Krav Maga Unyted brings self-defense fitness and SpeedX to the Old Bank District in Downtown LA
The Downtown LA urban revitalization arguably started at the corner of 4th and Main more than a decade ago when some of LA’s very first adaptive-reuse lofts were crafted at this corner by visionary developer Tom Gilmore. Over the last 12 years since the first loft dwellers began moving in, the Old Bank District neighborhood has been evolving into a mature urban enclave with some of the most interesting mix of independently owned shops, restaurants, and bars in Los Angeles. Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about the new businesses opening at the Medallion Apartments (completed in 2010), located at 4th and Main, including the grand opening of Simply Salad and the announcement of Sushi Zo and Dr. J’s Vibrant Cafe (vegan) opening later this year. And now a self-defense fitness and SpeedX studio called Krav Maga Unyted has also just opened last week, providing yet another service and amenity for the residents in the area.
For those of us who have little-to-no idea what “Krav Maga” means, according to one of the co-owners of the new fitness studio, Hooman Ghaffari, it is “the official self-defense and combat technique used by the Israeli military” involving a mix of boxing, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. Ghaffari explains that “Krav Maga provides practical and easy to learn techniques that are ideal for urban living, and will be beneficial to all residents and workers in Downtown LA.”
Krav Maga Unyted is overseen, run, and managed by chief instructor, Jarret Waldman, who trained directly under the creator of Krav Maga, Imi Lichtenfeld, at the Israeli Defense Forces’ Wingate Institute. While instructing at the Krav Maga Worldwide studio in West LA, Waldman helped train a variety of LA’s more famous denizens including Ashton Kutcher, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt.
According to Ghaffari, “Krav Maga Unyted offers various levels of Krav Maga self-defense and fitness training, as well as MMA-style fight classes and weapons defenses. In addition, Unyted will be providing our trademarked SpeedX workout, which has been featured in print in Prevention Magazine, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, and Self Magazine, and on TV shows including The Biggest Loser and The Doctors. SpeedX was also awarded Best New Workout by Los Angeles Magazine in their 2011 Best of LA issue.”
Visit Krav Maga Unyted Fitness for more info: www.unytedfitness.com
Krav Maga Unyted is now open at the Medallion Apartments along 4th St
The Krav Maga Unyted front desk
Krav Maga Unyted training class
The SpeedX studio
Krav Maga Unyted offers heavy training with clean and comfy restrooms (with showers) for trainees
The front entrance of Krav Maga faces the Medallion retail courtyard
i wonder if the developer of the medallion is regretting the choice to create a mini-mall of almost uselessly tiny retail spaces instead of creating large spaces that could have been subdivided as demand warranted. it’s a real pity to see that lower courtyard turned into an ad-hoc parking lot.
i find it especially funny that the developer, who was so concerned about some sort of negative impact of the resale boutique in the downtown women’s center, leased one of his spots closest to that building to a vendor hawking male enhancement pills.
I never understood those little courtyard spaces. They work great as pop-up galleries during art walk but they’re mostly too small for much else and with no street presence it would seem near suicidal for a business.
But the presence of Simply Salad has already made a big difference (at least during the day/lunch), so who knows. Once the other street level spaces fill out this year, maybe the interior ones will be more attractive.
CrossFit 213 just opened a block away from me and supposedly the 24 is getting a makeover as well…Happy to see more workout options coming to DTLA.