Krav Maga Instructor Team
Israeli Krav Maga Medford
Krav Maga Yashir Boston Instructors
Head Instructor - Gershon Ben Keren
Head Instructor, Gershon Ben Keren, first started training, Krav Maga, in Israel in 1993, and went on to become an instructor with the IKMF (International Krav Maga Federation), under Eyal Yanilov. Since then, he has trained with Dennis, Yaron and Guy Hanover, along with Miki Assulin, and Haim Gidon etc., making numerous trips back to Israel – sometimes taking students from his school – to study and train. Krav Maga is an evolving approach, and new solutions are being created to better deal with existing types of violence as well as new kinds. He has written three Amazon best-selling books on Krav Maga (Tuttle Publishing).
Gershon is currently a 5th Degree Black Belt earning it in 2017. He has authored three best-selling books on Krav Maga, and in 2010 was inducted into the Museum of Israeli Martial Arts in Herzliya, Israel.
He has two master’s degrees, one in Psychology (Newcastle University), and another in Criminology (University of Essex). He takes and evidential and research-based approach to dealing with violence, looking at how and where violent incidents take place rather than simply basing solutions on his own experiences. He continues to keep his education up to date through professional certifications e.g., Conflict Resolution (Cornell University), as well as by taking CEs through the APA (American Psychological Association) etc.
He has worked in the security industry since 1990, with his first jobs involving pub and nightclub security. His career has included work in Close Protection, Loss Prevention, as well as Security Training and Consultancy, which he has conducted internationally.
Meet Our Team
Liz Berrien
Liz first began training Krav Maga in 2009 when she joined Gershon Ben Keren's school in Medford, MA. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and Functional Training Specialist certified by ACE®. She is also a Certified Strongman Instructor having completed instructor certifications with CrossFit and World’s Strongest Man, Svend Karlsen (Global Strongman Gym). She is a Certified Instructor with TRX®. Liz is a Green Level Coach with USA Boxing, and has an active shooter response instructor certificate with ALICE.
Nick Zagami
Nick Zagami has been working in law enforcement experience since 2016. This includes time at county-level corrections and municipal policing. He is a MPTC certified firearms instructor and a member of his regional response team. As a law enforcement officer, Nick has undergone specialty training in Crisis Intervention, the Law of Self Defense, along with ALERRT's Active Attack Integrated Response (AAIR). Nick started training in Krav Maga in 2011, with Gershon, at the Medford location.
Justin Brown
Justin has been an active member at Krav Maga Yashir since 2017. He also has previous experience in both Aikido and Taekwond. He is a Certified Group Fitness Instructor (ACE®). He's a certified EMT, medical volunteer with the MA Metro East Medical Reserve Corp, and a STOP THE BLEED® Instructor. Justin has over 15 years of firearms experience and holds an instructor certification with ALERRT’s Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE).