Not a performance. Not a tradition. Just practical self-defence that works.
Krav Maga is often described with buzzwords like “military,” “brutal,” or “no rules.” But strip away the hype, and what’s left is a simple truth: Krav Maga is about solving real problems with real solutions — under stress, fear, and chaos. At Kinetic Zen, we take that idea seriously. We owe it to our students to care more about their skills than the origin myths and traditions of a martial art.
Yes, we wear belts. But they aren’t about tradition for tradition’s sake. Each level represents real, tested skills and readiness to deal with real-world violence — not flashy moves or stylised forms.
Krav Maga didn’t come from centuries of tradition. It evolved from necessity. Its development drew from whatever worked — judo, boxing, wrestling, early military combatives like Defendu — with no loyalty to style or origin. Techniques were kept or discarded based on one thing: do they work under real pressure?
That mindset is core to what we do. We train for the realities of violence, not the theatre of martial arts. We don’t bow to tradition — we bow to effectiveness.
Let’s be clear. Krav Maga is not a sport. It doesn’t assume fair fights, referees, or rules. There are no points for performance or style. We love combat sports and think they have huge value. In fact our lead BJJ coach Abbie O’Toole is a top flight international level competitor in BJJ.
It’s also not about brute strength or aggression. True self-defence is about awareness, adaptability, and decisiveness. It’s about using the least force necessary to survive — not overpowering others.
Krav Maga is a principle-based self-defence system designed to function when everything else breaks down. It trains you to:
Recognise threats early
React clearly and decisively
Defend and counter simultaneously
Neutralise threats and escape safely
It’s about doing what works in a real world context with real consequences — fast, direct, and under stress.
Krav Maga is a principle-based self-defence system designed to function when everything else breaks down. It trains you to:
Recognise threats early
React clearly and decisively
Defend and counter simultaneously
Neutralise threats and escape safely
It’s about doing what works — fast, direct, and under stress.
We train everyone — from total beginners to professionals whose lives may depend on what we teach.
Among our students are soldiers, police officers, and door staff — people who need real-world self-defence skills they can rely on under pressure. But just as importantly, we also train parents, teachers, students, and office workers who want to feel safer and more confident in daily life.
At Kinetic Zen, we believe Krav Maga is for everyone, not just the super-fit or naturally athletic. You don’t need to be a fighter to start — just willing to learn. Our job is to meet you where you are and help you build from there.
We pride ourselves on being London’s friendliest and most inclusive self-defence school. No egos. No posturing. Just a welcoming, supportive environment where you’ll be pushed to grow — and supported every step of the way.
We don’t train to impress. We train to protect.
We don’t teach tradition. We teach truth.
And we believe self-defence training should be challenging, supportive, and fun.
“We work hard, but we laugh too… in a safe, encouraging environment.” → Link to support learning through enjoyment.
If you’re looking for a principled, practical approach to Krav Maga — in a friendly, encouraging community — we’d love to train with you.
