Swarthmore College

February 22, 2007

Krav Maga Master Teaches Martial Arts Skills

BY ROSARIO PAZ

Last Monday night in the LPAC Lobby, Moshe Katz, an Israeli-American, certified Krav Maga instructor with a fourth-degree black belt, taught a class using the same self-defense techniques he uses to train Israeli special forces and police officers in Jerusalem. The event was hosted by Swarthmore Organization for Israel, the Ladies Soiree Society, the Feminist Majority and the Womens’ Resource Center.

According to WRC board member Kristin Caspar ’09, the event was held “mostly as a means of learning simple and easy tactics of defending yourself in the everyday context.” The key concepts for the Krav Maga class, which taught an art of self-defense that integrates various martial arts techniques, were simplicity and effectiveness.

“These are techniques that you use when your life is threatened,” Aaron Brecher ’10, a SOFI member and participant in the Krav Maga class, said. “Ideally, it stays with you when you’re dead tired and when you’re not focused. You don’t need special footwear. You don’t need special clothing. It’s supposed to be simple and you’re supposed to be able to learn it quickly.”

The class was a demonstration of a range of practical techniques to be used in various predicaments. These included grappling techniques, ground techniques and defense against knife-wielding attackers.

““He described the history and the culture behind Krav Maga,” Brecher said. “The rest of the time, he went straight into techniques and different situations. We split off into pairs. He would demonstrate the technique with a volunteer, and we would all get up and practice.” split off into pairs. He would demonstrate the technique with a volunteer, and we would all get up and practice.”

According to Brecher, part of the motivation for SOFI to sponsor the event was not only to present a workshop that is Israel-related, but also to “[respond] to the incidents in Parrish last semester.”

“I feel safe on campus,” he said. “At the same time … there were issues in Parrish last semester. I think that it’s good that we were able to bring someone in to help address that issue at least from one specific perspective,” Brecher said.

According to Caspar, the class served as preparation for potential dangers students may face on campus, for the post-college lifestyle and for unfamiliar situations that students could encounter while studying abroad or traveling.

“I think that self-defense is always a valuable skill, to an extent,” Brecher said. “Sometimes in life, you don’t have a choice. Bad things happen and it’s a good thing to know how to respond to them in different ways,” he said.

“I think it’s a good idea to have these skills whenever someone feels threatened,” Alicia Lemke ’09, a WRC Board member, said. “The workshop, in that regard, was a very positive thing,” she said.

Though Katz focuses on the implementation of Krav Maga techniques, he has extensive training and practice in various other well-known martial arts, including boxing, jujitsu and karate.

In reality, the nature of Krav Maga is to incorporate the most effective techniques from other martial arts styles into a formidable strategy for self-defense. According to Brecher, Krav Maga differentiates itself from other styles because it prioritizes practicality over aestheticism.

Katz’s visit to the college campus is one of the several stops he is making on his college tour throughout the country to impart the knowledge obtained throughout his years of martial arts training and combat experience. The list of schools he has visited includes Harvard University, MIT, Columbia University, and Georgia Tech.

In addition to serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Moshe has taught Krav Maga through a government program for the Israeli school system and has received various awards from the Jerusalem municipality and police department.

Some of the co-sponsors for the Krav Maga class are now in the discussion and planning stages of an attempt to incorporate a similar self-defense class as an option for a physical education class on campus.

“We wanted to see how many people showed up to this event [and] are petitioning to start a martial arts/self-defense class as a PE class,” Caspar said. “This might be the start of a new PE class.”

Katz’s visit to the college campus is one of the several stops he is making on his college tour throughout the country to impart the knowledge obtained throughout his years of martial arts training and combat experience. The list of schools he has visited includes Harvard University, MIT, Columbia University, and Georgia Tech. In addition to serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Moshe has taught Krav Maga through a government program for the Israeli school system and has received various awards from the Jerusalem municipality and police department. Some of the co-sponsors for the Krav Maga class are now in the discussion and planning stages of an attempt to incorporate a similar self-defense class as an option for a physical education class on campus. “We wanted to see how many people showed up to this event [and] are petitioning to start a martial arts/self-defense class as a PE class,” Caspar said. “This might be the start of a new PE class.”