Real conversations about self-defense, Krav Maga, resilience, trauma, leadership, and decision-making under pressure. Each episode brings practical experience from instructors, security professionals, therapists, veterans, and students. Read the episode summary, choose the subject that matters to you, and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Most self-defense training prepares you to protect yourself. Protecting someone else changes everything, from where you stand to how you read a room. Shahar “Sean” Or, an Israeli security professional with a background in IDF Special Forces, law enforcement command, and executive protection, explains the mindset that shifts when other people depend on your decisions.
Sean Or draws on decades of operational experience in personal and third-party protection to unpack a question most training ignores: how does your thinking change when you are responsible for someone else’s safety? The conversation stays grounded in daily life, focusing on situational awareness, reading risk early, and making decisions before a situation escalates rather than after. Sean explains how guarding another person alters the way you position yourself, move, and respond, and how to stay clear-headed when a plan falls apart under pressure. Listeners come away with a practical framework for noticing threats sooner and acting responsibly when others are counting on them. It is most useful for anyone interested in self-defense, personal safety, or the real-world principles behind executive protection.
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A setback on the cricket field could have ended Hilroy Alfred’s story. Instead it started a different one. He built a fitness business, then founded a Krav Maga school after personal tragedy, turning repeated hardship into something that now helps other people find their footing.
Entrepreneur Hilroy Alfred talks with Tsahi Shemesh about a path shaped by obstacles rather than lucky breaks. From an early athletic setback to launching a fitness venture and later opening a Krav Maga school in the wake of loss, Hilroy describes how he kept betting on himself when the odds looked poor. The conversation digs into perseverance, calculated risk-taking, and the difference a steady outlook makes when plans collapse. Rather than motivational slogans, Hilroy shares the specific decisions and mindset that let him convert pain into purpose and build something that empowers others. The episode speaks to anyone facing a hard restart in business or life who wants an honest look at what rebuilding actually demands.
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Resilience gets used as a motivational buzzword, but few people can say what it actually is or how it is built. Krav Maga coach August Ritter has spent years forging it the hard way, through discipline, setbacks, and self-reflection, and he offers a working definition you can train rather than just admire.
August Ritter joins Tsahi Shemesh to define resilience as something practical and earned rather than innate. Drawing on years in Krav Maga and other combative disciplines, August explains how resilience is built through discipline, hardship, and honest self-examination, and why it matters just as much off the mat as on it. The conversation moves past the physical to the mental and emotional side: how to stay steady under pressure, keep moving after a hit, and treat adversity as a source of growth rather than proof of failure. Listeners get a grounded view of how the right mindset turns difficult experiences into progress. It is worth a listen for anyone who wants resilience they can develop deliberately rather than hope for.
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Learning self-defense can feel intimidating before you ever throw a strike. Tsahi Shemesh strips it back to the essentials, showing how anyone can start regardless of fitness or background, and why the first real skills are confidence, awareness, and the mindset to stay steady under pressure.
Building on the Krav Maga Experts blog guide of the same name, Tsahi walks through how to begin learning self-defense in a practical, approachable way. He argues that self-defense is far more than physical technique: it is a trainable combination of awareness, confidence, and composure that carries over well beyond the mat. The episode lays out concrete first steps, how to stay consistent once you start, and why simple, reliable techniques matter more than flashy ones in real situations. Tsahi also addresses the mindset shifts that help people perform when stress hits and hesitation is the real danger. It is a useful starting point for beginners, hesitant first-timers, and anyone who wants a clear on-ramp to training that sticks.
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The training mat and the therapist’s couch might look like opposite worlds, yet both are places people go to heal and change. Dr. Oksana Sivkovich Fagin, a cognitive psychologist who researches hypnosis and teaches at CUNY, joins Tsahi to trace the surprising overlap between physical training and psychological work.
