Yes, it's safe.

In over 30 years of teaching, we’ve never had a serious accident in class. Of course, we’re learning to deal with non-consensual violence, so there will occasionally be bumps and bruises along the way. We like to call them “Krav Kisses.”

For context, Krav Maga doesn't appear in the top 50 most dangerous sports in the world. Horseback riding, cheerleading, and gymnastics all rank in the top five here in the US. FYI, here's a link to the top 15 most dangerous sports.

So, go view our schedule here.

No, prior experience is not required.

Our classes are suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Our instructors provide personalized guidance to help you progress at your own pace, regardless of where you're starting from.

Wear comfortable athletic clothing and trainers.

We supply everything else you need during your trial period.

You can schedule your two-week paid trial through our website's registration page, or simply click the orange "Trial" button located on every page.

Alternatively, you can reach us through the contact page.

Yes. Our adult classes are for those eighteen and over. There's no upper age limit, though if you're over 40, we recommend getting your doctor's okay.

Our Teen Self-Defense classes are for 12 to 17-year-olds.

Our children's classes will be kicking off in August, and we never mix our adults in with kids.

Yep. Click on the button below and schedule your 2-week trial.

No. That’s like asking if you must be flexible before joining a yoga class.

We will get you in shape while you’re learning self-defense. Most people don't even notice the workout because it's built into the lesson.

That said, we highly recommend that if you’re over 40, you get your doctor’s approval.

We also want everyone to know that when you join, if you need to take a break during class, you take one. No need to ask for anyone’s approval. After the first month, we rarely find anyone who needs the break again.

That depends very much on the individual.

Some people pick things up quickly, usually because they played a lot of sports when younger and developed coordination. Other people take a little longer. It doesn’t really matter as long as you’re progressing.

We want you to walk out of every class a little more knowledgeable about the subject of self-defense and a little more dangerous. As long as you’re doing that, we’re happy.

Because we’re not preserving a classical art form, you will progress much faster than in a traditional martial arts school.

No belts. We use colored t-shirts to denote rank.

Everyone starts in an Ash Gray shirt. From there, it's a blue shirt. The next is tan, then red, then steel gray, and finally black. There are six levels of black shirts in the system.

Yes.

Women make up roughly 40 percent of the class. Obviously, they’re very concerned about self-defense, but Krav Maga also suits women because it uses simple, effective, and aggressive techniques.

You can check some of them out on our Instructor's page.

Krav Maga is a practical, real-world self-defense system developed for the Israeli military.

It’s designed to be easy to learn and highly effective under stress. It deals with multiple attackers, active shooters, carjackings, and weapons. Unlike BJJ and MMA, we're not concerned with rules or referees.

Absolutely.

Many of our students had no martial arts or self-defense experience before starting. We’ll guide you every step of the way. Our beginner classes are separate from our advanced so you progress even faster than schools that combine the two.

Kali, also known as Eskrima or Arnis de Mano, is a Filipino martial art involving the use of edged weapons and batons.

Whereas Krav Maga focuses on unarmed defense, Kali teaches you to use weapons right from the outset. You'll learn single, double stick, and bladed weapons.

Because it focuses on weapons, it's not as physically demanding as the Krav Maga classes.

It's a separate class at Krav Maga LKN and complements Krav Maga well. Many of our students train in both systems.

Your first two weeks are only $27. That's six classes to try without any commitment.

After that, we have multiple programs for both Krav Maga and Kali. We won't know which one is the best fit until after your trial, but they range from $99 to $199 a month.

We're located at 18339 Old Statesville Rd, Unit i, Cornelius, NC 28031, right next to the new aquatic center. We serve students from Cornelius, Huntersville, Charlotte, Davidson, Denver, and Mooresville. We have free, on-site parking.

A typical class runs for an hour. After a brief warm-up, you'll work on techniques specific to your rank level. Once you've learned the technique, you'll begin to apply it under pressure. We also use a lot of scenario-based training.

No memorizing forms, bowing, or pyjamas. Just practical takeaways you can use immediately. Most students leave tired, more dangerous and happier than when they walked in.

Most martial arts have evolved into combat sports. That means you train to fight one unarmed opponent, who conveniently, weighs exactly the same as you and has the same level of experience.

We cover things like tactical medicine, mindset training, multiple opponents, defense against knives and guns, and how criminals select their victims.

No, we don't run separate women's classes because we don't believe women need a watered-down version of self-defense. If you're training to fight off a man, then you should train with men.

Yes, Krav Maga focuses on unarmed defense against knives, sticks, and guns. Our Kali program focuses on using weapons against weapons for those who want to go deeper into weapons training.

Yes. We offer corporate self-defense training for businesses, organizations, and private groups. These sessions are customized based on your team's needs. Maybe you want basic awareness and avoidance, hands-on defense, or a team-building exercise.

Contact us to discuss options.

Yes. Private and semi-private lessons are available for those who want faster progress, have specific situations they want to train for, or simply prefer one-on-one instruction.

Contact us for availability and pricing.

Nick Hughes has spent most of his adult life dealing with real-world violence, not the theoretical kind.

He served in the French Foreign Legion's parachute regiment, where he taught unarmed combat. After the Legion he worked worldwide as a professional bodyguard for members of the Saudi royal family, VIPs, and rock stars.

He's been teaching self-defense for over forty years and is one of the very few Krav Maga instructors in the US with actual military experience. He has boxed professionally, is the author of the critically acclaimed "How To Be Your Own Bodyguard," and holds black belts in various styles of Karate, as well as Judo, Aikido and Jujutsu.

Yes, though that's not our primary goal. The training is physically demanding, so you'll build stamina, strength, and coordination. Many of our students who come in carrying extra pounds notice significant weight loss as a result of the training.

The advantage over regular gym classes and boot camps is that you're so focused on learning something useful, you don't realize how hard you're working out.