Move over, Demi Moore. There’s a new G.I. Jane in town – Israeli style.

Nathalie Levy-Koffler served in an elite unit of the Israeli Army, where she rose through the ranks – not to mention some male chauvinism – to become an instructor in Krav Maga, or contact combat.

She was first in her class of 30, the other 29 being males who had transferred from various elite Israeli Army units.

Levy-Koffler, 31, now teaches this form of self-defense – with a twist – at Crunch Gym on 2nd Avenue. She’s incorporated the techniques she learned in the military along with her background as a fitness instructor to develop an aerobic workout – known as Israeli Boot Camp – that will have your lungs burning while you learn how to break a would-be attacker’s nose, which she did several years ago.

”One of the guys I took the [Krav Maga] course with decided to try and surprise [attack] me one morning after a run on the beach,” Levy-Koffler told The Post Thursday after this reporter struggled through her debut class.

”It was part of the training. You were supposed to try and attack one another by surprise. You’re actually fighting. He came at me and I hit him with an elbow and broke his nose. He was the nicest guy in the class, too.”

Small consolation, but it gives you an idea of just how effective Krav Maga can be. It was developed more than a decade ago in Israel to help troops handle close-quarter, one-on-one conflicts with attackers using rocks and sticks, if not knives and guns.

”It’s street fighting,” Levy-Koffler said of Krav Maga.

Levy-Koffler’s class is one example of the many types of cutting-edge health and fitness options available in the city. Although most gyms and health clubs will always have their share of treadmills, elliptical trainers and weights, the redundancy of those workouts have many looking for fitness alternatives.

In the coming weeks, The Post will look into what’s hot in the metropolitan area in health and fitness. Gyms such as the Equinox, where Levy-Koffler formerly worked, and New York Sports Clubs, which offer aerobic/dance classes, offer the health conscious New Yorker challenging and unique alternatives.

”One of our goals is to offer our members a vicarious experience in addition to staying fit,” said Lisa Hufcut, director of group fitness for NYSC. ”Someone might always have wanted to take a dance class but might have felt a little intimidated to walk into a dance studio. We give them a chance to experience dance in an aerobic workout.”

For a few minutes during Levy-Koffler’s class, you can imagine yourself delivering a vicious groin kick to an attacker. Yet despite the fact that Levy-Koffler saw her share of military action, she begins each class with a firm directive of avoiding a self-sustained injury by using the wrong form or letting fatigue become a detriment.

Levy-Koffler emphasizes quick water breaks and encourages questions. She fields the first query from a woman who wants to know if the class is suitable for beginners. It is, and like a martial arts instructor, Levy-Koffler critiques each person in the class individually, providing encouragement and offering tips on form.

The class, comprised of about 20 women and two men – one who is Levy-Koffler’s brother and looks as if he could be his sister’s sparing partner – and the other this 39-year-old scribe, who’s had two reconstructive knee surgeries and never took an aerobics class in his life. As far as I’m concerned, sitting should be an Olympic sport.

The class started out simply enough with some routine stretching. But then Levy-Koffler has you working on a 1-2 punch combo. Then kicks – forward and sideways – are added. In between the sets of punches (the elbows should never lock) and kicks (the power is generated from the hips and buttocks, not the legs) are 30-second intervals of squats, pushups and crunches. Thank God for the water breaks.

”I thought it was an excellent class,” said Gloria Rosario of Queens, a fitness instructor who has taken her share of kickboxing classes.

”She did a very thorough job of explaining the moves and the proper way of executing them. I’ve taken classes where you feel it in your knees, but not this one. It was challenging and I could see if someone does it continuously learning how to defend themselves.” *The fitness page will appear on a regular basis. Those who have a suggestion can contact Lenn Robbins at The Post or e-mail him at LennRobb@aol.com