Dr. Oksana Sivkovich Fagin brings a PhD in cognitive psychology and over a decade of clinical experience with hypnosis to a conversation about the mind-body connection. A professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, she teaches cognitive psychology, research methods, and behavioral statistics, and here she and Tsahi explore how healing on the mat mirrors the therapeutic process. They discuss the psychology of resilience, how the mind can be guided toward change, and why lessons learned through physical training echo what happens in therapy. The exchange connects the mechanics of hypnosis with the felt experience of pushing through hard training. It suits anyone curious about how body and mind reinforce one another, the science of change, or the deeper reasons training can feel restorative.
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Where does free speech end and hate speech begin? Retired NYPD Lieutenant Eric Dym spent a career on that fault line, from undercover anti-crime work to special operations. He brings a law enforcement view of where the legal line actually sits and where it gets blurry.
Eric Dym, a retired NYPD Lieutenant, Marine Corps veteran, and lifelong martial artist, talks with Tsahi about the tension between protected speech and speech that crosses a legal or ethical line. Eric’s career gives the conversation weight: he served in the Marines with a Middle East deployment, then joined the NYPD as an undercover officer in the Anti-Crime Unit before rising to Lieutenant and specializing in removing illegal firearms from the street. He draws on that experience to explain how officers distinguish what is legally permitted from what is not, and how those judgments play out in real situations. His Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training also shaped how he stayed safe while protecting others. The episode is useful for anyone interested in the practical boundaries of speech and the perspective of the people who enforce them.
What this episode covers
Krav Maga was born partly as a response to rising antisemitism in 1930s Europe. Ron Rotem returns to trace that history forward to 2024, when familiar patterns are resurfacing, and to ask what Imi Lichtenfeld’s response can teach a Jewish community facing renewed discrimination today.
Tsahi Shemesh welcomes back Ron Rotem for a historically grounded discussion of why Krav Maga exists and what its origins mean now. They revisit the antisemitism of the 1930s that shaped founder Imi Lichtenfeld’s thinking and connect it to a troubling resurgence in the present day. The conversation weighs how Krav Maga’s underlying philosophy applies to current circumstances, and what mindset and actions a community might consider when confronting discrimination. Notably, Tsahi and Ron examine the fine line between advocating for peace and drifting toward vigilantism, refusing easy answers. By returning to history, they draw out lessons meant to inform present choices. The episode will interest listeners thinking about self-defense in its social and historical context, not just as technique.
What this episode covers
Krav Maga is usually framed as physical defense, but Elad Binenfeld sees it working like therapy. He and Tsahi compare it to cognitive behavioral therapy, where managing your emotions and reactions under stress builds the resilience you actually rely on in everyday life.
Elad Binenfeld joins Tsahi to explore Krav Maga as a therapeutic tool rather than only a fighting system. Their central comparison is to cognitive behavioral therapy: both disciplines train people to manage emotions and reactions, and both build resilience for the pressures of ordinary life. The conversation looks at how deliberately practicing responses under controlled stress can carry over into calmer, steadier behavior outside training. This is a shorter, focused discussion, so listeners should expect a clear thesis rather than an exhaustive treatment. It will resonate with anyone curious about the mental and emotional benefits of martial arts training and how physical practice can support psychological well-being.
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Everyone in Krav Maga knows the broad strokes of its origin story. Instructors Tsahi Shemesh and Ron Rotem go past that, into the hidden figures, the lesser-known turns, and the parts of the history that rarely get airtime, tracing how a practical fighting system spread across the world.
Two seasoned instructors, Tsahi Shemesh and Ron Rotem, dig into the origins of Krav Maga and how it grew into a global discipline. Beyond the familiar narrative, they surface the behind-the-scenes stories, the people whose contributions get overlooked, and some of the more complicated aspects of the art’s development. The conversation covers how Krav Maga began, why it gained such traction, and the path it took as it spread internationally. Because both hosts train and teach at a high level, the discussion balances well-known history with insider detail. It is a good listen for practitioners who want a richer, more honest picture of where their training comes from and how it evolved.
What this episode covers
This time Tsahi Shemesh is the guest, not the host. On Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg’s show “Being Jew-ish,” he speaks about Krav Maga in the context of antisemitism, a conversation that turns the podcast’s usual lens toward faith, identity, and self-defense.
