About Champions Krav Maga Academy
Champions Krav Maga Academy is a values-led self-defence and martial arts academy in Holland Park, and the Krav Maga academy Brisbane Southside families trust.
We help everyday people build practical self-defence skills, real confidence, and lasting capability through structured coaching in a safe, welcoming environment.
You do not need experience, fitness, or confidence before you start. You just need a reason to show up.
Max McGregor
Founder and Chief Instructor, Champions Krav Maga Academy
Max joined the Army at 17. He was overweight, lacked confidence, and wanted to become someone he could actually be proud of. He wanted proof that he could do hard things and follow through on them.
People doubted he would last. Some days, he doubted it himself. But that thought became the thing that kept him going. Every time he wanted to quit, he thought about being right back where he started, and he refused to let that happen. He had to prove to himself that nothing was going to stop him.
He made it through. The Army gave him structure, discipline, and a version of himself he had not felt before. But he did not do it alone. Every person he served alongside played a part in shaping who he became. The mateship, the way people looked out for each other and pushed each other through the hard days, taught him just as much as any of the training did.
While he was still serving, he tried a few different martial arts styles, looking for something that fit. Nothing quite landed until he found adult Krav Maga, right before he left the Army. It was simple, direct, and designed for real life situations, not sport or tradition.
But it was not until he actually discharged that he realised the structure, the purpose, the identity, all of it was gone overnight. He did not know where he fit anymore, and some days he did not know who he was without it. Krav Maga was the thing that brought that feeling back. A room where everyone had each other’s back, where training brought out the best in him instead of just wearing him down. That sense of community mattered more than he expected.
His path took him to Israel, where he earned his Black Belt. It was not quick or easy. To get there he had to fight back from knee surgery after tearing his ACL. He was working shift work at the time, training around early mornings, late nights, and whatever hours he could find. There were stretches where nothing felt like it was improving, and he would wonder if he was wasting his time. He kept showing up anyway.
Before opening CKMA, Max spent years as a frontline Transit Officer and Operational Skills and Tactics Instructor, learning firsthand how to handle conflict and pressure in real situations.
Through all of it, his instructor Dr Gavriel Schneider, the head of Gendai Ryu Krav Maga and Jiu-Jitsu, was the one who kept him focused. Gav guided him, mentored him, and helped him see what he was actually capable of under pressure and who he could become. That guidance still shapes how Max trains and coaches today.
That struggle, and everything he picked up along the way, is what built Champions Krav Maga Academy. He built it on the discipline he found in the Army, the mateship that carried him through, the practical edge from frontline work, and the lessons that came from struggling his way to a Black Belt. He created it for people who feel exactly like he did. Unsure. A little lost. Carrying more than they let on.
That is the mission CKMA exists for. Practical, high-quality self-defence and martial arts training, delivered through structured coaching and backed by a community that has your back, so everyday people can build real confidence, capability and resilience without ego, intimidation or false promises.
Our vision
Start Today. Be Part of Something Bigger
The mission of Champions Krav Maga Academy
Here is what we mean by training without ego, intimidation, or false promises.
Without ego
Without ego means CKMA is not driven by arrogance, showing off, or people trying to prove how tough they are. It means our culture is respectful, coachable, and focused on growth.
Without intimidation
Without intimidation means people are not made to feel small, unwelcome, pressured, or unsafe. It reassures beginners, women, parents, and anyone who may feel nervous about starting.
Without false promises
Without false promises means we are honest about what training does. We do not sell fantasy, shortcuts, or empty hype. We promise real coaching, real effort, and real progress.
The four values behind everything we coach
These are not words on a wall. They shape how we coach, how we lead, and the standard every student can expect.
Service
High-quality coaching and genuine support in every session.
Growth
A culture of continuous improvement, where every session makes you 1% better, on the mats and in life.
Community
A community that has your back, because we’re stronger when we grow together.
Safety
An inclusive environment with clear standards and structure, where we train hard, but do it safely and respectfully.
See these values for yourself
Our Krav Maga Affiliation
CKMA is affiliated with Gendai Ryu Krav Maga and Jiu-Jitsu under Dr Gavriel Schneider, a respected authority in Krav Maga and real-world self-defence instruction.
Max holds his Senior Instructor rank directly through this affiliation. The Gendai Ryu Krav Maga and Jiu-Jitsu curriculum provides CKMA with a structured, proven training system that covers practical self-defence, striking, clinch work, ground defence, and weapons awareness.
This means you are not training in a made-up system. You are training in a credentialled, internationally recognised Krav Maga curriculum delivered by a qualified Senior Instructor.
Why we named it Champions Krav Maga Academy
We chose the name Champions Krav Maga Academy because we believe being a champion is about more than winning. It is about the mindset that creates a champion, and the inner strength, discipline, and character a person builds through challenge, growth, and responsibility.
A champion is someone who backs themselves, shows up, does the work, and keeps moving forward. It is about building strength from the inside out and becoming the kind of person who can push through adversity, protect what matters, and be relied on when it counts.
That is the standard we hold ourselves to at CKMA. And it is what we help every student work toward, regardless of where they start. You do not need to be a champion before you walk in. You just need to be willing to become one.