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Rhon Mizrachi
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Rhon Mizrachi is a former Israeli Paratrooper Sergeant, who engaged in extensive combat during the Lebanon war in 1982. Mr. Mizrachi began studying Krav Maga in 1969. He is the longest active practitioner of authentic Krav Maga outside of Israel and a protege of Haim Zut (10th Dan). Rhon is a 5th Dan Black Belt and has over 30 years of teaching experience in Israel, the United States, and abroad. Currently, he is the chief instructor of Krav Maga, Inc. and is recognized as a master instructor by the Krav Maga International- Kapap, Israeli Krav-Maga Association, the State of Israel Ministry of Education Culture and Sport, and the Wingate Institute. Prof. Mizrachi also directs the self-defense program for law enforcement at the distinguished John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Master Instructor Rhon Mizrachi has dedicated his life to the art of Krav Maga. He has been training for 37 years, over 25 of which have been spent as an instructor. He is the highest ranking practitioner of Krav Maga residing in the United States who is not self-ranked. An eighth-generation Israeli, Rhon was born in Hadera, Israel, in 1963, and raised on Kibbutz Gan Shemu'el. By the age of 7, he was training in Krav Maga four times per week with Haim Zut; Haim remains Rhon's instructor and mentor to this day. Rhon was a natural talent in Krav Maga, and he became one of a core group of students devoted to Haim Zut and his school. In 1979, he took part in a Krav Maga instructor helper course at the Israeli Krav Maga Association facility in Netanya, after which point he began teaching classes on Kibbutz Gan Shemu'el. In 1980, he returned for his instructor course and was made a full instructor of the art, certified by the Wingate Institute for Instructor Training. He continued to teach Krav Maga at Gan Shemu'el for another year, all the while increasing his own skills through persistent training. In November 1981, Rhon began his military service, volunteering for the paratrooper brigade, Hativat Tzanchanim, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. He entered Lebanon in early June, 1982, taking part in the initial assault of the First War against Lebanon. He spent most of his military service inside Lebanon or patrolling the Israeli border with Syria. During the war, he continued his Krav Maga training, and towards the end of his military career he was recruited to teach Krav Maga to his unit. When his military service ended in 1984, he returned home with a deeper commitment to continuing his training with Haim Zut, determined to instill in other people the sense of right and responsibility to defend oneself, one's family, and one's homeland. Rhon remained in Israel for another year, teaching and training with Haim. In 1986, he left Israel for the United States, where he continued his own practice and began to teach Krav Maga. In 1993, Rhon returned to Israel. There, he met with Imi and Haim to discuss his plans for a Krav Maga school in the United States. Rhon felt that it was necessary to honor the men who had given his life direction by carrying on the traditions that they had created, and it was with the greatest respect that he asked for their advice and blessing. In return, Haim expressed his pride in and enthusiasm for Rhon's goal---the establishment of a properly accredited Krav Maga school in the United States. When Rhon returned home, he opened the first school in the United States to be recognized by the Israeli Krav Maga Association. As the Israeli Krav Maga Association began to break apart, Haim Zut, wishing to avoid the politics and greed of succession, created his own organization: Krav Maga International - Kapap. He asked Rhon to be his representative in the United States. In response, Rhon, Dror Bikel, and Seth Rosen created the Krav Maga Federation - a partnership of schools in the United States and Israel, dedicated to maintaining the principles originally set forth by Imi Sde'Or and to providing the quality of training required in Haim Zut's schools. In 2001, Rhon began to teach at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He continues to hold classes there. Over the course of his career, Rhon has instructed thousands of students, including civilians, members of law enforcement, and military groups. He has conducted seminars on all aspects of the art, and has developed a continual exchange of information with instructors of Krav Maga in Israel, as well as with instructors of other martial arts in the United States. Rhon has been honored with the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame Krav Maga Instructor of the Year award, and with Action Martial Arts Magazine's Hall of Fame Outstanding Contribution in the Martial Arts award for Chief Instructor. In 2005, Rhon was given the title of Master Instructor by the Krav Maga International Association - Kapap. He is the only Krav Maga instructor to hold this title outside of Israel. After 25 years as an instructor, Rhon still teaches almost every one of his classes. He believes that his role as a martial arts instructor is to change the lives of his students, and he puts that belief into practice on a daily basis. Although he hopes that his students will never have to use Krav Maga in self-defense, Rhon's philosophy is to prepare each individual for the eventuality that he or she might have to defend against an attack. His goal is that his students will eventually be better practitioners and instructors than he. If he realizes this goal, he says, he will know that he has been successful. 
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