Krav maga lesson offers defense and history

Nadav Weinberg, former combat soldier in the Israel Defense Force offered a presentation on the martial art of Krav Maga in the AMR I MPR room Tuesday.

Weinberg's instruction of Krav Maga was featured in the presentation to the 15 participants attending. He noted the prevalence of the martial art in the Israeli Defense force and offered insight into life in the army and in Israel, an important perspective that organizers valued.

"We decided to bring Weinberg to JHU so that we could learn directly from an Israeli about experiences in the Israel Defense Forces and about the ways in which lessons from situations as a soldier in a special forces unit can translate into society," senior Ali Cohen, President of the Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel, wrote in an e-mail to The News-Letter.

Krav Maga is the official martial art practiced in the Israeli Defense Force and is literally defined as hand-to-hand combat. Imrich "Imi" Lichtenfeld, who was a renowned boxer and wrestler, developed the style of combat in Slovakia amidst the oppression of the Nazis in World War II.

In 1936, Germany enacted the Nuremburg Laws and attacks against Jews became ubiquitous. Lichtenfeld and other Jews employed Krav Maga to defend themselves and others against attack.

Lichtenfeld relocated to Israel, and in 1948, when the state of Israel was established, he became the head instructor of Krav Maga for the Israeli Defense Force.

Lichtenfeld states the basic principle of Krav Maga: "Don't get hurt, be humble and conduct yourself properly (with dignity)—reach proficiency so you won't have to take lives.

"It's not the prettiest thing. It's not something that you want to mess around with your friends and do necessarily because it's a vicious martial art; it's how do I take the person [who attacks you] down as fast as possible," Weinberg said.

In order to acquaint the participants at the event to the severity and ferocity of Krav Maga and army training, Weinberg tossed the participants into this fast-paced, vicious game of physical chess; every move one makes to fend off an attack necessitates precision, strategy and foresight.

"It's basically counter-attacking as soon as possible. Our commanders like to teach us that your best defense is offense," Weinberg said. "You target people's pressures points: the genitals, the ears, the mouth, the throat, the nose."

Weinberg demonstrated multiple types of stances, punches and methods of defending oneself from attack.

"[Weinberg was] effective at breaking down the technique. He gave you individual attention in a class of fifteen. It was a lot of fun. It was informative, well-focused, and we got a good work-out at the end, mixing practice and aerobics," junior Alan Chancellor said.

The participants enjoyed the education they gained on self-defense and personal security. Though the most intense forms of Krav Maga are reserved for combat, skills and tactics can be integrated into knowledge of personal safety.

"He made sure to create a supportive environment where people weren't afraid to mess up or to look funny while they're attempting to punch when they haven't before. I feel definitely safe in my own skin now because I'm not about to go out and perform Krav Maga, but it's become a little more ingrained in my system," freshman Sophia Geron-Neubauer said.

In addition to the direction, Weinberg also provided cultural education and perspective on his time in Israel and in the army.

"I thought he was a very good speaker. Krav Maga is the mentality of ‘attack, attack, attack.' It can be misunderstood sometimes, but I think he presented it very well. It's from the person who actually learned it [in the army]; it was a direct line of learning," Geron-Neubauer added.

Weinberg was born in Israel, but moved to the United States and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After attending Case Western University, he decided to return to Israel in November of 2008 to serve in the Israeli Defense Force, following the precedent his father set by serving as an officer. Weinberg served in the Orev Special Forces of the Nachal Brigade, a counter-terrorism unit.

Weinberg attributes a heightened sense of responsibility in Israeli teens in the army to the gravity of the duties that they must perform in the army.

"At 20 years old, I had to command 20 people into battle. We're going to arrest the terrorists tonight; I have to create how we're going to do it. I have to create where everyone is going to be. And then once we're out there, it's my butt on the line. I've got to make sure everybody is safe," Weinberg said. "You lose your innocence; the Israelis lose part of their childhood."

Weinberg emphasized the impact that Krav Maga has on the soldiers and on the mindset of Israelis. The fortitude, both physical and mental, fostered by Krav Maga translates into tenacity and motivation within Israeli teens after they complete their mandatory conscription.

Weinberg ennumerated the many technological, economic and scientific accomplishments of Israelis, citing the practice of Krav Maga as a contributing factor to the successes.

"It's this mentality that Israelis create, this independence, that has led to the booming economy in Israel. It's this determination to never give up and to always work hard that also defines the principles of what Krav Maga is," Weinberg said.

The friendship with one's fellow soldiers was also highlighted in Weinberg's discussion, and he likened this connection to that which one might have within a fraternity or sorority.

"Nadav Weinberg portrays the fraternal connection that Israelis have to one another, which is exemplified by the network they create through their experiences in armed services," Cohen wrote.

"Before he became a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, Nadav was raised in the US and was a member of a fraternity at Case Western University, which makes him relateable to college students."

The event was sponsored by The Coalition of Hopkins Activists for Israel, Israel on Campus Coalition of Greater Washington, American Jewish Committee, Hasbara Fellowships, StandWithUs, JHU Campus Safety and Security, and Hopkins Olympic Tae Kwon Do. Weinberg will also be speaking at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and George Mason University this fall in his tour of speaking to pro-Israel groups on college campuses.