John Whitman is an American novelist and martial arts instructor. He is a 5th-degree black belt and defensive tactics instructor in Krav Maga, and has trained in protective services and defensive tactics in both the United States and in Israel. Whitman teaches civilian, military, and law enforcement personnel, and has served as an instructor for elite military units in the United States and abroad. He is the founder of the Krav Maga Alliance, an international organization of Krav Maga schools, and served as president of Krav Maga Worldwide for 7 years. Whitman attended the University of California, Berkeley, from 1985–1989 and received a B.A. in Literature; he attended Boston University from 1990–1991 and received an M.A. in Creative Writing. He has also served as the Executive Editor of Time Warner Audio books. He has written many books, and written for projects such as Zorro (e.g. Witch's Curse) and the Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear series. His most recent books include four novels based on the television series 24, published by HarperCollins. He is also the co-author of the books Complete Krav Maga and Krav Maga for Beginners published by Ulysses Press.