Krav Maga Survival
We have been associated with Tom Madsen for over 22 years. When I met Tom, he was already a black belt and a competitor with international success. We first crossed paths in the early 2000s. I immediately saw his potential to become a great athlete.
I had the honor to help guide his preparations for multiple international, world championship matches in various martial arts disciplines. Tom always rose to the occasion.
His determination is best described by a series of impressive matches he had during the 2003 World Kickboxing Championship in Las Vegas. Tom fought his way up to the final with a dislocated knee which occurred during his third fight. Realizing how much pain he was in, I was forced to prevent him from continuing on to avoid irreparable physical damage to his knee. Soon after, in partnership with Grandmaster Gokor Chivichyan, we prepared Tom for the 2009 World Championship in MMA. Unfortunately, I was not able to join him in his corner as a coach. Luckily, our beloved Grandmaster, legend, and godfather of grappling and MMA, Gene LeBell was there to support Tom in my stead. Tom, yet again, did not disappoint, perhaps from the pressure of knowing a world-renowned martial artist and a grappling legend was standing in his corner. It is with great pride I can say that Tom won the World Championship, and ultimately made us all very proud. In the same year, he won the Grappling World Championship with Dana "Danger" Chavez in his corner.
When Tom launched his Krav Maga organization, I immediately expressed my support and interest to associate with him. Tom's extensive background in Krav Maga under Grandmaster Raffi Liven, along with his experience in executive protection and military seminars in Israel led to his expertise in the field. While I provided input through the guidance of my own experiences, it is with great pride and humility that I can say, "the master learns from his student." As the representative of Krav Maga USA, I strive to build a strong community of high-quality instructors to align with the magnitude of our worldwide organization.
I wholeheartedly value our friendship, which is a testament to our determination in accomplishing any task we set our minds to.
