It was derived from street - fighting skills developed by Imi Lichtenfeld as a means of defending the Jewish quarter against fascist Nazis in the mid-to - late 1930s .
Imi Lichtenfeld made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler .
It was derived from street - fighting skills developed by Imi Lichtenfeld , who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler , as a means of defending the Jewish quarter against fascist Nazis in the mid-to - late 1930s .