Gershon Ben Keren, a criminologist and security professional, has been active in the private security sector since 1990, focusing on mitigating and managing risks associated with violence and violent crime. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Krav Maga, having commenced his Krav Maga training in 1993. His initial Krav Maga instructor certification was obtained through the International Krav Maga Federation's (IKMF) intensive 29-day course, led by Eyal Yanilov and Amnon Darsa. Throughout his career teaching defensive tactics/Krav Maga to professionals and civilians internationally ,Gershon has trained with some of the most prominent Krav Maga instructors, including Avi Moyal, Miki Assulin, Eyal Yanilov and Haim Gidon—some of the first black belts under Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of Krav Maga. Additionally, he has also served as an instructor under Grandmaster Dennis Hanover, the creator of Hisardut, a combat system taught to elite units in the Israel Defense Forces. In recognition of his contributions in promoting Krav Maga and Israeli Martial Arts, he was inducted into the Museum of Israeli Martial Arts in Herzliya, Israel, in 2010.

Gershon is also an author, who has written three Amazon Best-Selling books on Krav Maga, published by Tuttle Publishing. His weekly Krav Maga Blog, active since 2010, features over 700 articles on self-defense and strategies for dealing with violence. He has delivered two Google Author Talks, sharing his expertise on real-world violence and self-defense. Academically, Gershon holds two master's degrees: one in Psychology from Newcastle University and another in Criminology and Criminal Psychology from the University of Essex. He is also an active member of both the American Psychological Association and the American Society of Criminology, regularly conducting research into violence and violent offending. He has a particular interest in Environmental Criminology which involves the study and research of the spatial and temporal aspects of crime i.e., why do certain offenses happen in specific/particular locations at certain times of the day etc.

This academic understanding of the way in which violent offenses actually occur influence the way in which Krav Maga is taught and trained at Krav Maga Yashir Boston. Whilst some reality-based self-defense instructors don’t really understand how violent offenses occur, and/or base their understanding of reality on their own limited experience(s). Gershon’s research into violence allows for an accurate and realistic portrayal of violent scenarios taking into account factors and components that may otherwise get over-looked. This means that the decision-making processes and physical solutions taught deal with real-life situations rather than imagined scenarios. If you are interested in training at Krav Maga Yashir, you can sign up for one of our beginner classes using the form below.