The best self-defence system is not a fixed museum piece — it is a living methodology that evolves as the world changes, as threat patterns shift, and as the science of human performance advances. This is why the FEKM under President Steve Schmitt continues to refine, review, and update its curriculum, even as it maintains the core principles established by Grand Master Richard Douieb.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Schmitt addresses exactly this process of evolution — and why it matters for every practitioner in the federation.
🎥 Watch the full Steve Schmitt interview:
Steve Schmitt – FEKM President | Krav Maga Traveling
Why Curriculum Evolution Is a Sign of Strength, Not Instability
Some traditional martial arts treat their curriculum as sacred — unchangeable, regardless of new evidence or changing real-world conditions. The FEKM takes the opposite view. If research reveals a better mechanical approach to a technique, the curriculum reflects it. If real-world threat data suggests a pattern that students need to prepare for, it is added. If something is found not to work under genuine pressure, it is removed.
Schmitt speaks about this directly — the ongoing combination and refinement of the grading structure, for example, reflects a genuine analysis of how students learn and what produces reliable capability most efficiently. This willingness to change is what keeps FEKM training relevant.
The Principles Never Change — The Application Evolves
What does not change is the foundational philosophy: Fast, Simple and Effective. These are not marketing language. They are functional requirements that every technique in the FEKM system must meet. The application of those principles evolves with the world. The principles themselves are fixed.
This is the elegant architecture of the FEKM system. Because the principles are stable and clear, the curriculum can evolve freely around them without losing coherence. Students trained ten years ago and students beginning today are learning from the same foundation — even if specific details of the curriculum have been refined.
For Eitan Krav Maga Students
Being part of an FEKM-affiliated school means your training reflects this ongoing commitment to what actually works. You are not learning a frozen system — you are learning a living one, continuously refined by some of the most experienced practitioners in the world.
That is a significant benefit. And it is why Eitan Krav Maga’s commitment to FEKM affiliation matters.
Stay sharp. Keep training. Visit eitankravmaga.com.
— Nicholas, Eitan Krav Maga