Kapap
Encyclopedia
Kapap short for Krav Panim el Panim, translated as "face to face combat", was a combat system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self defense. The historical term Kapap was renewed into modern day version of Kapap Combat Concepts.
camps (ma-ḥa-not Olim) as part of preparatory training before their arrival in the British Mandate of Palestine
. It became a concept of fighting rather than a fighting system, due to the fighting skills contribution it gave the practitioner. The Palmach
adopted the Kapap as an ongoing combat development program for their recruits.
It was primarily considered a practical skill set that was acquired during the training period of the Palmach fighter. The main focus was to upgrade the Physical endurance, elevate and strengthen the spirit, developing a defensive and offensive skill set when needed. It included physical training and endurance, cold weapon
practical usage, Boxing
, Judo
, jujutsu
, karate
and knife
and stick fighting
.
and jujutsu Instructor who organized and established the self-defense concept as part of the Kapap training in the Palmach and Haganah
.
Yehuda Marcus: Palmach’s physical training judo and jujitsu chief Instructor, who replaced Gershon Kopler;
Moshe Finkel: Palmach’s fitness training officer, integrated the different typologies of the art into the training regime.
Maishel Horovitz: Palmach’s official Kapap Instructor, was in charge of the development of the short stick fight tactics at the Palmach and made it famous to the term Kapap.
Yitzhak Sade: Palmach’s commander who adopted the Kapap training doctrines
The Walking Stick Method of Self-Defence was already part of the Kapap syllabus; it was adopted from the British forces in India
and was still taught as an answer to the threat of the Arab locals who were equipped with the “Nabut” (1 meter long stick).
The most emphasized part of training was the use of sticks (short and long). The short stick method became most popular by use, due to the adaptation of the young generation of recruits. Among the sticks used in the Kapap fighting, the short stick was most commonly used and therefore practiced. It was favored due to its concealability in the sleeve until the actual fight began (Mêlée
) on the streets.
For decades the term Kapap was not really used until recently when it was revived as a commercial martial art.
Kapap Training included:
. Since the '40s and up until the year 2000 the term Kapap was limited in use and described the historical term from the early days of the Jewish Underground movements Palmach
and Haganah
.
Historical Kapap is today known as Krav Maga
.
At the end of year 2000 a group of people decided to renew the use of the term Kapap/Krav Panim El Panim (not conected to Historical Kapap) and established the International Kapap Federation, an NPO
organization in Israel
. Major in reserve Avi Nardia moved to the USA in 2003 and started the unique development of the Kapap system. In 2005 Albert Timen founded the KAPAP ACADEMY in USA.
In 2008 Instructors Avi Nardia and Albert Timen had published the Kapap Combat Concepts book with Black Belt Magazine
. .
Youth movements in Israel, like HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed
also practice Kapap in an amateurish way to remember the connection between the youth movement and the defense forces.
History
The Kapap system was developed in the late 1930s, within the Jewish AliyahAliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
camps (ma-ḥa-not Olim) as part of preparatory training before their arrival in the British Mandate of Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. It became a concept of fighting rather than a fighting system, due to the fighting skills contribution it gave the practitioner. The Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
adopted the Kapap as an ongoing combat development program for their recruits.
It was primarily considered a practical skill set that was acquired during the training period of the Palmach fighter. The main focus was to upgrade the Physical endurance, elevate and strengthen the spirit, developing a defensive and offensive skill set when needed. It included physical training and endurance, cold weapon
Cold weapon
A cold weapon is any weapon that does not involve fire or explosions as a result from the use of gun powder or other explosive materials....
practical usage, Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and knife
Knife fight
A knife fight is a violent physical confrontation between two or more combatants in which one or more participants is armed with a knife...
and stick fighting
Stick fighting
Stick fighting is a generic term for martial arts which use simple long slender, blunt, hand-held, generally wooden 'sticks' for fighting such as a staff, cane, walking stick, baton or similar....
.
Main contributors
Gershon Kopler: judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and jujutsu Instructor who organized and established the self-defense concept as part of the Kapap training in the Palmach and Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
.
Yehuda Marcus: Palmach’s physical training judo and jujitsu chief Instructor, who replaced Gershon Kopler;
Moshe Finkel: Palmach’s fitness training officer, integrated the different typologies of the art into the training regime.
Maishel Horovitz: Palmach’s official Kapap Instructor, was in charge of the development of the short stick fight tactics at the Palmach and made it famous to the term Kapap.
Yitzhak Sade: Palmach’s commander who adopted the Kapap training doctrines
The Walking Stick Method of Self-Defence was already part of the Kapap syllabus; it was adopted from the British forces in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and was still taught as an answer to the threat of the Arab locals who were equipped with the “Nabut” (1 meter long stick).
The most emphasized part of training was the use of sticks (short and long). The short stick method became most popular by use, due to the adaptation of the young generation of recruits. Among the sticks used in the Kapap fighting, the short stick was most commonly used and therefore practiced. It was favored due to its concealability in the sleeve until the actual fight began (Mêlée
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
) on the streets.
For decades the term Kapap was not really used until recently when it was revived as a commercial martial art.
Training
The Kapap system was based on principles and not techniquesKapap Training included:
- Proper body posture
- Relative positioning
- Striking shapes
- Striking methods
- Stick/baton defense
- Stick/Baton Attack
Modern day/Renewed system
Kapap as a term was officially abandoned by the military due to ongoing change in its infrastructure and common terminology to fit the modern day. New term was Krav MagaKrav Maga
Krav Maga is a noncompetitive eclectic self-defense system developed in Europe that involves striking techniques, wrestling and grappling. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient, brutal counter-attacks...
. Since the '40s and up until the year 2000 the term Kapap was limited in use and described the historical term from the early days of the Jewish Underground movements Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
and Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
.
Historical Kapap is today known as Krav Maga
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a noncompetitive eclectic self-defense system developed in Europe that involves striking techniques, wrestling and grappling. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient, brutal counter-attacks...
.
At the end of year 2000 a group of people decided to renew the use of the term Kapap/Krav Panim El Panim (not conected to Historical Kapap) and established the International Kapap Federation, an NPO
NPO
NPO may refer to:*Non-profit organization*Nil per os, Latin for "nothing by mouth", a medical instruction to withhold oral intake of food and fluids from a patient*NP optimization problem, optimization problems that are NP-hard...
organization in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Major in reserve Avi Nardia moved to the USA in 2003 and started the unique development of the Kapap system. In 2005 Albert Timen founded the KAPAP ACADEMY in USA.
In 2008 Instructors Avi Nardia and Albert Timen had published the Kapap Combat Concepts book with Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
. .
Youth movements in Israel, like HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed
Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed
Histadrut HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed , sometimes abbreiviated to No'al is an Israeli youth movement, a sister movement of Habonim Dror, the Labor Zionist movement....
also practice Kapap in an amateurish way to remember the connection between the youth movement and the defense forces.
Sources
- Palmach online Museum
- Historical Kapap site
- History of Lotar/Kapap
- Israel connection
- The Walking Stick in Mandatory Palestine and Israel
- Inside Israel Article by Black Belt Magazine