Krav Maga Academy

What Krav Maga Academy does

Krav Maga Academy is a privately held, single-market Krav Maga and combat-fitness training facility headquartered at 122 W 27th Street in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 2010 by Matan Gavish — a former Krav Maga officer in an Israeli Defense Forces special-ops unit who holds a BA from Columbia University and eight fitness certifications — the business delivers in-person instruction in Israeli military self-defense, strength and conditioning, personal training, and specialized women's self-defense. The academy's curriculum is differentiated by its instructor bench, which is staffed exclusively by former special operations soldiers, and by an integrated fitness methodology that combines high-intensity warm-ups (claiming 1,000+ calories burned per class) with combat drills using equipment such as TRX, kettle bells, and human-like training dummies.

The company monetizes through three primary streams: recurring membership fees for regular Krav Maga and fitness classes (committed subscriptions, with no pay-as-you-go option for the core program), one-on-one personal training priced on a custom basis, and a calendar of paid special events and seminars (women's self-defense at $45, leglocks at $49, takedowns at $79, pistol seminars at $349, plus themed events like Krav Maga on a Bus or Party Boat). Distribution is brick-and-mortar at the Manhattan facility, supplemented by corporate on-site seminars delivered nationwide and digital touchpoints (YouTube tutorials, live-streamed classes introduced during COVID-19, and an educational blog called Krav Talk) that serve as top-of-funnel marketing.

The customer base is diversified across civilians, women (who represent an unusually high 65-70% of members versus the broader martial-arts industry), children, corporate groups, and law enforcement / military / government clients including references to NYPD Tactical Training Unit, DEA, US Department of State, US Navy SEALs, and US Army Rangers. The academy has trained more than 2,000 women through its Modern Woman Self-Defense seminars since 2013 and has generated substantial media coverage (CBS, Fox News, Anderson Cooper, National Geographic, BBC, NY Times, Sports Illustrated) that functions as a key acquisition channel. Operations are concentrated in the founder's personal brand and instructional capacity, with no disclosed institutional investment beyond a single $53,301 round in 2018 and no evidence of geographic expansion beyond NYC.

Name

Krav Maga Academy

Website

https://krav-maga.nyc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Krav Maga Academy is a privately held Manhattan training facility founded by former IDF special-ops officer Matan Gavish, offering Israeli self-defense classes, women's self-defense seminars, strength and conditioning, personal training, and law enforcement training to civilians, women, children, corporate groups, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Women’s Self-Defense Classes (HSADADAH), Law Enforcement / Military / Security Defensive Tactics Training (HSADADAI)

Keywords

• Self defense training
• Martial arts classes
• Fitness conditioning
• Personal training services
• Combat fitness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Training Programs: Recurring membership fees for access to regular Krav Maga classes, strength and conditioning classes, and fitness area with unlimited access to treadmills, weights, kettle bells, benches, cable cross, and TRX suspension training. Requires commitment rather than pay-as-you-go.
2. Personal Training Services: One-on-one personalized training sessions with trainers holding advanced certifications in sports science, personal training, nutrition and functional movement. Goal-oriented, premium experience with continuing education focus.
3. Special Events and Seminars: One-time fee seminars including women's self-defense ($45), pistol seminars ($349), takedowns ($79), leglocks ($49), and specialty events. Also includes corporate self-defense seminars and private group training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Krav Maga Academy is a Manhattan-based training facility that teaches Krav Maga, an Israeli military-origin self-defense system, through in-person group classes, high-intensity strength and conditioning sessions, and one-on-one personal training. The offering is built around a proprietary curriculum developed by former Israeli Special Forces instructors and is supplemented by specialized women's self-defense seminars, children's anti-bullying classes, law enforcement/military tactical training, and periodic fee-based specialty seminars (pistol, takedowns, leglocks).

