Self – Defense art 'easy to learn'

BY MICHAEL MILLER OF THE JOURNAL STAR

Krav maga techniques for Israeli soldiers meet 'practical need', teacher says

Peoria – Moshe Katz said he has never had to use the Israeli self-defense art of krav maga in the 20 years he has practiced it, but he's glad he knows it.

"The confidence one gets from the training has gotten me out of a few sticky situations," said the Cleveland-born Israeli.

Katz will conduct a workshop on the technique at 7 p.m. Monday at the Clubs at River City, 8615 N. University.

Krav maga, Katz said, is "a combination of various martial arts that were developed in Israel as a practical need for defending soldiers in hand-to-hand combat."

In fact, the Hebrew term means, literally, "combat touch."

The basics of the martial art are taught to all Israeli Defense Force soldiers. It originally was brought to what is now Israel during World War ll by Imi Lichtenfeld, a Hungarian-born Jew who developed it as self-defense against anti-Semitic thugs in 1930's Europe.

In the 1940's, Lichtenfeld taught it to underground Jewish troops in British-mandate Palestine. Katz, whose Mountain Spirit Warrior School of Martial Arts and Self-defense is in Israel, has trained Israeli and U.S. civilians and military.

In the 1940's, Lichtenfeld taught it to underground Jewish troops in British-mandate Palestine. Katz, whose Mountain Spirit Warrior School of Martial Arts and Self-defense is in Israel, has trained Israeli and U.S. civilians and military.

Krav maga doesn't require strength or contain a spiritual element, he said.

"It's very practical, and it's geared toward immediate use," he said.

"You don't have to go to the gym for five hours and develop a tremendous body to do this. It's based on knowledge of the body and , most importantly, on the right mind-set, on the right attitude."

The advantage of krav maga is that it comprises effective techniques that are 'easy to learn, easy to apply in many situations and easy to remember," Katz said.

"People should expect to participate actively" in the work-shop, he said. "There's no pain involved. It's simple techniques. I also find people are surprised. They come thinking they won't be able to do very much. They find they can do a lot more than expected.

"I hope you'll be impressed not by me but by what you can do when you walk out, and also have a greater appreciation for what life is like in Israel for the average citizen who has to deal with terrorism on a daily basis."

For more information on the workshop, call the Jewish Federation of Peoria at 689-0063