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Kapap



 
 
Kapap , short for Krav Panim el Panim, translated as "face to face combat", is a combat system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self defense, which was further developed into it's modern version of Kapap Combat Concepts.

Kapap system was developed in the late 1930s, within the Jewish Aliyah
Aliyah

Aliyah refers to Jewish immigration to Greater Israel. The opposite action, Jewish emigration from Israel, is referred to as Yerida ....
 camps (ma-ha-not Olim) as part of preparatory training before their arrival in Palestine
Palestine

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is derived from a name used already much earlier for a narrower geographical region, mainly along the coastal region....
.






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Kapap
Kapap , short for Krav Panim el Panim, translated as "face to face combat", is a combat system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self defense, which was further developed into it's modern version of Kapap Combat Concepts.

History

The Kapap system was developed in the late 1930s, within the Jewish Aliyah
Aliyah

Aliyah refers to Jewish immigration to Greater Israel. The opposite action, Jewish emigration from Israel, is referred to as Yerida ....
 camps (ma-ha-not Olim) as part of preparatory training before their arrival in Palestine
Palestine

Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is derived from a name used already much earlier for a narrower geographical region, mainly along the coastal region....
. 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 regular fighting force of the Haganah, the unofficial army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine....
 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 explosive materials.Ranged weapons that do not include gun powder or explosive materials and m?l?e weapons are cold weapons....
 practical usage, Boxing
Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar human weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds....
 and jujutsu
Jujutsu

, literally meaning the "jutsu of :wikt:?", or "way of yielding" is a collective name for Japanese Japanese martial art styles including unarmed and armed techniques....
, and knife and stick fighting.

Main contributors


Gershon Kopler: judo
Judo

, meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either Throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling manoeuvre, or force an opponent...
 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....
.

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 (La canne) 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 List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal 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.

Training

The Kapap system was based on principles and not techniques

Kapap 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. Since the '40s and up until the year 2000 the term Kapap was limited in use and usually described the historical term from the early days of the Jewish Underground movements Palmach and Haganah.

At the end of year 2000 a group of people headed by Chaim Peer and Avi Nardia decided to renew the use of the term Kapap/Krav Panim El Panim 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 food and fluids from a patient...
 organization in Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
. Avi Nardia moved to the USA in 2003 and started the unique development of the Kapap system.

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 a United States 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....
. This book is the only written material about the specific style of the Modern Kapap as taught by KAPAP ACADEMY.

Sources

  • Kapap-Lotar History
  • Article by Black Belt Magazine
  • THE KAPAP Combat Concepts Book


External links