02/19/2026
It is with profound sadness that we must let you all know about our Grandmaster of Krav Maga, Darren Levine, passing away. He passed away at the end of January, but the truth is we haven’t been able to find the words to honor his life, legacy and everything he meant to us. Darren had such a unique, rich history and carried Krav Maga into the next generation after the inventor and founder of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld, died. He was our original instructor, and good, good friend.
Darren began his Krav Maga training in Israel under Imi. He was one of the original members of the training class that was designed to learn, teach and spread Krav Maga throughout the world. Imi and Darren became family over the years, and Imi bestowed upon Darren a Founder's Certificate of Krav Maga, so no one would have a doubt as to where they could get real, raw and evolving Krav Maga techniques. Over the years, Imi would stay with Darren and discuss training scenarios, techniques and ways to employ the best self-defense tactics, sometimes well into the night. Darren used his knowledge to not only shape Krav Maga and spread it around the United States, but also in his "other job" where he was a District Attorney in Los Angeles in charge of prosecuting crimes against peace officers. He would review and prosecute the most horrific crimes and directly change the defenses that Krav Maga utilized to respond to horrific attacks. His career had a 100% conviction rate.
To us, he was one of the best teachers that we have ever known, across multiple disciplines, studies, academia and martial arts. He had the unique ability to connect with others on a personal level, transferring his knowledge so anyone could understand, answering even the most extreme questions with grace and humility. His "courtroom presence", his dramatic pauses, intensity, booming voice, all of it, he took that to seminars, teaching with such enthusiasm and energy, so everyone in the room got swept up in his lesson. He had the ability to empower even the feeblest and give them self-defense capabilities that even they didn't think were possible.
It is really difficult to believe he is gone. He left such a footprint on our lives, our teaching styles, our physical skills, and, us as people. He had an impact, not just on his own immediate circle, but on the world. If you were a student here, or knew a student here, their lives were touched by Darren.
We really thought we had more time with him. We were planning to have him here in the Spring – a big, fun seminar so our students could meet him and get the same joy from his teaching that we received throughout the years.
Our hope is that he is with Marni, his wife, in heaven. We send so much love to his girls, Jordyn and Brooke, both of whom he raised with a resiliency that we wish they did not have to touch upon in his passing.
We love you, Darren. Thank you for it all.
