THE SCENE : The Israeli Self-Defense Force

Twice a week at the University of Judaism in Bel-Air, about 30 people--Jew and gentile, black and white, male and female--meet to . . . beat each other up.

Fortunately, they are all well-upholstered: This is a class in krav maga , the official self-defense technique of the Israeli Defense Forces. The students aren’t here to learn any flashy moves ( krav maga is anything but stylish) or to practice for a contest (it has no competitions). They are learning how to survive an assault on the street using no-frills methods that include punching, gouging, kicking--anything that works.

This is serious business, and if you don’t believe it, talk to Marnie Levine, 24, a second-degree black belt in krav maga . The highest-ranking female instructor in the United States, she has devoted 10 years to the martial art. It’s become a way of life; she even married the man who first taught her the sport, Darren Levine, the highest-ranking U.S. instructor and the person who introduced it to Southern California.

Levine, who now teaches P.E. and krav maga at a private Jewish school in Northridge, hopes to give her students what she got from the martial art: self-confidence and security--not to mention a kick that could knock the kreplach out of anybody.

Since she began teaching eight years ago, Levine has instructed thousands of students. Classes are sweaty, noisy affairs, with students pairing off to exchange blows with grunts right out of a Springsteen song (“ Hunh !”).

“ Krav maga is for everyone,” says Levine, who especially enjoys teaching women. “I love showing them that they can do it, can give punches and kicks. They walk out feeling so good, they become more aggressive.”