Learn about KAPAP - Israeli Martial Arts

KAPAP is the Hebrew acronym for Face-To-Face-Combat. This Israeli military martial arts is used by a number of Israel's elite military units. While similar to the better known martial arts of Krav Maga, KAPAP practitioners believe that their system is more "hardcore" and less commercialized than Krav Maga.

History of KAPAP

According to the International KAPAP Federation, KAPAP "is the original combat system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self-defense, developed and employed in the 1940's by the "Palmach" forces (Jewish Strike Brigades) in fighting for the independence of the State of Israel. These Palmach units later formed the core of Israel's Special Forces in the State of Israel's newly formed "IDF", or Israel Defense Forces. Today's KAPAP combatives system is headed by Lt. Col. Chaim Pe'er who served in one of Israel's legendary units: Sayeret Matkal, and by Maj. Avi Nardia who spent many years as the hand-to-hand head instructor in Israel's top counter-terrorism unit: YAMAM. Capt. Joe G. joined team in 2009 and is a leading instructor with over 10 years of security work in Israel. The KAPAP combatives system was kept only for the use of Israel's top elite units until the late '90s, when Lt. Col. Chaim Pe'er opened it up to the world together with Maj. Avi Nardia."

References

1. International KAPAP Federation, What is KAPAP?, http://www.kapapfederation.com/about-us.html, Added - 03/06/14