Product overview

Krav Maga Academy is a martial arts and fitness training facility offering Krav Maga self-defense instruction as its core product, supplemented by specialized programs including Women's Self Defense, Strength and Conditioning, Personal Training, Children's Self Defense, Law Enforcement/Military Training, and Video Tutorials. The academy provides both in-person classes and free online video content. The company also hosts periodic special event seminars including pistol training, self-defense workshops, and themed Krav Maga experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Krav Maga Training Recurring Krav Maga group classes for adults of all fitness levels, from first-timers through experts, teaching the Israeli self-defense system designed for real-world survival situations. Includes unlimited access to the in-house fitness area (treadmills, weights, kettle bells, cable cross, TRX) for members.
• Women's Self Defense Self-defense classes and seminars designed to empower women, increase awareness, and teach physical techniques to counter the 5 attacks most common against females in urban environments.
• Strength and Conditioning High-intensity fitness program combining drills, plyometrics, calisthenics, sprints, resistance training, TRX, kettle bells and medicine balls, designed to maximize personal athletic ability and complement Krav Maga training.
• Personal Training One-on-one personalized, goal-oriented training delivered at the Manhattan facility by trainers with degrees and certificates in sports science, personal training, nutrition and functional movement, with continuing education programs.
• Children's Krav Maga and Self Defense Krav Maga and self-defense classes for children designed to prevent bullying, teach avoidance and deterrence techniques, and instill core values like determination, goal setting, endurance, persistence and patience.
• Law Enforcement / Military / Security Training Specialized training for armed law enforcement, military and dignitary protection units covering hand-to-hand combat, tactical shooting, explosives and dignitary protection, delivered globally to verified agencies.
• Special Events and Specialty Seminars Periodical fee-based seminars covering Modern Woman Self Defense, Basic and Intermediate Pistol, Takedowns, Leglocks, and themed events (Krav Maga on a Bus, Krav Maga on a Party Boat, Halloween Krav Maga), plus corporate group training sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65-70% female membership ratio - unusually high for martial arts schools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lululemon MeatpackingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 May 2015Krav Maga Academy was invited to teach an open class as part of Lululemon Meatpacking Sweaty Saturdays campaign. Matan Gavish led a free public class at Lululemon's Meatpacking location (408 W 14th St. NYC), promoting the brand's active-wear products while showcasing KMA's training capabilities to Lululemon's customer base.
• Tamir Kfir (Orthotics Expert)minorOthers · 8 October 2013Krav Maga Academy hosted an educational seminar on orthotics and athletic footwear with Tamir Kfir, whose clients include Novak Djokovic, Brazil's National Soccer Team, NBA teams (Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers), and Triathlon Champions. The seminar was offered to KMA affiliates with deep discounts on custom orthotics for members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Rumble Boxing: Premium NYC-based boxing fitness studio with strong media and brand presence. Comparable premium pricing, fitness-plus-combat positioning, and NYC consumer base, though focused on boxing.
• NY Martial Arts Academy: NYC-based martial arts and self-defense training studio. Direct local competitor in the same New York geography, offering comparable in-person classes and personal training services.

Broad incumbents

• Krav Maga Worldwide: Largest Krav Maga training organization in the US, with affiliated schools across multiple states. Directly comparable curriculum and target market, but operates as a franchise/affiliation network rather than a single NYC studio.
• Equinox Fitness Training Institute: Premium NYC-headquartered fitness brand offering personal training and group fitness. Competes for the same high-income NYC consumer seeking premium fitness experiences.
• Krav Maga Global (KMG): International Krav Maga organization with global affiliated schools and certified instructor pipeline. Comparable core product (Krav Maga self-defense) but operates a multi-school model with formal certification programs.
• TITLE Boxing Club: National boxing-inspired fitness franchise with combat-conditioning positioning. Comparable fitness-plus-combat value proposition to KMA, though focused on boxing rather than Krav Maga.

Direct peers

• 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu: No-gi Jiu-Jitsu school network with affiliated locations in NYC. Operates in the same martial-arts/self-defense instruction category with similar membership-driven brick-and-mortar model.
• Gracie University: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-focused self-defense organization offering structured curricula and instructor certification. Operates in the same martial-arts/self-defense instruction category, although the specific discipline (BJJ vs Krav Maga) differs.
• IMPACT Personal Defense: Self-defense training organization founded by former Israeli Defense Forces personnel. Closely comparable instructor background, similar reality-based self-defense curriculum, and overlap in law enforcement / women's self-defense programming.
• Self Defense Family / SAFE International: Self-defense instruction provider focused on seminars, corporate training, and women's self-defense programming. Comparable women's self-defense curriculum and corporate B2B training channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2EfqMhlgN8M7VJ8bXh3N4w
• Instagraminstagram.com/kravmaganewyork
• Xx.com/kravmaganyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Krav Maga Academy