We’ve got style: A little history of Israeli Combatives

We’ve got style: A little history of Israeli Combatives
Most people don’t realize that while Krav Maga has only recently become popular, a systematic Jewish
form of defense began in the 1880s in response to Arab/Turk violence against Jewish immigration.
Besides the biblical references to the Jewish people fighting for their lives and self-defense, here’s some
more modern history.
1903: Maccabee Union taught physical fitness, stick and rifle training.
1907: HaShomer (“The Guard”) used hand-to-hand self-defense to defend Jewish settlements.
1919: Haganah (Defense) civilian militia formed to protect the Jewish community. Hand-to-hand training
and combat tactics, resulting in Kapap ק”פ פא – krav panim el panim (face to face fighting).
1941: First Kapap instructor course (Haganah). Separate disciplines: boxing, wrestling, jiujitsu, stick
fighting, knife fighting, and firearms/gun disarm. Focus on physical conditioning, stone throwing,
Bayonet, wilderness survival, explosives, etc. The Palmach went underground to become elite standing
military fighting force for the Haganah.
1942: Imi LIchtenfeld moved to Israel and became Palmach Kapap instructor.
1947: UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181 – 2-state Partition Plan for Palestine.
1948: Israel became a State, Arab states invade. IDF – Israeli Defense Forces or Tzava Haganah Le’Yisrael
(Zahal) created, incorporating 3 underground paramilitary operations: Irgun, Lehi, and Haganah/Palmach
with Moshe Zohar as Chief Instructor of physical training and Imi Lichtenfeld as one of 11 Kapap
instructors.
1949: physical training service became IDF branch and term Krav Maga קבר מ ג)ע ) was used.
1949-1958: The terms Kapap, Krav Maga and Judo Shimushi (practical Judo) were interchangeable.
1953: committee formed to slim down Krav Maga system to 35 main techniques. Imi Lichtenfeld was on
the committee.
1958: Imi became Chief Instructor of IDF Krav Maga branch.
1960: Dennis Hanover emigrated to Israel from South Africa. He was a specialist in several traditional
martial arts including Judo, Jiujitsu, and Kyukoshinkai Karate. He developed Hisardut (Survival) as a
blended system applying them to real-life threats and challenges.
1963: Imi opened first civilian Krav Maga club in Netanya. By mid 1960s: term Kapap no longer used.
1972: Haviv Galisko and his son Moshe opened the first Kapap and Karate Training Club. This was to be
referred to as modern Kapap. Moshe Galisko is currently the President of IKA.
Kapap, Krav Maga, Hisardut, Lotar, Haganah/FIGHT, Kalah, Kavanah, etc are all Israeli styles. Each style
has at least one association (usually several).
FIMA’s mission is to be the non-political, umbrella that supports ALL Israeli styles and allows us to have
positive communication and networking so that we may all learn, benefit and grow. FIMA sets the gold
standard for high quality Israeli MA instruction. Please note, there are many excellent organizations
around and some bad organizations. It is hard for the public to know which is good and which is bad. We
are that factor that only affiliates with the authentic, honest, high-quality training.