All Israeli martial arts are comparatively modern. The state of Israel was not formed until 1948 however the Jewish population have always experienced extreme violence, dispute and political turmoil. It is against this back drop that these self defence systems were created.
KRAV MAGA
Krav Maga in Hebrew translates as “contact combat.” It is widely accepted to be the official personal self-defence and hand-to-hand combat system of Israel. It was developed as a programme to teach people effective, offensive, and defensive techniques against unarmed and armed street attack.
The practically based approach of Krav Maga arguably began life prior during the Second World War and before the birth of the state of Israel. Because of the widespread and intense nature of the many conflicts, it was important for the Israeli military and law enforcement agencies to learn an effective and easy hand to hand fighting system. Subsequently Krav Maga became the combat system of choice system for many of those agencies.
The practically based approach of Krav Maga began life in post war Israel at a time of extreme political turmoil and violence. In this context it was important for military and law
enforcement agencies to learn an effective and easy hand to hand fighting system. Subsequently Krav Maga became the combat system of choice system for many of those agencies.
In the 1960’s the art of self defence was refined for the Israeli civilian population and developed to meet their needs, this included ground work which provided strategies to deal with an attacker should the fight end of the street floor.
Krav Maga students are taught to be environmentally aware and use all means at their disposal to defend themselves when attacked. There are no rules, anything goes. The moves are based on natural body movements which enables a student to learn quickly by constant repetition. Speed and reflexes are extremely important.
Israeli martial art Students are able to gauge their progress through a structured coloured belt system however Krav Maga classes are generally organised in “levels.” Beginner level classes focus on basic and simple techniques. As the students progress they may attend intermediate or instructor level classes. The final “advanced level” is reserved for the military or law enforcement agencies.
KAPAP / LOTAR
In Hebrew, Kapap (krav panin l'panim) translates to face to face or close quarter combat. It was an over arching term used to describe many fighting strategies employed by the Israeli military and Special Forces. Originally designed for use on the battlefield it involved the use of many types of weapons and combat tactics.
Today Kapap is taught as a simple, practical, aggressive and immediate response based Israeli martial art system.
Lotar is the Hebrew acronym for counter terrorism combat. It includes the full range of fighting techniques used in close up combat from unarmed defence, through to the use of knives and firearms, and ultimately infiltration and sabotage training.
