Author: TSMA Page 161 of 200

David Even thinks every Jew could use krav maga. That’s part of the reason he decided to teach teenagers at Bialik High School in Montreal and Academie Yavne in Côte Saint-Luc, Que., the basics of the self-defence system.

“I’ve travelled a lot in the world, and there’s some places where it’s better not to say you’re Jewish,” he said.

Learning krav maga gave him the confidence in his ability to handle a bad situation, and from the self-defence system, he also learned how to prevent some incidents, he said.

Even was born in Montreal but grew up in Amsterdam where he said there was a lot of antisemitism, “so I was motivated to learn how to defend myself and my family.” That’s the goal of his teaching – to help people learn not only to defend themselves but also the people around them.

He explained that krav maga isn’t exactly a sport since there are no rules. Also, there aren’t any divisions based on weight, since on the street you could find yourself defending against a person of any size, he said.

He began his training in Israel while on an ulpan program when he was living on Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, 30 kilometres south of Haifa. There, he met a Dutch soldier who introduced Even to krav maga.

“Right away I loved it,” he said. “I learned it very fast and I practised a lot.”

He noted that one of the aspects of krav maga is that it’s easy to learn. It’s a matter of learning simple techniques and training yourself to make them instinctive.

“It’s very efficient because it was created so that Jews without any weapons or arms, or any other resources for that matter, could defend themselves and learn the technique quickly,” he said.

Krav maga takes self-defence techniques from martial arts such as jiu jitsu, judo, wrestling and others, and then melds them into an original form of self-defence.

“It’s the best of everything but applied for real-life situations,” Even said, adding that krav maga focuses on preventing injuries. “It’s always better to be prepared and to prevent something from happening than healing it afterwards.”

When Even returned to Amsterdam from Israel, he quickly found a use for his new skills, working as a security guard for a synagogue. He said he was not allowed to discuss times that he used krav maga, but he described Montreal, his home these days, as much more peaceful.

He said he encounters fewer incidents in Montreal in which he needs to use krav magna, which he partially attributed to the fact that he knows krav maga. “People will think twice to rob me or drunk people to push me,” he said, explaining that they can see that he has trained based on his stance.

He started teaching just two years after he began his own training. Since there are no official belts or levels in krav maga, as long as he’s confident that he could defend himself, he’s confident he could teach others to do the same, he said.

Since there aren’t specific levels, when testing his students, he focuses on running, strength and cardio techniques, as well as the ability to concentrate and remain calm in tense situations.

In addition to teaching teenagers, Even runs a small krav maga school for adults. There, he places a greater emphasis on training with weapons, rather than on posture and the non-verbal communication aspects of self-defence.

Ultimately, he said krav maga is perfect for those who want to stay in shape, but also wish to be prepared to use the technique to defend themselves. It’s a great way to get out the stress and anger that might build throughout the day, and you learn efficient techniques, he said.

“Krav maga is real. It’s not only used in the Israel army, but also everywhere in the world in professional organizations,” he said. “If you want to be trained for real-life situations and have the exercise, krav maga would be the best.”

A Dundee teenager used martial arts to fight off a knife-wielding thug.

The 16-year-old boy threw a taekwondo move after being confronted with a four-inch blade.

Today, the Gowrie Park youngster spoke about how he “could have been killed” in the “horrifying” incident.

The incident happened on the football pitch in Menzieshill, behind the Lynch Sports centre.

The boy said: “I walked my girlfriend home to her house from mine and we left at about 9.30pm.

“On the way home I was crossing the football pitch and I heard someone approaching me from behind.

“I turned to look at him and the first thing that caught my eye was his clothes — he was completely covered and was wearing a scarf and a tight hood.”

The teenager said he changed course to work out if he was being followed, and realised that he was. He said: “As he got closer to me, he pulled out a knife. It was a flip-up knife and the blade itself was about four inches.

“I had no question in my mind that he was going to stab me and he lunged at me with the knife.

