His name is Ofir. That’s it. That’s enough. Anyway, for twenty years, he is called by the name of Hagana, so much so that some people think it is his real name. “Haganaâ€, it means “defense†in Hebrew.
“Hagana†is also for “Krav Maga Hagana Systemâ€, a school created in 2000 by Ofir. Born in Marseille, graduated from Political Science (economic and strategic intelligence), he chose to turn himself to the security profession.
Over the years, he builds a resume to make green with envy a competitor. First of all, he continues his training, the soul of the “original†Krav Maga, by working regularly in the field, especially in Israel, by digging various meridians of the human functioning (kinesiology, hypnosis), opening up to various techniques (he is instructor of Tonfa / telescopic stick), developing the physical vector…
He was or is also the physical coach of several top level athletes (from the football club of Marseille, from Israeli national teams of karate, swimming and athletics).
But he stands out above all in his core business, security in all its aspects. Instructor for government close protection services, trainer for police intervention units from different countries, Ofir is also the main instructor of the “Hagana System†club in Marseille.
With his 6th degree awarded in Israel, he teaches his “urban survival†approach to 450 students and to an average of 450 students every year, and that’s more than 10,000 people trained since the system’s creation. Since spring 2019, he is also the exclusive ambassador of Krav Maga for Adidas. Let’s meet him.
Can you define the purpose, the essence, of the “Hagana System†?
The goal of the “Hagana System†is to teach ordinary people reproducible techniques in real case, to put in the hands of the students a professional and adapted tool. We are not a sport but a method for survival and personal safety.
Therefore, there is no competition, no champion, no belt, no rank, etc. Only self-improvement in training counts to gain confidence and stay humble.
Enlighten us on the method…
We use everything that is useful to the defense in case of aggression (everyday tools, textile, vehicle, chairs, pens, etc). The self defense techniques taught are based on instinctive gestures and do not require any particular strength or physical condition. Obviously, the training aims to progress on all these points (strength, speed, coordination, psychology, anticipation, management of emotional stress, etc.).
I defined 5 commitments that, I think, summarize the “Hagana System†: Learn self defense, build self-confidence, go beyond limits, improve one’s physical condition, practice in a friendly atmosphere.
Among the many schools of Krav Maga, why choose the “Hagana†?
Some answers : The instructors of the clubs “Hagana†are all trained during two years and not with a magical formation of one week, as it is unfortunately seen often in Krav Maga.
Concerning the technical level, everything that is taught to our students comes from the field and it has been tested by many professionals. We do not provide “military, police and other fancy†trainings to civilians whose needs are completely different and whose job is not theirs.
We do not teach defense against knife attacks in 3 classes, we do not teach defense against a gun on the temple, etc. We leave that to others…
You say that authentic Krav Maga is getting lost. Why ?
The reason is simple : many instructors have never lived in Israel and therefore do not know the Israeli reality, as well as the very specific state of mind of its citizens, given the country’s security situation.
At the technical level, these people are trained by intermediaries who often have themselves never known the reality of the ground in Israel, or very little. These people dare to provide “military, police and other fantasy†trainings when they have never been a policeman, military or otherwise, in Israel or elsewhere. One can also wonder what is the use of a “military†instructor’s training to train “civilians†in street self defense ?
An advice ?
It is important to ask for instructor resumes when entering a club as current degrees are no longer valuable. We are responsible for what we teach students and our goal is simple : to teach them how to get out of risky situations without moving away from reality. The teaching of self-defense, or urban survival, is a profession. Your life may be at stake.
Informations and registrations : www.kravmaga13.com
