| About The Founder - Ami Niv | | | | kids. He holds an Ms.c in sociology and sport |
| Ami Niv has immigrated to Israel with his family | | | | administration and a graduate of martial arts |
| from Caucus (at the time- part of the U.S.S R) | | | | coaching program from the Wingate institute in |
| when Ami was eight years old. These immigrants | | | | Israel (the Israeli national sport institute). Ami is a |
| and especially their children faced many difficulties | | | | 7th degree red white belt in the Aiki - Krav Maga |
| settling in the country. As a young child, Ami had | | | | martial art federation and is internationally |
| to face stereotypes, racism, verbal and physical | | | | recognized as the founder of the Aiki - Krav |
| abuse. The struggle of growing up under these | | | | Maga system. Currently, he teaches Aiki - Krav |
| conditions has helped him become a mentally | | | | Maga and Aikido to his black belts and Aikido |
| strong individual and has taught Ami what are the | | | | students and looks over the instruction of the Aiki |
| 'rules of the street' when encountering verbal or | | | | - Krav Maga branches, as well as participating in |
| physical violence. | | | | national and international seminars honorably |
| A short time after arriving to Israel, Ami started | | | | representing Aiki – Krav Maga and the state |
| training in Judo and Jiu-Jitsu and when he turned | | | | of Israel. |
| 16 has discovered Krav-Maga and in the last ten | | | | Aiki - Krav Maga- Mission Statement At 'Aiki - |
| years of Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of the Krav- | | | | Krav Maga- Israeli Martial Arts Federation' we |
| Maga martial art Ami Niv was one of the closest | | | | educate and train students to counter verbal and |
| students. | | | | physical violence and help decrease violence in our |
| Ami joined the IDF (Israeli defense forces) when | | | | community. Aiki - Krav Maga is a martial art |
| he was 18 and served 3 years as a fitness and | | | | method aiming to train students in self-defense |
| self-defense instructor. In his service he designed | | | | through teaching efficient techniques to counter |
| and implemented self-defense courses for female | | | | ‘street violence' and increasing ones physical |
| soldiers as well as hand to hand combat | | | | and mental abilities. The Aiki - Krav Maga method |
| instruction for some of the IDF's Special Forces | | | | strives to reach a balance between teaching our |
| units, each unit to its special requirements. | | | | students values of respect for self and others, |
| Through the years and to this day, Ami was | | | | kindness, helpfulness, loyalty and humility, with the |
| involved in various projects (military and civil) | | | | ability to counter physical violence or an attack by |
| designed to give solutions to security issues. | | | | responding fast, efficient and in a purposeful |
| These programs, in which Ami instructs the hand | | | | manner in order to end the violence with minimum |
| to hand combat component included anti-terror | | | | physical injuries. |
| defense of public transportation such as planes, | | | | Ami Niv's 10 principles |
| trains and buses, defense of schools, public and | | | | The main principles of Ami, in developing Aiki Krav |
| government institutions which are vulnerable to | | | | Maga (hand to hand combat) |
| terror or criminal activity. Ami is well respected | | | | "During the nineties, after seeing many ways in |
| and considered one of the top experts in this field. | | | | the martial art world, and in light of the luck of |
| Following his military service and addition to his | | | | inner peace of Israelis as a result of increasing |
| involvement in security projects, Ami has opened | | | | violence, I started to develop the "Aiki Krav |
| his first Krav-Maga school focusing mainly on the | | | | Maga" method. A method that‘s trying to fix |
| instruction of children. Through years of | | | | the violence situation in the community, and bring |
| consistency and determination Ami has become | | | | to more peaceful life. |
| known for his 'educational way', which could be | | | | Values – peaceful – self defense – |
| shortly described as strict, aggressive and | | | | fighting skills – the art of fighting |
| demanding during training and a fatherly figure off | | | | 1. "the way of the student, during his training will |
| the mat, always willing to help his students in all | | | | start in learning good manners, and education to |
| aspects of life. In addition, Ami has kept his own | | | | respect the other, so he can understand the |
| development and training in Krav-Maga becoming | | | | meaning of ‘love your friend as yourself'" |
| a well known figure in the Krav- Maga martial art | | | | 2. "My students will see the martial art as a way |
| scene. During this time Ami has become closer to | | | | of life, and a spiritual way to achieve peace inner |
| Imi Lichtenfeld and would spend hours with him in | | | | peace, and as the ability to cope with the raising |
| philosophical and professional discussions | | | | violence in our society." |
| concerning the basic principles of 'street' | | | | 3. "A student that stand in these criteria, and is |
| self-defense and he even got Emi blessing to | | | | consistent in his training will become at a certain |
| establish a new martial art method - "Aiki Krav | | | | point, a ‘self defense weapon' in the first |
| Maga" | | | | place, and an attacking weapon, but will not use |
| Through years of training Ami began feeling there | | | | the way he learned for bad intentions, only for |
| is a missing component in the Krav-Maga martial | | | | good ones." |
| art, a component emphasizing more inner peace | | | | 4. "Try not to be drown to physical violence |
| and harmony to counter the aggressive and | | | | when you attacked verbally, and when you are |
| harshness character of Krav- Maga. The answer | | | | physically attacked, do your best not to get hurt, |
| to Ami's quest was discovered after participating | | | | and not hurt people around you." |
| in various martial art seminars in Europe, in the | | | | 5. "Attack and in the same time try to avoid |
| form of the Aikido martial art (a 'soft' martial art | | | | other's attacks. " |
| that flows with the force of an opponent's attack | | | | 6. "My ambition is that every exercise will be |
| and uses this force against the aggressor) and | | | | easy and simple to do, so the motorial sequence |
| begun training under Edmond Karen (7th degree | | | | will be similar to the natural movements of the |
| red white belt in Takemusu Iwama Ryu Aikido). | | | | body." |
| Following two years of intense training in seminars | | | | 7. "The right sequence to perform a perfect |
| and private lessons from Edmond himself, Ami | | | | exercise is not only to do attack and defense, but |
| had earned his black belt in Aikido. | | | | to get to a point where your enemy is neutralized |
| Following Ami's exposure to Aikido and ongoing | | | | on the ground and has no other choice." |
| seminars in Aikijitsu and Jiu-jitsu, he has started to | | | | 8. "In order to illustrate the physical and mental |
| form a new personal approach to martial arts. | | | | stress, caused by a violent attack in the street, |
| From a technical point of view this approach | | | | the exercises will be performed in different |
| combines elements from the Krav- Maga, Aikido | | | | simulations that cause stress, in order to reach to |
| and Jiu-jitsu. From an educational perspective he | | | | instinctive response, and not thought process. " |
| strived to pass down to his students the | | | | 9. "One of the topics I teach my advanced |
| combination of the determination and | | | | students, are fighting terror skills, including dealing |
| aggressiveness typical to Krav- Maga with the | | | | with situation of weapon threatens (like: pistol, |
| peacefulness and harmony of Aikido. At a | | | | rifle, grenade, gaining control over hostage |
| relatively young age, Ami's ideas have led him to | | | | kidnappers or dealing with few attackers with cold |
| branch out of the Krav-Maga and form a new | | | | weapon)" |
| system called Aiki - Krav Maga. | | | | 10. . |
| Today, Ami lives in Israel with his wife and three | | | | |