“He was going for about my chest or abdomen and he was ready to use the knife. But I have been to a taekwondo class for five or six years and I am about half way to becoming a black belt. I knocked the knife away with my arm and then I punched him in the face.”

He continued: “If I’d had my earphones I wouldn’t have heard him coming up behind me and he could have stabbed me. I could have been killed.

“I was shouting at him to make him go away and eventually he said ‘I’m sorry about that mate’ and then ran off.”

He said that his quick thinking saved his life, and now police are hunting the culprit. The teenager added: “When I was in bed I just kept thinking that my life wasn’t worth anything to him and I could have died.

“I really think the training is what saved me. It is horrifying that someone came at me with a weapon out of the blue on a route that I take every day, and he was ready to use it.

“If I hadn’t reacted so quickly he could have stabbed me and maybe even killed me.”

A police spokesman said the attacker was described as between 16 and 20 years old, and about 5ft 10in. He was wearing a black waterproof jacket with the cord drawn tight around his head, dark trousers and “scruffy” white trainers.

The spokesman added the assailant ran off across the pitches past the tennis courts in the direction of Spey Drive or Leith Walk towards Menzieshill.

Officers will be carrying out extra patrols in the area.

I am very sad to have received the news about the passing of Henry Smith.  As one of my old time students at NY Aikikai, and now a Shihan in the USAF with his own dojo for many years, he as been a part of my life for a very long time.  Henry was always involved in so many interesting things, and he positively influenced so many people.  I know he has a family that was very dear to him, and many students who will now have to continue on without him. This is never easy, but we must try to remember his spirit, his generosity, and his smile. This will help us all get through this difficult time

While most parents may catch up on work or cheer from the sidelines while their children hones their karate skills, Washington Township dad Matthew York  decided to join in.

Five years later, York and his 11-year-old twin boys Patrick and Zachary are glad he did. All three marked a milestone in their martial arts training, after earning their black belts together at Champions Martial Arts’ Black Belt Extravaganza last month.

“Karate is something I did when I was a kid, but I never got the chance to finish and get my black belt. When I got [Zachary and Patrick] into this, I saw Champions had kids in one room and an adult class going on in the other room,” York said. “I figured since I’m going to be there anyway, it made perfect sense for me to get in there, work out and finish up a goal I’ve always want to accomplish.”

Looking back on the changes he’s seen in himself and his sons — he’s down 35 pounds, and with the boost to their self confidence, his sons no longer worry about bullies — York’s amazed at the impact karate had not just in their physical health, but emotional as well.

“It’s something that we can share together. It was a really nice journey to our black belts,” said York, who also now teaches classes at Champions. “It’s something that very few people actually finish up and do. It takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to achieve.”

Sensei Nick Dougherty, head instructor at Champions, said that only five students in the 12-year history of Champions have earned an adult black belt, and he couldn’t be more impressed with the time and hard work the Yorks have poured into their training.

“When you go through a black belt test, you want to quit. You’re doing so many different push ups, going through training sessions, sweating, getting injured, but working with a family, they’re push each other. The support is there and everyone goes through it together,” Sensei Nick said. “The Yorks have never given any type of excuse. Quitting was never an option for them.”

They aren’t the first family to come through his doors to learn karate together, but it’s becoming less and less common as time and financial restraints weigh on families. It’s a shame, the sensei said, since there are so many benefits to working together as a family.

“It’s more of an individual sport, but when you go through it with family, you’re always working toward the same goals,” he said. “It’s an amazing accomplishment.

While the twins are technically junior black belts now, they’ll now move up and join their dad in the adult black belt class. They’ll be eligible to test again for their first-degree black belt in two years, and York will be able to test for a second-degree black belt in three years.

It helped they had each other to push and keep going, York said, adding he would run them through drills of their techniques at home in their “mini dojo” in the basement, and in return they’d drill him just as hard.

“It’s been a fun trip. I’ve been helping them, but they’ve also been helping me as well,” York said. “It was one of the proudest days of my life, getting my black belt with my kids.”