Return to the Source: Advanced Instructor Certification in Israel (2023)
In March 2023, I embarked on a journey that was both a major professional milestone and a deeply personal pilgrimage: traveling to Israel, the birthplace of Krav Maga.
The year prior, I was honored to be accepted into the 7-day "Advanced Instructor Training" in Tel Aviv. The program was led by Ron Engelman, one of the foremost global authorities in Krav Maga, who has spent the last two decades training soldiers and civilians worldwide. Working under his guidance and completing my Level 2 Instructor Certification alongside an elite group of international peers was an extraordinary privilege.
However, the impact of this journey went far beyond the rigorous physical and tactical curriculum. Experiencing Krav Maga directly at its source, connecting with the people, and immersing myself in the culture of the country shifted my entire perspective. Standing at the grave of Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of the system, was a profoundly moving experience. It was a moment of quiet reflection that connected the daily work we do in Berlin to a legacy of survival, resilience, and the fundamental right to self-protection.
To be a high-level consultant and mentor, you must continuously subject yourself to the environments that test your own limits. The video below captures my final stress test on the last day of the camp. What you see is not a display of flawless technique - it is a study in absolute exhaustion, adrenaline management, and the raw willpower required to maintain the "Mental Pivot" when the body wants to give up.
Bringing these insights back from Israel has profoundly deepened the standard, empathy, and authenticity of the training we provide at Krav Maga Berlin today.
