Krav Maga: Israeli security forces urged to study deadly combat system

Jim Kouri for Lawman Review April 02, 2011

Following an incident in the Jordan Valley in which a lone Israeli soldier was attacked by a Palestinian on Friday, members of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) have been ordered to keep their magazines inserted in their weapons at all times.

“When the soldier was attacked by the terrorist, his magazine fell to the ground. As such, he was unable to respond by opening fire,” explained the Deputy Commander of the Jordan Valley territorial brigade, Lt. Col. Shalom Eizner.

As a result of the Jordan Valley and other similar incidents, soldiers serving in the area have been instructed to avoid standing alone in areas where they might get rides to or from the base, and to be aware of any suspicious people coming toward them, according to the IDF.

The territorial brigade also decided to increase teaching soldiers Krav Maga (hand-to-hand combat), an Israel unarmed combat system.

“Ultimately, there was physical contact between terrorist and soldier,” said the Deputy Commander. “If the soldier was more practiced in Krav Maga, we assume he could have overcome the terrorist.”

The attack took place when the soldier was waiting at a bus stop outside of the Tomer community on route 90, and was attacked by a Palestinian. While the soldier waited for the vehicle that would take him to base, the Palestinian came up behind him and began beating the soldier with a rock. The soldier was moderately injured in the head, according to an IDF press statement.

An Israel Police car driving by at the time saw what was happening and shot in the direction of the Palestinian after he tried to attack one of the police officers.

A preliminary investigation found that the man was not a resident of the Jordan Valley and that he’d spent the evening in the village of El Petzl after arriving from the Nablus area.

“This is an isolated incident and we are not aware of any connection to an organization at this point. It’s impossible to foresee this type of incident,” said Lt. Col. Eizner.

“The events in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria region affect the country. There is tension in the air, and it seems that the sole attacker gains motivation to attack,” he said.

COMMANDO KRAV MAGA

Shortly after the Yom Kippur War in the 1970s, the Israeli security forces sought to improve upon its close quarter combat system. It was at this time that Moni Aizik, a member of one of Israel's most elite Commando units, was assigned to evolve the military's existing hand to hand combat system. Moni was sought after because of his extensive martial arts experience and battlefield experience.

In his youth, Moni dominated the Judo and Jiu Jitsu arena winning 7 National titles. After turning 18, Moni served his country as a member of one of Israel's most elite Commando units in the Israeli Defense Force or IDF.

Having fought in the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Moni's unit was decimated and he was one of the few that survived. During his service, Moni quickly learned what would and wouldn't work in real life situations.

In his new assignment after the war, Moni experimented with combative tactics and techniques under the most realistic conditions. Through intensive research and rigorous field testing, Moni extracted the most practical and effective moves that could be utilized even in the most stressful and unpredictable situations. It was at this time that Moni Aizik created Commando Krav Maga.

Commando Krav Maga is considered by many experts to be the most evolved and effective hand-to-hand combat system in the world. Commando Krav Maga is the ultimate reality-based system engineered for the most brutal and vicious street confrontations. With its no-nonsense approach and straightforward practical moves, CKM prepares the combat soldier or police officer for the unexpected with techniques that can be utilized effectively under pressure.

Commando Krav Maga is not a traditional or sport-based martial art. There are no competitions, rules and regulations. Instead, CKM is a reality-based system designed for the primary goal of survival.

One main principle of CKM is that while negotiating for peace, prepare for war. CKM evolved in the hostile environment of the Middle East. So, CKM intrinsically is a mature and pragmatic body of knowledge. Though every CKM practitioner does his best to deescalate the conflict, CKM is not oblivious to the fact that there are many unintelligent people out there who might mistake a desire for peace as weakness.

So, even as CKM tries to negotiate a honorable peace with the aggressor, the CKM practitioner instantly begins to prepare for combat. The CKM starting stance for instance conceals far more than it reveals. If there is going to be any kind of fighting, the opponent will know nothing about what the CKM practitioner knows. This allows CKM to launch the most devastating counter attacks from what looks like an innocuous position.

Special thanks to Moni Aizik for his excellent work on an excellent unarmed fighting system.

Jim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, and he's a columnist for Examiner.com. In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.

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