Currently based in Israel, KMG Chief Instructor Eyal Yanilov studied Krav Maga under the personal guidance of its founder, Imi Sde-Or (Lichtenfeld), He has served as the Grand master’s closest assistant and foremost disciple since the early 1980s. Active in this field since 1973, Eyal is now its most senior instructor. He is the only individual who carries the highest grade ever given by Imi (Master Level 3/Expert Level 8) and holds the unique “Founder’s Diploma of Excellence”.
Born in 1959, Master Eyal Yanilov began his Krav Maga training at the age of 14 with Mr.Eli Avikzar; one of the top Krav Maga Instructors at the time.
Soon after, Eyal began to study directly under the personal tutelage of the founder himself, Grand Master Imi Lichtenfeld (also known as Imi Sde-Or). Eyal demonstrated extraordinary talent as a student of Krav Maga, and as such, was assigned to start teaching Krav Maga at the tender age of 16. By 20, he was educating instructors at the training studio that Imi had entrusted to Eli Avikzar. On many occasions, he assisted and substituted for the Grandmaster in lessons and preparations with instructors and students who were to be tested for expert levels.
Eyal was Imi’s closest assistant and foremost disciple from the early 1980s, and served in this capacity for almost 20 years. Over his lifetime, Imi regarded Eyal as family and as the natural heir to lead the system. He initiated him during 24 years of training. Imi awarded Eyal with both the Founder’s Diploma of Excellence and, for the first time, the rank of Expert Level 8/Master Level 3-the highest level he ever awarded to a Krav Maga Practitioner.
To address the modern conflict in the world, Imi entrusted Eyal with creating a new curriculum for Krav Maga in the 1980s. Eyal’s task was to transform it to a more organised and formal system that is built on principles of action and a unique instructional method. He became the head of the Israeli Krav Maga Association’s Professional Committee in the 1980s and 90s, where he was instrumental in educating the general public in the benefits of Krav Maga, as well as training military and ant-terrorist units in Israel. Part of Eyal’s contributions include systematizing the techniques which Imi intuitively developed, creating a logical, cohesive framework that ties together the many aspects of Krav Maga into a practical-based system. He was also responsible for developing third-party protection (VIP protection) techniques, one of the pillars of Krav Maga. He also helped change the old belt system and traditional attire that was previously used, moving instead to grades/levels in accordance with the new curriculum. All these developments were created with Imi’s approval and set the tone for Krav Maga as we know it today.
Master Eyal has devoted his life to spreading Krav Maga around the world. He is also notable for being the first to bring Krav Maga training out of Israel and into the world. He has developed Krav Maga to become the preferred combat fighting system for the military, police and special forces around the world.
After Imi’s death in 1998, Eyal took it upon himself to push for the continued development of Krav Maga throughout the world. As the system’s popularity grew, however, quality control over training became difficult, as different organizations and schools wanted to take advantage of the growing interest in Krav Maga. With these new organizations, both the quality of training and the connections to the source and founder of Krav Maga, Grandmaster Imi, varied. Some of the techniques and teaching methods had inconsistencies with the principles of Krav Maga, while others did not even bear a passing resemblance to the system Eyal and Imi had developed. In light of this, Eyal decided it was important to strengthen the quality of training and implement better controls. He wanted to push for knowledge transfer and monitoring under a professional global framework. Since the structure of the IKMF and its model of operation as sport association no longer allowed him to pursue this, Eyal and his team of Instructors and directors went on to set up Krav Maga Global (KMG) in 2010. . He established Krav Maga Global (KMG) in 2010, and now serves as its Head and Chief Instructor.
Under the personal supervision of Eyal, KMG operates a team of highly qualified instructors known as the Global and International Team (GIT), who are responsible for delivering Krav Maga Instructor education, exclusive workshops and specialist courses. The goal of KMG is to maintain a professional global infrastructure for disseminating Krav Maga, while maintaining the highest level of training.
Master Eyal is a graduate of the School for Trainers and Instructors at the Wingate Institute for Sport and Physical Education and also holds a degree in Electrical Engineering. He has spent years training different groups, in various seminars and courses, training ordinary civilians, military units, police units, members of special anti-terrorist squads, executive protection personnel, special units, SWAT teams, and other security groups.
Today, KMG Instructors and schools, under the guidance of Master Eyal and his Global and International Team, are a key in spreading professional Krav Maga teaching throughout the world. And as he has done for most of his life, Eyal once again at the forefront of the development, definition, and dissemination of the system, updating it to address new problems in the world and bringing it to more places and people where it is needed.
As Imi’s successor, this is Eyal’s obligation and life mission, and one that he, as head of KMG, will continue to pursue for many more years to come.
Master Eyal Yanilov is the Head Instructor and President of Krav Maga Global (KMG), active in over 60 countries.
