution of Imi Lichtenfeld’s original Krav Maga system — preserving its principles, legacy, and real-world effectiveness for future generations.

1989 — The Main Academy of the Israeli Krav Maga Association Gidon System -Grand Master Haim Gidon".
This is more than a video

At the academy led by Grandmaster Haim Gidon, his Student and Secessor, Imi Lichtenfeld — founder of Krav Maga — awards black belts to Grandmaster Gidon’s students.

A black belt represents more than technical skill. It reflects character, discipline, humility, and responsibility.

Imi was not merely awarding ranks.
He was passing on a legacy — a system created to protect people and save lives.

That legacy continued through Grandmaster Haim Gidon, Imi’s direct student and successor, who preserved authentic Krav Maga while adapting it to real-world threats.

At IKMA GIDON SYSTEM — the direct continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s original Krav Maga — we do not simply teach techniques.

Black Belt Graduation Ceremony
Main Academy of Israeli Krav Maga — Gidon System

Held in the presence of Imi Lichtenfeld,
founder of the Krav Maga system.

Gidon System — the direct continuation of Imi’s original Krav Maga..