UNITED KRAV MAGA ASSOCIATION

What UNITED KRAV MAGA ASSOCIATION does

United Krav Maga Association (UKMA) is a privately held martial arts and tactical self-defense training organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Latham, New York. The company delivers in-person Krav Maga instruction enhanced by integrated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and tactical shooting curricula, consolidated under its Combatives1 program launched in 2023. It serves three primary customer segments: civilians seeking practical self-defense, law enforcement agencies, and military units, with the Force Tactical Science Division (FTSD) focused on the latter two.

UKMA operates four locations across New York, Virginia, and Florida, supplemented by affiliated academies such as Trident Academy of Martial Arts, Master Yang's Martial Arts Center, and ZUMAS Martial Arts Academy. The business also runs a tiered instructor certification program (Expert 1A/1B through 3A/3B) requiring annual recertification events, and sells training publications including 'Combatives for Tactical Operators' on Amazon. Revenue is generated through recurring training memberships, instructor certification course fees, law enforcement and military training contracts, and one-time product sales. The organization is founder-owned, with 6 employees and no disclosed outside investment.

The underlying technology is the integrated curriculum itself rather than software, supported by a Squarespace website, direct phone/email enrollment, and word-of-mouth and instructor network channels. Competitive positioning rests on the operational credentials of its three co-founders — former DEA Supervisory Special Agent and SWAT member Ivan Rios, Master IL Nam Yang, and Bob Zacharias — whose collective 100+ years of martial arts, federal law enforcement, and military special operations experience underpin the brand.

Name

UNITED KRAV MAGA ASSOCIATION

Legal name

United Krav Maga Association

Website

https://ukma1.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Krav Maga Association is a privately held martial arts and tactical self-defense training organization, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Latham, NY, serving civilians, law enforcement, and military across four US locations through Krav Maga, Combatives1, and instructor certification programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts and Self-Defense Training

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Reality-Based Self-Defense Programs (Krav Maga, Combatives) (HSADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Safety Training Academies & Standards (Police/Fire/EMS) (BPAIAGAF), Weapons & Historical Martial Arts Training (Kobudo, FMA, HEMA) (HSADADAF)

Keywords

• Self defense training
• Krav maga instruction
• Martial arts programs
• Tactical firearms training
• Instructor certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Latham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Program Memberships: Fees for participating in Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and other martial arts training programs at UKMA facilities for civilians, with ongoing monthly or periodic training commitments.
2. Instructor Certification Courses: Revenue from hosting instructor training and certification courses at Expert levels (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B), which are required for certified instructors to maintain credentials.
3. Law Enforcement/Military Training Contracts: Training services provided to law enforcement departments and military units through the Force Tactical Science Division (FTSD), including tactical combatives and firearms instruction.
4. Publications: Sales of training publications such as 'Combatives for Tactical Operators' book co-authored by Master Ivan Rios.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Krav Maga Association (UKMA) is a self-defense and combatives training organization that delivers Krav Maga instruction to civilians, law enforcement, and military, along with an integrated Combatives1 curriculum combining Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and Tactical Shooting. The organization also runs an instructor certification track (Expert 1A/1B, 2A/2B, 3A/3B), operates the Force Tactical Science Division (FTSD) for government clients, and licenses its programs through affiliated martial arts academies and publications.

Product overview

United Krav Maga Association (UKMA) is a martial arts and self-defense training organization founded in 2018, offering a multi-discipline approach through its core programs. The organization provides Krav Maga training as its primary discipline, enhanced by the Combatives1 program (established 2023) which integrates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and Tactical Shooting. UKMA serves civilians, law enforcement, and military through its Force Tactical Science Division (FTSD), and offers instructor certification programs. The organization operates multiple locations including headquarters in Latham, NY, Virginia branches, and Florida, with certified instructors required to attend ongoing training events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UKMA Krav Maga Training Programs Self-defense training programs covering hand-to-hand combat, weapons defense (blunt, edged, and firearm), and realistic fight training derived from boxing, wrestling, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai techniques, targeted at civilians enrolled at UKMA facilities.
• Force Tactical Science Division (FTSD) Law enforcement and military division providing practical tactical training for officers and military personnel to handle real-world scenarios and complete missions safely, offered as contracted on-site training.
• Combatives1 Integrated combat training program combining Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, and Tactical Shooting into a unified curriculum.
• UKMA Instructor Certification Programs Certification and selection process for individuals to become certified UKMA instructors across Expert 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B levels, with mandatory recurring training events required throughout the year to maintain certification.
• Tactical Shooting Courses Firearms training courses covering fundamental to advanced shooting techniques, primarily serving law enforcement tactical teams and special operations community.
• Combatives for Tactical Operators (publication) Training publication co-authored by Mstr. Ivan Rios and Mr. Ruben Rivera, sold via Amazon, supporting UKMA's tactical combatives positioning and instructor training.

Quantifiable outcome

• All certified instructors must attend training events throughout the year to maintain certification, ensuring consistent quality and updated tactics

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TITLE Boxing Club: National boxing and kickboxing fitness franchise with membership-based recurring revenue at owned and franchised locations. Comparable on recurring-membership, multi-site training business model.
• Gracie University: Large-scale Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction and certification brand with a global affiliate academy network and online learning platform. Highly comparable to UKMA's BJJ curriculum offering and instructor certification model.
• UFC Gym: Boutique fitness/training franchise offering MMA-style conditioning and self-defense classes at owned and franchised locations. Comparable on retail-fitness distribution and multi-discipline programming.
• Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts: Multi-state chain of martial arts training centers offering karate, kickboxing, and self-defense programs with membership-based recurring revenue. Closely comparable to UKMA's owned-facility, civilian-membership business model.
• Krav Maga Worldwide (KMW): One of the largest Krav Maga governing/affiliation organizations globally, offering Krav Maga instructor certification and civilian/LE/military training. Directly comparable to UKMA's Krav Maga certification, civilian programs, and FTSD-style LE/military vertical.

Emerging players

• American Taekwondo Association (ATA): Large martial arts association offering instructor certification and a nationwide affiliate school network. Comparable on the instructor-certification and affiliate-academy model, though focused on Taekwondo rather than Krav Maga.
• National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA): Member association for tactical law enforcement professionals providing training resources and certification in tactical operations. Comparable to UKMA's FTSD law enforcement training vertical, though NTOA is an association rather than a training provider.
• Force Science Institute: Specialist training and research firm delivering evidence-based law enforcement training programs, including use-of-force and tactical decision-making. Directly comparable to UKMA's FTSD division mission of providing science-backed LE training.

Direct peers

• Krav Maga Global (KMG): International Krav Maga organization with formal instructor certification tiers and affiliate academy network. Operates a near-identical certification-and-affiliation model to UKMA.
• International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF): Global Krav Maga federation providing instructor certifications and standardized curriculum across civilian, law enforcement, and military segments. Closely aligned with UKMA's mission, certification model, and segmented customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-krav-maga-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNITED KRAV MAGA ASSOCIATION