Kingdom Krav Maga was established in November 2014 after Grand Master Garry Welch had the Awesome opportunity to Train under Professor Marty Cale, Chief Instructor of the Krav Maga Association. Grand Master Cale has had the opportunity to travel to the nation of Israel on several occasions and train under the Best of the Best of the Israeli Defense Forces, Chief Commanders of the IDF and Chief Trainers of the Israeli Special Forces.  He was approved to bring the most authentic form of Krav Maga back from Israel to the states and has been privileged to be one of the only Associations to teach the most AUTHENTIC form of the Military Version of Krav Maga.

Kingdom Krav Maga is an Associate School of the Krav Maga Association under Professor Marty Cale and is led by Grand Master Garry Welch (8th Degree Black Belt), who currently holds a Level 2 Associate Instructor Certification in Krav Maga. Kingdom Krav Maga instructs in the most AUTHENTIC form of Israeli Krav Maga as taught by the Israeli Defense Forces in the nation of Israel.

The purpose of the formation of Kingdom Krav Maga is to offer people a no nonsense approach to Self-Defense and Physical Fitness Training that Krav Maga offers, but it is taught and presented in a Christian atmosphere that is family friendly, so that individuals, couples and entire families can train together. One of the primary purposes of Kingdom Krav Maga is that the Ministry and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ can go forward in our Church and our Community, touching lives for our Lord.

Grand Master Welch began training in the Martial Arts in 1981 as a teenager under Grand Master Kang Rhee of Memphis, TN.  He received his promotion to Black Belt in 1983. Grand Master Welch worked his way to 3rd Dan (Sensi) and eventually to 4th Degree Black Belt under Grand Master Kang Rhee. After having taught in a rented Do Jo (Studio) for 10 years, he built his own Martial Arts studio in 1993 and Welch’s Karate Institute, Inc. “Where Jesus is Master” was born. He trained hundreds of students, many black belts were awarded in the 15 year history of this ministry. Along the way he received multiple awards. He was inducted into the Moo Honor Society, which requires a 100% vote on the nomination by all inductees. This award is for showing the true spirit of the martial arts, honor/courage/integrity/humility and a character above reproach.

He was also awarded the Presidential Sports Award for Tae-Kwon-Do for dedication and commitment to the Martial Arts and contribution to society in 1994 by then President Bill Clinton.

With the formation of the Shiloh Martial Arts Association by Master Robert Blackstone, Mr. Welch tested and   was promoted to 5th dan (Master) level in 1996, by Master Robert Blackstone.

Eventually Mr. Welch had the honor of meeting Professor Wayne Carman and coming under his leadership and tutelage and joined the International TCB Martial Arts Association and was promoted by Professor Wayne Carman to the rank of 7th Dan Black Belt.

In June of 2015, Mr. Welch was nominated and inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame as “Distinguished Master”.  During the same ceremony, Mr. Welch was promoted to the rank of 8th Dan Black Belt by Grand Master Wayne Carman and elevated to the status of Grand Master and approved by 100% of the International Council of Grand Master’s.

Grand Master Welch holds the rank of 4th Degree Black belt with the PaSaRyu Tae Kwon Do Association, a 5th Degree Black Belt with the Shiloh Martial Arts Association and an 8th Degree Black Belt with the International TCB Martial Arts Association and his 8th Degree Grand Master’s Rank is recognized and certified by the International Martial Arts Council.

Grand Master Welch also holds the rank of Full Instructor with the International Krav Maga Association, in Israeli Krav Maga, he is a Krav Maga Police Defensive Tactics Instructor and is a Master Instructor in Israeli Tactical Knife Fighting, as well as multiple Law Enforcement Use of Force Instructor Certifications. He has over 20 years of experience as a veteran of local, county, state and federal law enforcement & law enforcement training. He has been training Civilians and Law Enforcement for over 35 years.

He is also a Master Instructor in Israeli Combat Firearms for Civilians, Law Enforcement & Military.