In this crossover conversation, Tsahi Shemesh appears as a guest on “Being Jew-ish,” hosted by Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg, to discuss Krav Maga in relation to antisemitism. Because it is an interview recorded for another program, the discussion approaches self-defense through the perspective of Jewish identity and community rather than technique. Listeners can expect Tsahi’s reflections on why Krav Maga matters in the current climate and how it connects to broader questions of safety and resilience for the Jewish community. Source notes for this episode are brief, so this summary stays close to what is verified. It will appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of self-defense, faith, and identity.
What this episode covers
What separates violence from self-defense, and how do you teach that distinction to a room full of different people at once? In part two of his conversation with Tsahi, Krav Maga expert Elad Binenfeld breaks down the principles behind the techniques and the reactions that define a defensive mindset.
In this second installment with Elad Binenfeld, a Krav Maga expert with decades on the mat, the focus shifts from moves to principles. Elad and Tsahi examine the crucial difference between violence and self-defense, and lay out the three reactions that together explain how a defensive mindset actually works. They also discuss the practical craft of teaching: how Krav Maga principles are conveyed in training, and how an instructor meets the varied needs of many individuals within a single group setting. The result is a thoughtful look at the reasoning underneath the physical curriculum. It is especially useful for instructors and serious students who want to understand not just what to do, but why, and how to pass that understanding on.
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Trauma does not stay in the mind. It settles into the body, shaping how people brace, react, and move. Kristin, a Krav Maga instructor who is also a licensed therapist, works on both the couch and the mat, and explains why physical training can help rewrite what trauma leaves behind.
Kristin brings a rare dual perspective to this conversation with Tsahi: she is a Krav Maga instructor and a licensed therapist, trained to help people heal through both talk and movement. The discussion centers on how trauma registers in the body and why training on the mat can help change those physical patterns. Kristin explains the connection between what happens in a therapy session and what happens during physical practice, and how deliberate training can support recovery rather than simply build fighting skill. The tone is informed and practical rather than clinical. It will be valuable for anyone interested in the mind-body dimension of trauma, the therapeutic potential of martial arts, or how physical practice and psychological healing reinforce each other.
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Do you need to be fit before you start? How often should you train, and will cross-training just confuse you? Tsahi Shemesh answers the real questions students actually send in, cutting through common worries that keep people from stepping onto the mat.
This Q&A episode collects the practical questions Krav Maga students ask most and lets Tsahi Shemesh answer them directly. He addresses whether you need to be fit to begin, how to train when your conditioning differs from the rest of the group, and how often and how long you should train to actually improve. Tsahi also weighs the role of strength and fitness work alongside Krav Maga, how to be a good training partner, and how to get past the fear of hurting others in practice. He tackles whether cross-training helps or hinders, and whether watching videos online is useful. The format makes it a friendly, reassuring listen for beginners and hesitant newcomers, and a useful reference for anyone refining their training habits.
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What should you actually expect when you start training, and how do gender and social expectations shape that experience? Emily Fitzgerald, a martial artist and college professor soon to add “Doctor” to her name, talks candidly about being a woman in the martial arts world.
Emily Fitzgerald joins Tsahi for a frank conversation about women’s experience in martial arts. A martial artist, college professor, and soon-to-be PhD, Emily discusses the differences between how men and women are perceived and treated in training environments, and the social expectations that come with them. The two also talk about what a newcomer should realistically expect from training, helping set honest expectations before someone walks into a gym. Because the source material is brief, this summary stays close to the verified points. The episode will resonate with women considering or already pursuing martial arts, and with instructors who want to understand how expectations and gender dynamics shape the training experience.
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With more than 25 years of teaching, Ron Engelman has trained soldiers on the front lines and civilians around the world, and runs instructor camps in Israel. He sits down with Tsahi to talk about leadership, teaching philosophy, and the personal transformation the self-defense journey sets in motion.
