What is Modern KAPAP?

In 2001, I brought the historical term "KAPAP" which had gone out of usage when I registered it as a worldwide organization for teaching combatives and the way of the warrior "budo." Since then, I have been traveling nonstop to teach military units, police, and civilian courses. I am proud to see KAPAP to where it is today; as a leading system respected throughout the world.

In terms of both spirit and self defense techniques, KAPAP is the progressive evolution of techniques and methods from many systems. While we borrow ideas from many systems, we never forget to give credit to the source – whether it be principles and techniques drawn from and systems such as Karate, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kali, Escrima, Thai Box, Kendo and any system we have the honor of learning from.

 

 

What's the deal with Krav Maga?

In Israel there are various Krav Maga organizations. The only connection between these groups and the Krav Maga taught in the Army is that some have served in the IDF as Krav Maga instructors.

Some Krav Maga organizations are franchises held by civilians. No one organization is better or more legitimate than any other. The Krav Maga in the army is different than that taught to Police which is called Hagana.

Many units create different hand to hand programs based on the Commander and the instructor at the time. When they retired to civilian life sometimes these people named their Krav Maga or hand to hand program a different title, and they developed an organization and logo to differentiate themselves.

Any civilian organization that claims to be the “official system of the Israeli Army” is misleading. In the Israeli Army we do not have Cardio-Krav Maga and we definitely do not have children’s programs in the Army.

These organizations have the right to create children’s programs but no one organization is more official than the others.

In Israel every citizen is required to serve in the Army. A lot of Israeli martial artists who serve as hand to hand trainers in the Army also teach civilian arts such as karate, jiu jitsu and judo. Sometimes they create their own Israeli Martial Art programs.

 

 

What is the difference between MMA and KAPAP?

Worldwide, people who experienced different movements of martial arts (MMA) will arrive at somewhat the same conclusion regarding human movement in martial arts, and find themselves practicing an eclectic system. I chose to associate with the term ‘eclectic system’ rather than MMA because MMA today is more concerned with training for competition in a ring. For example, MMA practitioners do not deal with weapons and self defense against street style attacks.IN KAPAP sport training is still one facet, but it is not the central agenda as in the current practice of MMA. We focus on Self Defense – involving both empty hand, and use of weapons