Rooted in Krav Maga.
Built for the Real World.
Forge Krav Maga was built on traditional Krav Maga foundations within the IKMA and KMG lineage under Imi Lichtenfeld, Eyal Yanilov, and Danny Zelig.
Today, Forge combines Krav Maga, Dutch Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Pekiti Tirsia Kali into a modern, integrated self-defense program built for everyday life in San Francisco.
OUR LINEAGE
Forge Krav Maga traces its roots through Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of Krav Maga, through Eyal Yanilov and the modern civilian Krav Maga systems that helped spread Krav Maga internationally, and through Danny Zelig and the instructors who helped shape Krav Maga in San Francisco for years.
That lineage matters to us.
Not because we believe self-defense should remain frozen in time, but because Krav Maga itself was built around adaptation, pressure testing, and practicality. The system evolved by identifying what worked under pressure and continuing to refine it.
Forge continues that tradition today.
Our foundation remains deeply rooted in Krav Maga, while our training has expanded to include modern striking, clinch work, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Pekiti Tirsia Kali to better prepare students for the realities of violence and self-defense in the modern world.
MEEt Micha hershman
Forge is led by Micha Hershman, an Expert-level Krav Maga instructor with more than 15 years of training experience across Krav Maga, striking, grappling, and weapons-based systems.
Micha’s background includes graduate and expert-level Krav Maga training under Danny Zelig, Pekiti Tirsia Kali through the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Romulo Melo.
But what matters most at Forge isn’t just technical knowledge. It’s coaching.
Forge was built around the idea that serious self-defense training should also feel welcoming, thoughtful, challenging, and sustainable for everyday people living in San Francisco.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Rooted in Krav Maga. Always evolving.
Pressure testing matters.
Coaches should stay students.
Adaptability over memorization.
Real self-defense is contextual.
Intensity without ego.
Serious training. Welcoming culture.
The goal is to go home safely.
REAL TRAINING. REAL PEOPLE.
Forge is built for everyday people in San Francisco who want serious, thoughtful self-defense training without ego, intimidation, or performative toughness.
Some students come to Forge to feel safer. Some want confidence. Some want challenge, community, fitness, or a deeper relationship with martial arts. Many stay because they discover they’re capable of more than they thought.
We train hard. We pressure test. We take the work seriously.
But we also believe great coaching should feel welcoming, supportive, and sustainable enough to keep growing for years.
EXPERIENCED COACHES.
MODERN TRAINING.
Forge’s coaching team brings together experience in Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Dutch Kickboxing, and Pekiti Tirsia Kali.
Led by Micha Hershman, the team continues to train, cross-train, and evolve through ongoing instructor development, seminars, and pressure-tested coaching.
Our instructors come from different backgrounds and experiences, but share the same goal: helping students become more capable, confident, and adaptable in the real world.
AFFILIATIONS & TRAINING PARTNERS:
INTEGRATED SELF-DEFENSE
At Forge, we don’t believe real self-defense exists in isolated silos.
Violence moves. Distance changes. Situations evolve quickly. A confrontation might begin with verbal pressure, move into striking, collapse into the clinch, involve a weapon, or end on the ground.
That reality shapes how we train.
Our foundation is Krav Maga, but our instructors actively train across striking, grappling, and weapons-based systems. We believe better coaches come from remaining active students and continuing to evolve.
Our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program is developed in partnership with Romulo Melo, while our weapons training is rooted in Pekiti Tirsia Kali through the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association.
This is about building a more complete approach to self-defense for everyday people in San Francisco.