There are no rules for Krav Maga fighting, no built-in distinctions in training between men/women.
Krav Maga (pronounced /ˌkrɑːv məˈɡɑː/; Hebrew: קרב מגע, IPA: [ˈkʁav maˈɡa], lit. "contact combat" or "close combat") is an eclectic hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel.
Krav Maga self-defence training, encomprises techniques from a variety martial arts, other fighting/contact systems, military-, policing-, security-, special forces hand-to-hand combat, CQC, CQB, reconnaissance-units, counter-terrorism operations, correctional self-defence and restraint techniques.
Krav Maga was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish quarter during a period of anti-Semitic activity in Bratislava in the mid- to late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Israel, he began to provide hand-to-hand combat training to what was to become the IDF, developing the techniques that became known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for both civilian and military applications. Unlike most martial arts, Krav Maga is essentially a tactical defense skill. Its philosophy emphasizes threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggressive endurance in a 'him-or-me' context. Krav Maga is still used by the Israel Defense Forces and several closely related variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement, Mossad, Shin Bet, FBI and United States special operations forces. There are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationallyKrav Maga training programs involve rapid learning, with offensive and defensive techniques introduced from the first lesson and retzev (pronounced ret-zef and meaning "sequencing") playing an important part in both training and maneuvers.
While no limits are placed on techniques to be used in life-threatening situations, during training the legal need to minimize damage is generally stressed (at least in civilian contexts), and instructors are required to demonstrate how to moderate the techniques to suit the seriousness of the circumstances.
