About

Tzlil was born and raised in a small town in central Israel. His inspiration to teach self-defense stems from his Grandfather’s legacy as a holocaust survivor. As a child and teen, Tzlil studied various martial arts. He began his career at 18 when he entered the IDF as a combat soldier. Two years into his service, Tzlil’s superior officers recognized his advanced hand-to-hand combat skills and he was chosen to be a Krav Maga instructor. After two months of extraordinary progress with his troops, he was promoted to head of the Krav Maga instructors division. After completing his military service, Tzlil went on to work in the Israeli secret service and other civilian-based security organizations.

A few years in, he realized the restrictive nature of the corporate environment was not for him and he chose to leave Israel to further his training. His passion to teach an unorthodox approach to training led him to embark on a research project for his own brand. The ultimate goal would be to travel the world alone to encounter and effectively neutralize unexpected dangerous situations. This unique experience using real-world situations served to further develop Tzlil’s specialized Krav Maga system and increase his efficacy as a civilian instructor.

Eventually, his journey took him to Mexico City where he took the first available job in the Tepito neighborhood market to improve his Spanish and get to know the local community. Eight months later, Tzlil left Tepito and continued to teach civilians and work as a private security contractor in and around Mexico City. After several years abroad, Tzlil was offered to return to Israel to apply for admission to a special army unit for a five-year tour. He accepted the challenge and left Mexico for Israel.

After enduring four months of grueling training during the day and working as a counselor and mentor to children removed from abusive homes at night, he decided another military post was not for him. He chose to continue his counseling and mentorship work with the children at the Youth Emergency Center on a full-time basis. After almost a year with the kids, Tzlil moved to Tel Aviv to teach and work as a VIP security contractor in the city’s nightlife industry. He was eventually approached by the owner of a well-known Krav Maga studio in New York City. A meeting was arranged in Tel Aviv and Tzlil was presented with an offer to travel to the United States to build the gym’s membership and help with branding. He agreed to take on the project and worked around the clock for six months with great success.

With the Manhattan studio on solid footing, Tzlil again transitioned back to private instruction for his own exclusive clientele in Brooklyn. After a year in New York, he moved to Hollywood to pursue other opportunities and better weather. Finding continued success with private instruction in Hollywood, he considered opening a studio of his own but the COVID pandemic had other plans. With restrictions in the Los Angeles area continuing to affect more and more businesses, Tzlil left LA for Northern California, where he continues to hold self-defense seminars and teach out of his private studio in Sacramento.