Urban Krav Maga

Ultimately aiming to maintain safety under all circumstances, Urban Krav Maga is based on:[3][5][6][8]

• Avoiding confrontation first and foremost by talking to attacker / defusing situation in the simplest way possible
• If it is clear that the situation escalates, executing a pre-emptive attack
• Assuming the majority of street fights last a minute or less
• Attacks need therefore be short and intense, making use of pressure points like eyes, groin, throat, fingers etc.
• Getting out of the situation as soon as the threat is neutralised - students are taught to be aware of their surroundings and likeliest exits

The discipline has a grading system though the focus on such tends to be less than other system; on the most basic level, students will learn to defend themselves from the 10 most common street attacks (as registered by law enforcement statistics[12]), how to get up quickly if taken to the ground and pre-emptive moves and strikes.[13]

Urban Krav Maga was originally developed in 2008 by Stewart McGill, a 3rd Dan in Goju Ryu karate, Senior Instructor with the British Combat Association and Civilian/Law Enforcement Instructor with the International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF) under Eyal Yanilov.[1][14][15] He has also trained with the Israel Krav Maga Association in Israel.

Since then, McGill has been joined as Chief Instructor by Leo Negao, an experienced Vale Tudo and MMA fighter, and a BJJ black belt under Master Fábio Gurgel.

Negao started BJJ at Carlson Gracie’s academy under Carlson himself and trained with Murilo Bustamante, Amaury Bitetti, Mário Sperry, Vitor Belfort and others. He later moved to Sao Paulo to train at the Alliance Jiu Jitsu together with Fábio Gurgel, and Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti. Negao is a 4-time BJJ world champion and has been MMA training partner to UFC champions Antoñio ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira and Vitor Belfort.[14][16][17]

The organisation has 50 active Urban Krav Maga instructors operating across the UK and international branches in:
United States;
Canada;
Brazil;
Italy;
Greece and
Colombia.
Branches will soon be starting up in Russia and Germany.[18]

In 2008, McGill was asked to produce a DVD boxset by the UK producer NAP. The 6-set covers:

defending the 10 most common attacks, knife threats and attacks, ground fighting, gun threats and third party protection. [19]

Other DVDs include:

• a 5-set covering stand up and fighting techniques, their roots in various systems and their applicability to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).[20]
• a single DVD covering female self defence and fighting a bigger attacker [21]
• a single DVD covering defending yourself on the floor and against knife attacks/threats [22]
• a single DVD covering Close Protection (body guarding) principles [23]

Urban Krav Maga has been criticised for being too much like MMA, partly because of the prominent Vale Tudo, Jiu Jitsu and MMA background of Joint Chief Instructor, Negao. In this respect, the reason why Urban Krav Maga draws from these techniques is so as to be able to counter attacks on the ground from those trained in said martial arts; given a large percentage[24] of fights end up on the ground, focus is placed on getting up quickly and safely.

Because of the move away from "pure" Krav Maga principles - such as the introduction of pre-emptive moves and striking with the heel of the hand to protect the knuckles rather than punching - the Urban Krav Maga organisation has alienated some in the wider Krav Maga community so such controversies will continue.

• Official Website

(Wayback Machine copy)