Professor Welch has been awarded his Doctorate of Philosophy in Martial Science for his years of service, teaching, life experience and contributions to the Martial Arts community and Law Enforcement Training.

The history of Krav Maga is as exciting as the system it self. The founder of Krav Maga was Imi Sde-Or. The history is closely linked to the development of the state of Israel and the need for the Israeli military to protect is country in one of the worlds most hostile areas.

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Imi Lichenfeld, Founder of Krav Maga

Given Imi`s extensive self defense skills, Imi was recruited by Isaac Sadeh, the commanding officer of the Haganah in 1942. Two years later he began to teach Kapap (hand to hand combat) and physical exercise to the most elite special forces units of the Haganah, Palmach, and Palyam. During this period, firearms were outlawed and in very scarce supply. They were hidden away from the British and only used for special missions. The fact that firearms could not be used had a great influence on the development of the style. Unarmed combat was absolutely essential for the success of the military.

In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was formed, Imi became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. It was his job to see to it that the troops of the IDF including the special forces units were expertly skilled in hand to hand combat. During this time, Imi further refined his face to face fighting techniques (now referred to as Krav Maga).

Upon retiring from the IDF in the early 60`s, Imi began adapting the style for civilian use. He established two schools, one in Netanya and one in Tel Aviv.

The work in the following years and up to today, was to design the system to confront every day attacks and street confrontation problems. Imi and his senior students set about designing Krav Maga as a complete system.

New problems was discovered and Imi set about finding a solution to them, with the help of his senior instructors. The core of the system has always been simplicity and effectiveness, and Imi was always looking for the easy solution to most problems.

Many changes was made to the system both technically and visual, but in all the work that was done Imi never forgot the base of the system, simplicity, effectiveness and realism.

One interesting result of this was Krav Maga`s use of belts. In the early system Imi did not use belts in training, because it was a military system. But seeking recognition from his fellow martial artists he designed a belt system based on the Judo system of white-yellow-orange-green-blue-brown-black. The system was divided into grades making it easier to organize. He also started training in gi`s (white judo training suits). In the 90`s however Imi decided that belts no longer should be a part of the system as it originally did not have a place there and that the use of belts did not have any realistic or practical meaning in the system. The system of grades was kept, but the belts was taken out and replaced with a system of Practitioner/Graduate/Expert levels. The training suits today also consist of black pants and white t-shirts. Some countries still uses the belts in the curriculum, but not in training.

Imi and his senior instructors formed the first Krav Maga Association in 1978, and in 1992 Imi expressed a desire to make an international federation to help spread his system to the world. In 1995 his dream came true and the International Krav Maga Federation was formed in Netanya, Imi’s home place.

To the present day the style has grown greatly with associations and affiliations in Israel, the United States, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Brazil, Thailand and throughout the world. It is used on a day to day basis by the IDF including the special forces units and the Israeli police and security branches, and by many other elite units in North America, South America, Europe, and around the world. The style has also become, as Imi sought to make it, a major source of civilian self defense instruction.

On Jan 8th 1998, Imi Licthenfeld, aged 88, passed away.

Krav Maga is the official hand to hand combat and self-defense system of the Israeli Military. Its brutal and effective techniques are focused solely on real world situations. If you have been looking to add a realistic self-defense program to your school and increase your adult enrollment, NOW is the time.

Kingdom Krav Maga is an Associate School of the Krav Maga Association. Our association is quickly becoming the MOST sought after Krav Maga Association in the world. We are free of politics and teach the MOST AUTHENTIC KRAV MAGA techniques as taught by the Israeli Defense Forces. Located at our Headquarters in Fayetteville, AR is the only Krav Maga Firearms Training Range in the nation, for Training in Israeli Combat Shooting for Handguns, Tactical Rifles & Shotgun.

Grand Master Garry Welch’s Instructor, Professor Marty Cale,  has trained in Israel numerous of times directly under Ran Nakash, (the former Chief Commander of the IDF), Danny Netzer (the current Chief Commander of the IDF), Itay Danenberg, the Head Instructor in the IDF….it gets no better than this!!!!