Michael Blitz was born in Queens, grew up in Queens and Syosset, and graduated from Syosset High School. He earned his BA, MA, and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany.
Now Professor Emeritus, Michael was Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York for 35 years and chaired the department for eleven years. In addition, Michael holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Krav Maga—the official self-defense and fighting system of the IDF. Since 2001, he has taught Krav Maga to law enforcement and military personnel, security teams, U.S. Air Marshals, and civilians throughout the U.S. and abroad.
Michael is the author of 18 books to date, including biographies of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jon Stewart, several collections of short stories, and a pair of books about literacy-education in contemporary universities.
Michael and his wife Mozelle met in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, where—unbeknownst to either of them—they’d been living around the corner from each other for over 5 years. They now live in Glen Cove, just a short walk from CTI. Their family includes 4 adult children and their spouses/partners, 3 grandchildren with another on the way in December 2025.