ISRAELI MARTIAL ART STYLES – MODERN KAPAP

Kapap - first CQB training and combat doctrine introduced in Israeli history, made up of a combination of several fighting styles such as boxing, judo, jujitsu, combat with knife, gun and rifle. The emphasis is put on fighting empty handed against each of these weapons, and weapon against weapon. Kapap is suitable for all fighting fields and enables the warrior to overcome any kind of fighting and prepares him to almost any possible situation. Kapap slowly evolved into Krav Maga. Mid 1960s, the term Kapap mostly disappeared from common usage. Kapap is not a sport nor is it competitive; it is also not a martial art but a great mean of self-defense. The Kapap warrior is a fast, precise and lethal fighting machine. Kapap is made suitable to different levels of the learners: children, teenagers, adults, policemen, soldiers, security and armed forces personnel and bodyguards.

A Kapap person is prepared for any situation against any kind of weapon. He will know how to defend himself and his surroundings against any form of attack which puts him or his environment in danger. He will be able to operate, shall the need arise, with excellent skills, different kinds of weapons and firearms. A Kapap warrior knows he will never compete, never receive a medal or trophy when he overcomes an opponent. However, he will gain his life which is the true reward.

Strategies and techniques for disarming along with proper use of weapons, infiltration and sabotage tactics are incorporated. In 1999 Kapap started being taught in an organized manner. Many martial arts lost their fighting effectiveness and became soft in order to meet the needs of sports competitions. Kapap came back in light of the terrible security situation and street crime which created the need for real self-defense techniques.

Former Haganah and IDF instructor Haviv Galisko started teaching modern Kapap in Israel in 1999. The late Haviv Galisko was born and raised in Jerusalem. Haviv was a member of the Hagana one of the "defenders" and road openers of the city of Jerusalem. A soldier in the Moriah regiment, he fought and was wounded twice during the "Kattamon" and the "St. Simon" monastery battles. Haviv was one of the first Kapap instructors in the "Hagana". He learned the secrets of the art of defense from a British sergeant as well as from his brother Moshe who served as a brigade soldier who fought in Greece, Italy and Libya and died during the inroad to Jerusalem. Haviv Galisko became a Kapap trainer for the Hagana and then for the IDF after Israel became a state. After being wounded, Haviv went on training Kapap at the the YMCA in Jerusalem. He then moved to Be'er Sheva where he continued to teach his firstborn Moshe-Hai Galisko. In 1972, he helped his son Moshe open the first Kapap and Karate Training Club. From 1979 to 1981, Moshe taught Kapap in the city of Yamit in the Gaza Strip. From 1987 until the day he passed away (2005), Haviv helped his son run the Center for Martial Arts in Isael and begin to establish a presence for Kapap around the world. Today GM Moshe Galisko is the President of the International Kapap Association and the FIMA International Director for Kapap.

Kapap instructors in Israel today train Israel Defense Forces, in addition to specialized armed forces units such as the Yamam and Shabak as well as various elite units. Today Kapap is taught in over 32 countries and enjoys a wide following -> https://thefima.com