Real Self-Defense for Adults 65+
A class built for people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who aren't done yet.
Small classes · taught by a 4th-Dan karate instructor · 600+ adults trained since 2012
Balance and strength fade quietly — then all at once. The best time to rebuild them was last year. The next best time is your first free class.
A class made for you — not a class for 25-year-olds with the hard parts removed
Most "senior fitness" classes don't teach you anything you'd actually use. Silver Krav Maga does. It's real self-defense, at a pace that respects your body.
If you've thought "I'm too old to start," that's the exact assumption this program is built to disprove. Our Silver students begin as beginners. They have knees, backs, and histories. We start where you are and build from there — slowly, deliberately, and with real results.
- ✓Adults 65+ who want to stay strong, balanced, and independent
- ✓People who've never trained a day in their life
- ✓Anyone returning to movement after an injury, surgery, or a long break
- ✓Adults who want real defense skills — not a performance, not a workout trend
- ✓Anyone who's watched a friend or spouse have a fall and thought, "I don't want that to be me"
Strength, balance, and defense you can actually use
Stay on your feet
Leg strength, balance under load, and how to get back up off the ground if you do go down. This is where fall prevention actually comes from.
Keep your muscle
Muscle and bone are use-it-or-lose-it. We train at an intensity that builds capability without risking injury — informed by current longevity research (Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon).
Practical self-defense
Breaking free from a grab, dealing with being grabbed or pushed, and using leverage instead of raw strength. Real techniques, drilled at your pace.
Avoid the trouble
Reading a situation, de-escalation, and the simple habits that keep most problems from ever starting. The best defense is the one you never have to use.
CDC — Older Adult Falls
"Each year, 1 in 4 Americans aged 65 and older falls." Balance, strength, and reaction are trainable — and that's a core focus of Silver Krav Maga.
cdc.gov/fallsHigher-touch, on purpose
Silver Krav Maga isn't a class you slip into the back of. It's built around you from the first phone call.
- ✓A conversation before your first class — health, history, anything you're worried about
- ✓Modifications built in, not bolted on — including cane, walker, and chair-assisted variations
- ✓Small groups, so you're coached directly and never lost in a crowd
- ✓You train with peers your own age, not a room of 25-year-olds
- ✓Welcomed at the door, introduced to people, and given time after class to talk
- ✓Taught by founder Gonçalo Esteves — 4th Dan in Shotokai karate, teaching Krav Maga since 1997. Not a certified "senior-fitness" specialist — but with years of hands-on experience training people in their 60s, 70s, and beyond.
"Great place to train as a Silver student working to get back into shape. Goncalo welcomes questions and answers with practical demos and applications."
— Peter Dimitrov-Kuhl, Silver student (Google review)
"Goncalo is a pleasure to work with for young and old. I'm in the over-60 crowd and he nailed it each workout."
— John Storey (Google review)
What it actually looks like
Two of our students, on camera — real people in their 60s and 70s, not actors or stock footage.
Support that follows you home
Strength and balance are built between classes too. Every Silver member gets practical take-home guidance — not a pile of homework, just the few things that matter.
- ✓A free safety & capability assessment before you commit — we talk through your health and goals first
- ✓A simple daily-movement routine you can do at home for balance and strength
- ✓A fall-recovery guide — how to get back up safely if you do go down
- ✓Straightforward nutrition guidance for keeping muscle and bone as you age
Silver Krav Maga — Common Questions
- Am I too old to start Krav Maga?
- No. Silver Krav Maga was built for adults 65 and older — it is not a regular class with the difficult parts removed. Our students are in their 60s and 70s, and they start as beginners. The whole point is to begin where you are, not where a 25-year-old is.
- What if I have knee, back, or heart issues?
- That's common, and it's exactly why every Silver student has a conversation about their health before the first class. We build in modifications and keep the intensity where it should be for you. If something doesn't feel right, we change it. Nothing in this program requires you to risk an injury.
- Is this real self-defense or just light exercise for older people?
- Real self-defense. You learn to break free from a grab, deal with being pushed or grabbed from behind, and — importantly — how to get back up off the ground. It also builds balance, leg strength, and body awareness, which is where fall prevention comes from. It is not chair exercise.
- Will I be the only older person in the room?
- No. Silver Krav Maga is age-specific, so you train with peers — other adults in their 60s, 70s, and beyond. You won't be the oldest person trying to keep up with a room of 25-year-olds.
- How much does Silver Krav Maga cost?
- The 6-Week Silver Krav Maga Challenge is $799, paid in full — one predictable price, no surprise add-ons. Your first class is free, and we talk through the program and any health questions before you commit. Call us at 908-913-7681 and we'll walk you through it.
- Do I need to be fit before I start?
- No. You get fitter as a result of training — you don't need to be fit to begin. What you need is to show up. We meet you at your starting point and build from there.