Israel has one of the most unusual martial arts cultures in the world. Krav Maga was forged here; the IDF has exported it globally. Judo has an Olympic pedigree — Yael Arad’s 1992 Barcelona silver medal triggered a national conversation about combat sports. And yet, beneath the headlines about self-defence and Olympic judo, a quieter tradition has grown steadily: thousands of Israelis train in classical Asian disciplines — Japanese karate and aikido, Chinese kung fu and tai chi, Korean taekwondo and hapkido — drawn in part by the anime and manga boom of the 2000s that reached deep into Israeli youth culture, and in part by practitioners from Japan, China, and Korea who settled here and opened schools.
This guide covers dojos and schools across Israel by tradition and city. For the full searchable listing, see our Asian businesses directory.
Japanese Martial Arts#
Karate#
Japan’s most widely practised martial art has strong roots in Israel. Multiple lineages operate here, from the Okinawan mother-arts to sport karate. The following schools maintain direct affiliation with international Japanese organisations.
IOGKF Goju Ryu Karate Israel — Tel Aviv
Israel’s branch of the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation, one of the most respected traditional karate lineages worldwide. Goju-Ryu (“hard-soft style”) was founded in Okinawa by Chojun Miyagi and emphasises circular, close-range techniques alongside rigorous breathing exercises (ibuki and nogare). The Israeli branch trains under the global IOGKF umbrella, meaning visiting practitioners from Japan and elsewhere can step in for class.
Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate — Tel Aviv
A dojo on Reading Street in northern Tel Aviv, focused specifically on Okinawan Goju-Ryu tradition. Sessions cover kata, kumite, and the traditional conditioning exercises (hojo undo) that distinguish classical Okinawan karate from its mainland Japanese and sport derivatives.
📍 Reading 26, Tel Aviv
TEISHINKAN Karate — Ramat Gan
A karate school on HaBonim Street in Ramat Gan. Teishinkan schools combine traditional Japanese karate syllabus with structured grading and competition preparation — a solid choice if you want both classical technique and the option to compete.
📍 HaBonim 8, Ramat Gan
Aikido#
Aikido’s philosophy of redirecting an attacker’s energy rather than opposing it directly has attracted a steady community in Israel, particularly practitioners who come from a background in yoga, Feldenkrais, or other body-awareness traditions.
Aikido Tel Aviv
A dojo on Ya’akov Mozer Street in central Tel Aviv. Aikido training in Israel is typically conducted in keikogi (the white training uniform) on tatami mats, following the Ueshiba lineage. Classes cover ukemi (breakfalls), basic throws (nage waza), wrist locks (kote gaeshi, ikyo), and weapons work (bokken and jo) at more advanced levels.
📍 Ya’akov Mozer 1, Tel Aviv
Chinese Martial Arts#
China’s martial arts tradition — collectively referred to as wushu or kung fu — is the most diverse category in this guide. Several distinct lineages operate in Israel, from the southern Shaolin temple arts to internal practices like tai chi and bagua.
Wing Chun#
Wing Chun is a southern Chinese style known for close-range striking, simultaneous attack and defence, and the chi sao (“sticky hands”) sensitivity drills that develop tactile reflexes. It gained global recognition partly through Bruce Lee, who trained in it before developing Jeet Kune Do.
Wing Chun Kung Fu Federation of Israel — Tel Aviv
The national federation body for Wing Chun in Israel, with the main school in Tel Aviv. The federation maintains international affiliations and runs instructor certification. A good starting point if you want to understand the Wing Chun landscape in Israel before committing to a specific school.
Kung Fu Wing Chun Tel Aviv
A school on Hafetz Hayim Street in Tel Aviv. Wing Chun training follows the classical three-form curriculum — Siu Lim Tao, Chum Kiu, and Biu Jee — alongside the wooden dummy (muk yan jong) and two weapons forms.
📍 Hafetz Hayim 10, Tel Aviv
Wing Chun Sifu Roy — Ramat Gan
A school on Krinitsi Street in Ramat Gan. Sifu (teacher) Roy runs structured group classes and private sessions. Ramat Gan’s central location makes this accessible from both Tel Aviv and the Gush Dan suburbs.