Ron Engelman is one of the most experienced instructors Tsahi has worked with, with over 25 years in Krav Maga and students ranging from front-line soldiers to civilians worldwide. He also leads training camps in Israel for students and instructors. In this conversation, Ron shares his teaching philosophy and his views on leadership, drawing on decades of guiding people through difficult training. A central thread is transformation: how the self-defense journey changes students, not just in skill but in confidence and character, and the instructor’s role in that process. The discussion balances hard-won practical insight with reflection on the gains and losses that come with a long teaching career. It is well suited to instructors, aspiring coaches, and anyone interested in how deep training reshapes a person.
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Some students carry wounds that never show on the mat. Nimrod Astel returns to talk with Tsahi about teaching combat warriors living with PTSD, and how the bond between mind and body, and between instructor and student, becomes central to their recovery.
In a follow-up to an earlier conversation, Nimrod Astel and Tsahi continue comparing their training approaches and personal experiences, this time focusing on working with combat veterans who live with PTSD. Nimrod describes how he teaches warriors carrying trauma and why the mind-body connection is inseparable in that work. The discussion emphasizes the instructor’s responsibility in a student’s growth: how a teacher’s approach can either support or hinder someone’s healing. It is a personal, experience-driven exchange rather than a clinical lecture, grounded in real relationships on the mat. The episode will matter to instructors working with trauma survivors, to veterans considering training, and to anyone interested in how physical practice can play a role in psychological recovery.
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“It is better to teach a child than fix a broken man.” That quote guides Elad Binenfeld, a Krav Maga expert and father of two who has spent decades teaching children, including those with special needs. He talks with Tsahi about coaching self-defense through emotional intelligence.
Elad Binenfeld is a fighter, coach, and guide with decades of experience teaching children of all ages, including children with special needs. In this conversation he explains his approach to teaching Krav Maga with emotional intelligence, prioritizing patience, empathy, and understanding alongside technique. He describes how meeting children where they are, and treating heart as central to good instruction, produces better results than force or rigidity. His guiding belief, that shaping a child early beats repairing an adult later, frames the whole discussion. The episode will speak to parents, youth coaches, and instructors who want to teach self-defense in a way that builds character and confidence, not just skill, and to anyone interested in emotionally intelligent coaching.
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The fight scenes you watched on Netflix’s “Fauda” trace back to one trainer. Nimrod Astel, a fighter and commander in an IDF elite undercover unit and a 5th dan black belt in Goju Ryu karate, prepared those actors, and off screen his studio is a refuge for warriors recovering from PTSD.
Tsahi hosts his friend Nimrod Astel, whose resume spans elite military service and decades of martial arts mastery. A commander in one of the IDF’s elite undercover counter-terrorism units and a 5th dan black belt in Goju Ryu karate, Nimrod has trained generations of martial artists, including the actors whose fight choreography appeared in the Netflix series “Fauda.” Beyond that visible work, his studio functions as a safe place for many warriors coping with PTSD, and his teaching approach is built to support their trauma recovery. The conversation blends his operational and martial background with his deeply personal commitment to helping others heal. It will interest martial artists, fans curious about the training behind on-screen combat, and anyone drawn to the therapeutic side of the discipline.
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He is the highest-ranked Krav Maga instructor in the IDF and a 10-time national Jiu-Jitsu champion. Major Sagi Dovev leads close-combat training for Israel’s elite commando units, and he joins Tsahi to talk about preparing the country’s most demanding operators.
Major Sagi Dovev sits down with Tsahi Shemesh in a conversation that reaches the top of the field. As the head training officer for the IDF’s elite commando units, Sagi specializes in Krav Maga and close combat for special operations, and he holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked Krav Maga instructor in the IDF. A highly decorated officer, he is also a 10-time national Jiu-Jitsu champion, giving him a rare blend of combative depth. The discussion draws on his experience preparing operators for the most demanding real-world conditions, where technique, mindset, and pressure meet. It is a compelling listen for serious practitioners, instructors, and anyone curious about how elite units train for close-quarters combat at the highest level.
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