Avi Moyal Chairman of the IKMF
 

Avi Moyal was born in 1966 and has been studying Krav Maga since childhood. He soon demonstrated such proficiency that his instructors allowed him to teach at a very early age. In fact, Avi has been teaching Krav Maga for the past 30 years!

In 1985 Avi Moyal received his "Expert degree" in Krav Maga and also was enlisted to the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) Marines. Avi completed his Officers training with excellence, and served as Platoon Commander in a Terror Demolition Unit. He acquired many combat hours and experience while commanding subordinates on special operations in Lebanon including highly specialized missions behind enemy lines with various SWAT units. During his service he also provided VIP protection for a high ranking IDF General and an intelligence officer. After active duty, Avi served as a Reserves Platoon Commander in a special operations unit.

Avi Moyal graduated all trainers' course, including the senior trainer's course, in the Wingate Institute. He later conducted instructor’s courses in the Wingate institute for 7 years, and today he is recognized as one of the highest ranking Krav Maga Masters in the world. Avi also possesses a business degree from respected Israeli college.

Among Avi’s instructors were Eli Avigzar RIP and of course Imi Lichtenfeld RIP. As a matter of record, Avi was Imi’s direct and most trusted student. Their close relations led Avi to head as Chairman of the Aguda (the very first Krav Maga organization).

Currently, Avi serves as the Chairman of the International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF) where he leads the organization in preserving the vision of Master Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder and creator of Krav Maga.

Additionally, Avi is considered as the leading instructor and professional authority to the governmental sector, also serving as Advisor to the Israeli Minister of Sport and Education in the area of Krav Maga.

Among his many qualifications he conducts lessons to men, women & children in all Israeli sectors, private and commercial. As a Krav Maga Master, Avi was chosen by the Israeli government to develop specific techniques and teaching programs for Women’s Self Defense, Car Rage Defense and Children’s Self Defense.

Avi has also published a booklet about Krav Maga for grade school pupils, one of his areas of expertise. It is distributed throughout Israel, and it will soon be translated and published abroad.

Avi Moyal continues to instruct various military units and security organizations world wide as he has done for the last 20 years.

One of the things that make Avi such a renowned and respected authority in the world of Krav Maga is his vast “real world” experience. As previously stated, He is the only IKMF board member with proven IDF combat experience as an officer, and has also provided VIP protection in the civilian arena for world famous entertainment personalities such as Michael Jackson.

Today, Avi Moyal divides his time between his vocation to spread the art of Krav Maga to various countries and organizations, his many Israeli students and his family.

Special Projects:
• In 1993 Avi served with a group of security personnel assigned as the pop star Michael Jackson's personal bodyguards in his visit to Israel.
• In 1994 he founded a VIP Protection unit for a private body in Brazil.
• In 1995 he was assigned by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office to train its workers in Krav Maga.
• In 1996, after numerous homicides and attempted hijackings and robberies of taxi drivers in Israel, Avi Moyal was at the head of a project that instructed taxi drivers in self-defense and active "skid-car" handling. After the course, the numbers of attacks have depleted drastically.
• 1998 was a time period of attacks by the infamous rapist - Beni Sella. Among his victims were dozens of young Tel-Aviv women. Prior to his apprehension, Tel-Aviv City-Hall recruited Avi Moyal to lead a project that trained Tel-Aviv women in self-defense. The course was highly successful, and it taught hundreds of women to defend themselves from sexual assault using everyday items. In the end of that year, Beni Sella was caught, prosecuted and incarcerated.
• During his work with Tel-Aviv City-Hall, after a few cases of violence, he ran a highly successful self-defense course for the city's parking inspectors.
 

The International Krav Maga Federation

The need for the IKMF originally arose in the early 1990's, when the teaching of Krav Maga (KM) was starting to spread beyond the borders of Israel. At that time the initial KM Association was divided and not functioning efficiently due to dissension amongst the higher graded instructors. As a result, Imi (the founder of Krav Maga) asked Eyal Yanilov, his closest assistant, and the chief instructor of the Krav-Maga, to assist him in forming a new international KM federation. The formation of this new organisation was delayed till after the initial Association broke apart in 1995.

With Imi's consent and support, the IKMF was founded in early 1996 by Eyal Yanilov, Gabi Noah, Avi Moyal, Eli Ben-Ami and several other respected instructors. All Expert and Master Diplomas, grades and levels issued by the IKMF, the new and leading organization, were authorized by Imi. The IKMF curriculum was first organized by Eyal, who for 10 years had been the responsible for the modern curriculum of the KM system, as head of the "Professional Committee". Imi approved this new curriculum at the time of formation of the IKMF as well as subsequent changes made in 1997.

From its formation in 1996, the IKMF has grown to be the largest and most professional KM organization in the world. The IKMF now successfully operates in Israel, most EU countries, ex-communist countries (such as Poland, Russia and Hungary), Australia, North America, South-east Asia and the Far-East. Generally in each country with an active IKMF branch, there are local instructors at different grades and levels assisting a director who is responsible for the growth of both the KM system and the local IKMF organization in that country.

The IKMF trains and educates civilian students and instructors (with KM and/or other martial arts background), law-enforcement officers and instructors, military personnel and instructors, as well as security and close protection officers and their instructors. All such individuals are accepted into the ranks of the IKMF.

The IKMF is run by Eyal (chairman and head instructor), Gabi, Avi and Eli as directors. All four have assigned responsibilities including countries, professional and management areas.