Krav Maga Instructors
INSTRUCTORS & ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS
Nick (Expert 3)
Paul (Expert 1)
Sam (Expert 1)
Chris (Expert 1)
All of First Defense’s Instructors and Assistant Instructors are certified through Krav Maga Global and have trained directly under Eyal Yanilov and the KMG Global Instructor Team.
Nick Masi
Lead Instructor
Nick Masi has been teaching Krav Maga in the Washington, DC area since 2004. He began his training in 2003 after completing graduate school in California. He was a natural and within a year, was an assistant instructor leading classes at a number of different locations.
In 2008, Nick traveled to Berkeley, CA for the IKMF US Instructor’s Course with Eyal Yanilov, a first of its kind event in the United States. Nick is one of the very few instructors in the DC metro area to complete his instructor training personally with Eyal (who is now head of Krav Maga Global – KMG, the highest ranked practitioner in the world, and the leading voice of modern Krav Maga).
Nick is currently ranked Expert 3 - the first instructor in the United States to reach this rank in KMG under Eyal. He is also been member of the US National Team for Krav Maga Global, assisting with the development of instructors and schools throughout the United States.
Nick has completed additional KMG teaching certifications for Law Enforcement, Combat and Fighting, Kids, Mental Conditioning/Combat Mindset, and Women.
Nick began his Shuai-chiao training and earned his 4th degree black belt under Dr. Chi-hsiu Daniel Weng in Cupertino, CA. A strong competitor, Nick has medaled consistently and placed first in the 2005 & 2006 National Championships. He has also represented the United States in competitions in Brazil, Italy, China, and Taiwan. A frequent traveler with Team USA, Nick has not only been a competitor, but has served in the role of Team Leader and Head Coach for international tournaments. Nick started the Northern Virginia Shuai-chiao Club in 2007 to teach and continue to spread the art.
Other Certifications:
Ground Force Method Level 1 Instructor
Flexible Steel Instructor Level 1
CPI Certified Instructor - Associate
Paul Apostolescu
Senior Instructor
Paul is our Senior instructor here at First Defense and has been with FDKM since 2011. He received his Instructors certification in 2014. He currently holds the rank of Expert level 1. Paul has completed additional KMG certification in Combat & Fighting.
Chris Murphy
Instructor
Chris Murphy is outspoken advocate for the principles of Krav Maga and its practicality. Chris is ranked Expert 1 in KMG and is certified to teach adults and kids. He has completed additional training through KMG in Law Enforcement tactics and Mental Conditioning. He has trained in Israel under Ran Laskov, Ilya Dunsky, and Eyal Yanilov as well as with other innovators of the system in the United States. Chris brings energy to his classes and loves to share his passion for the system!
Sam Murphy
Instructor
Samuel Murphy holds a rank of Expert 1 and is an Instructor at First Defense Krav Maga certified to teach both youth & adults. Samuel has studied various martial arts before coming to Krav Maga and has over a decade of combined experience training in martial arts disciplines. When Samuel first learned of Krav Maga, he was drawn to the real world scenarios the Krav Maga system encompasses and fighting tactics it employs for self defense and defense of others. Samuel has been learning Krav Maga for over 6 years and has trained under some of the top instructors in Krav Maga Global including John Bollock, Jani Savanto, Balazs Szabo and Eyal Yanilov. In his current role as an instructor, Samuel is passionate about helping students develop and learn self defense skills that may one day save their life.