📍 Krinitsi 20, Ramat Gan
Wing Chun Lo Man Kam Israel — Ashdod
Ashdod’s Wing Chun school follows the Lo Man Kam lineage — a direct branch of Ip Man’s tradition, transmitted through Ip Man’s nephew Lo Man Kam, who taught in Taipei for decades. One of the more traceable lineage lines in Israeli Wing Chun.
📍 Janusz Korczak 11, Ashdod
Wing Chun Kung Fu Givatayim
A school on HaMeri Street in Givatayim. Convenient for the eastern Tel Aviv suburbs.
📍 HaMeri 51, Givatayim
Shaolin Kung Fu#
Shaolin kung fu (北少林, northern Shaolin) encompasses the external, physically demanding styles associated with the Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. Training typically includes forms (kata equivalent: taolu), weapons, conditioning work, and traditional stretching.
Sanshu Israel — Tel Aviv
A kung fu school on Etzyon Gever Street in northern Tel Aviv. Sanshu (散手, free-fighting) schools typically combine traditional forms with applied sparring and conditioning — a bridge between classical Chinese martial arts and modern combat sports.
📍 Etzyon Gever 11, Tel Aviv
Dragon’s Heart Kung Fu — Tel Aviv
A school on Mal’akhi Street in Tel Aviv. The “dragon’s heart” name signals a traditional external style — likely a Shaolin-lineage system.
📍 Mal’akhi 8, Tel Aviv
White Crane Kung Fu — Tel Aviv
A school on HaRav Kosowski Street in northern Tel Aviv. White Crane (Bai He Quan) is a southern Chinese style emphasising linear power generation, fingertip and crane-beak strikes, and a distinctive evasion footwork pattern. It is also considered one of the arts that influenced Okinawan karate.
📍 HaRav Kosowski 46, Tel Aviv
Klempi KungFu — Tel Aviv
A school on Pinhas Ben Ya’ir Street in Tel Aviv.
📍 Pinhas Ben Ya’ir 3, Tel Aviv
Shaolin Kung Fu Ra’anana
A Shaolin school on Hatikva Street in Ra’anana, in the northern Sharon suburbs.
📍 Hatikva 2, Ra’anana
Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu — Tirat Carmel (Haifa area)
Hung Gar (洪家) is a southern Shaolin style known for powerful stances, low horse stance conditioning, and the tiger-crane paired form. This school is in Tirat Carmel, close to the Haifa metropolitan area. One of the few Hung Gar schools operating in northern Israel.
📍 Etsel 36, Tirat Carmel
Shaolin Kung Fu Herzliya
A Shaolin school in Herzliya, accessible from the northern Tel Aviv suburbs.
Bagua and Internal Arts#
Bagua Academy of Martial Arts — Tel Aviv
Bagua Zhang (八卦掌, “eight trigram palm”) is one of the three main Chinese internal martial arts, alongside tai chi and xingyi. It is characterised by circle-walking practice, spiral body mechanics, and a unique eight-directional footwork. Less common than tai chi in Israel, but the Bagua Academy maintains a dedicated curriculum.
Wu Shu Ancient Wisdom — Karmiel
A wushu school on Sderot Beit HaKerem in Karmiel, in the Galilee. One of the few dedicated Chinese martial arts options in the north outside Haifa, making it the default choice for practitioners in the Karmiel-Acre-Nahariya corridor.
📍 Sderot Beit HaKerem 4, Karmiel
Tai Chi#
Tai chi (太極拳) is practiced in Israel both as a martial art and as a health and movement practice. Its slow, meditative forms have attracted a large community of practitioners who come from yoga, physiotherapy, and stress-reduction backgrounds rather than from combat sports.
Taichi Center Israel — Tel Aviv
The main dedicated tai chi centre in Tel Aviv, on Herzl Street. Sessions typically cover one or more of the standard Yang or Chen family forms, push hands (tui shou), and basic qigong.
📍 Herzl 158, Tel Aviv
Tao Hall — Herzliya
A centre on Wingate Street in Herzliya covering tai chi and related movement arts. The name suggests a broader approach to Taoist-influenced practice — likely encompassing qigong alongside tai chi forms.
