Strike First Krav Maga, Allston

At Strike First Krav Maga, the first job of co-owners Adam Gleason and Ilya Akhter is to create a highly stressful atmosphere in order to replicate a realistic self-defense scenario where senses are heightened. Once students are sufficiently stressed, the duo begins teaching the tactics of Krav Maga, a self-defense technique used by the Israeli Defense Force. Akhter—a former sergeant in the Israeli Defense Force’s anti-terrorist special forces unit—has years of hands-on experience and Gleason’s background includes 5 years of Krav Maga training, along with experience in Kung Fu, and American kickboxing. And though each instructor strives to maintain an intense environment, they treat each student respectfully and tailor their lesson to fit all levels of skill, physical fitness, and experience.