Eyal Yanilov — Imi's Closest Technical Heir

Eyal Yanilov began training with Imi Lichtenfeld in 1974 at age 15, and trained with him directly for the next 24 years until Imi's death in 1998. By the mid-1980s he was Imi's principal assistant; by the 1990s he was Imi's primary technical interlocutor on the modernization of the civilian curriculum.

What he built

Yanilov's most enduring contribution is structural: the P1–P5 / G1–G5 grading system that organized the civilian curriculum into a tested, progressive ladder. This system, developed with Imi's input through the 1980s and 1990s, is now used in some form by every major international federation.

IKMF and KMG

Yanilov co-founded the IKMF in 1996 with Imi's endorsement, serving as Chief Instructor for 14 years. He left in 2010 to found Krav Maga Global, taking most of his senior instructors with him. KMG is now the largest international Krav Maga federation outside the Americas and is widely regarded as the technical heir to the original IKMF curriculum.

What he is known for technically

Yanilov is associated with the systematic refinement of weapon defense — particularly handgun defense, where his framework of "redirect, control, attack, disarm" became the standard structure adopted by most non-KMW federations. His instructor courses are notoriously detailed; KMG expert-level certifications can take a decade.