📍 Wingate 168, Herzliya
Korean Martial Arts#
Taekwondo#
Taekwondo is the Korean national sport and has strong institutional presence in Israel, with clubs affiliated to the World Taekwondo Federation (formerly WTF) operating in most cities. The following offer dedicated instruction from qualified instructors.
Mandel Taekwondo — Tel Aviv
A school inside Dizengoff Center in central Tel Aviv. Location inside a shopping centre is an advantage for central Tel Aviv residents — parking, public transport, and central access all sorted. Classes for children and adults.
📍 Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv
Muay Thai and Southeast Asian Arts#
Muay Thai (มวยไทย) — Thai boxing — is technically a Southeast Asian art rather than an East Asian one, but its explosion in Israeli gyms over the past decade makes it a natural inclusion here. It has overtaken traditional karate in popularity among young Israeli practitioners who want a contact sport with clear practical application.
Rudy Boxing Gym — Haifa
Haifa’s most prominent striking arts gym, on Sara Street in the Haifa city centre. Rudy Boxing offers training in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and functional fitness. With phone, website, and Instagram all active, it is the most comprehensively documented martial arts school in our directory.
📍 Sara 7, Haifa Downtown | rudyboxing.com | @rudy.boxing.gym | 052-221-6771
Muay Thai Academy Jerusalem
A dedicated Muay Thai academy in Jerusalem — the only capital-city option in this guide for Thai boxing. Covers striking technique, clinch work, and pad work in the traditional Muay Thai curriculum.
Hercules Muay Thai — Beer Sheva
A studio on HaTikva Street in Beer Sheva combining Muay Thai and functional fitness training. The Negev’s main option for structured Thai boxing instruction.
📍 HaTikva 14, Beer Sheva
Tips for Beginners#
Choosing a Discipline#
The decision usually comes down to what you want from training:
- Self-defence focus — Krav Maga remains the dominant choice for Israelis; for a traditional system with strong self-defence applications, consider Wing Chun or Muay Thai.
- Sport and competition — Taekwondo (Olympic sport), judo, and sport karate all have active competitive circuits in Israel through their respective national federations.
- Physical fitness — Muay Thai gyms typically run the most physically demanding general-fitness classes. Kung fu schools with conditioning programmes are a close second.
- Mindfulness and body awareness — Tai chi, aikido, and bagua all emphasise internal principles over muscular force. They are slower to show self-defence results but excellent for stress relief, posture, and proprioception.
- Cultural connection — If you’re from a Japanese, Korean, or Chinese background and want to continue training in a specific lineage, the federation-affiliated schools (IOGKF for Okinawan karate, Wing Chun Federation for Wing Chun) are the most reliable for maintaining the cultural and technical continuity of your home-country practice.
What to Expect in Your First Class#
Most dojos will ask you to arrive 10–15 minutes early for a first session. You’ll typically be paired with an existing student who will guide you through warm-up and basic movements. Don’t worry about not knowing anything — the first session is observation and orientation more than serious training. Come in sports clothes; a gi (training uniform) is usually not required until after you’ve decided to continue.
Gear and Gi#
- Gi (uniform): A white cotton karate or judo gi costs ₪150–₪300 new. Your school may have second-hand options. For Muay Thai you only need shorts and hand wraps to start (₪80–₪150 combined).
- Gloves: Muay Thai and kickboxing gyms require boxing gloves (₪150–₪400). Most will have rental gloves for your first few sessions.
- Hand wraps: Required for any striking art. ₪30–₪60 per pair.
- Weapons: Kung fu and karate schools that include weapons will generally advise when and where to acquire your first weapon — don’t buy ahead.
Prices#
Training costs vary widely. Expect:
- Monthly membership: ₪250–₪600 per month depending on frequency and school
- Drop-in class: ₪80–₪150 per session
- Private lesson: ₪200–₪400 per hour
Many schools offer trial classes at no cost or reduced price — worth asking directly via phone or WhatsApp before committing.
The Full Directory#
This guide covers the main options; our Asian businesses directory lists all martial arts schools in Israel, searchable by city and discipline.
Looking for other Asian activities? See the Asian wellness and massage guide or the Asian restaurants guide.
