The importance of krav maga amid rising antisemitism in New York

With the current rise in antisemitic attacks across the greater New York City area (and across the nation), it is imperative that Jews are able to take the necessary steps to defend themselves if they are, heaven forbid, in a life-threatening situation. According to recent statistics, antisemitic hate crimes have skyrocketed in NYC by over 45% this year alone, as cited by police data. Due to these unprecedented times, the NYPD has had to increase patrols at synagogues and Jewish institutions across the greater NYC area. 

As of mid-2024, there had been over 100 anti-Jewish incidents reported across the Big Apple, compared to 66 during the same time period last year, according to the police department statistics. Keep in mind that these troubling numbers account for antisemitic crimes occurring from January 1, only months after the Hamas terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, until the end of June. 

A few months ago, I took the initiative to enroll in Krav Maga Experts (KME), which has instructors who are hand-picked from hundreds of candidates, each one bringing a variety of advanced self-defense martial arts backgrounds and unique styles to their Krav Maga approach. They are committed to providing their students with the skills they need to stay safe, while providing a positive and supportive learning experience. 

Leading the group is Tsahi Shemesh, founder and chief instructor of Krav Maga Experts. Shemesh began his Krav Maga journey in Israel in 1988, where he trained under the first students of Imi Lichtenfeld, the creator of Krav Maga. During his three years in the IDF, Shemesh served in the Paratroopers’ Brigade, trained in dignitary protection at the School of Counterterrorism, and completed the commanders’ course, VIP protection program and civilian instructor’s training. 

In 2007, Shemesh obtained his Krav Maga Instructor certification at the Wingate Institute, Israel’s National Center for Education and Sports. He also completed the Krav Maga Instructors course, certified by the International Krav Maga Federation, and held the positions of USA Director and Instructor Course Trainer in Gabi Noah’s top team. 

In 2010, he established the Krav Maga Experts flagship location in New York City. He certified dozens of instructors and trained thousands of students from all over the world – both domestically and overseas. Besides KME’s full-time program, Shemesh and his team also lead various initiatives such as the Columbia University Club, Pace University, NYU, EMTs, NYPD’s police officers, and contributory workshops at domestic violence organizations. Shemesh’s national television appearances as a self-defense and personal safety expert have featured his signature rape prevention series and counter-terror workshops. I recently had the chance to speak to Shemesh about his prestigious academy, the importance of learning self-defense, and why it is crucial now more than ever to take this self-defense course. 

As head of Krav Maga Experts in the greater NYC area, tell me about how you started this academy, which provides the tools that are so important to defend oneself. 

I started practicing Krav Maga in 1988 as a child. It was the only after-school program that we had in the moshav where I grew up. Luckily, I was trained by the first students of Ini Lichtenfeld, the founder of Krav Maga. These people were still in the development phase of Krav Maga, which is still always in development, and it definitely changed my life. 

When you moved to New York, what were the origins of Krav Maga Experts NYC that you created, and how did it become the thriving academy it is today?

When I moved to New York, I represented Master Gabi Noah from Israel. I was his right-hand man and taught instructors’ courses all across America, Latin America, and Canada. Honestly, I didn’t plan on being self-employed but didn’t know how to find a job, so I created my own. One thing led to another, and it became a business. We started in 2010, and after six years in business we became the biggest school in America. 

What is the most important thing you want your students to get out of Krav Maga? 

There are many messages, and everyone needs something else to be balanced. Some people need to understand they are strong, even if they think they are not. Some people, despite the fact that they are strong, believe that strength is the only way. I need to show them that it’s not. We need to find a peaceful way of being strong, and that’s Krav Maga in a nutshell. 

One has to exhibit an extreme amount of self-discipline when practicing Krav Maga. There is such a variety of people here from different backgrounds who work in different sectors but when they come to Krav Maga, they are united as one family. How can they take this discipline and translate it into their everyday life? 

The difference between discipline and motivation is that with discipline, you are forced to do things you don’t want to do. When you are motivated to do things, there is a chance that tomorrow your overall mood may change, and then you don’t do it anymore. You brush your teeth every night because you are disciplined about it, that’s the difference. Discipline is not about doing things you want but because you need to do them. 

With the rise of antisemitism and the violent campus university protests that support Hamas (only 14 blocks away from KME at universities such as Columbia), do you think that now more than ever is the time when people have to take the initiative to learn Krav Maga? 

As I stated before, people need to change their mindset. But I would also like to add that these aren’t unprecedented times. We have seen these times before. This is exactly how Nazi Germany came into power, and we are seeing the same signs in these current days, which include anti-Jewish protests and acts. But now they are hiding it behind semantics such as “We are not anti-Jewish, we are just anti-Zionists,” which is essentially the same thing. What they are saying is the exact same thing. They may not understand what they are doing, but they are enabling those who will. As Jews, we have a responsibility to be strong. We wait for someone else to protect us and make the move. When it comes to our personal protection (regardless of whether you are Jewish or not), everyone must have the tools to protect themselves and not wait for someone else to protect them. This is unfair and selfish because if you are part of a society (especially as Jewish people), you should abide by the saying ‘Kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba-zeh,’ – all of Israel are responsible for one another. If you are my brother (whether you want it or not), we come from the same seed, and I have a social responsibility to have your back and vice versa. When you don’t protect yourself, you are placing more of a burden on me because I will protect you. When everyone puts their shoulder under the stretcher, the stretcher is not as heavy anymore. Some people may not have enough emotional resources, physical resources, or financial means but they must step up to do whatever they can. 

Has the cesspool of hate since October 7 affected enrollments at Krav Maga Experts? 

I saw a huge spike at the beginning. Just like every time there is an antisemitic wave, Jews are interested in the beginning, and then after a week or two they lose interest because they believe that someone else will do the job for them, and that saddens me. A lot of these same people have gone back into hiding, and my business has been blacklisted by some because of my stance in supporting Israel. After the uptick in attacks on women a few months ago in NYC, we had a 400% increase in enrollments regardless of whether they are Jewish or not. But as I said, people overall have a tendency to forget very quickly, and now there is a significant decrease because we are blacklisted because we support Israel. The people who attend Krav Maga Experts identify with my mission, but at the same time there is a decrease, which is insane, considering the demand that there should be. We have to get out of the mindset of Jews being afraid to stand up for themselves, and that’s very sad. There has been a slight increase, but there should an especially higher increase in Jews enrolling here, considering the threat that we are facing. 

What is the takeaway you want people to know regarding Krav Maga and why it’s so important not just as a self-defense strategy but as a way of life?

Learning how to protect yourself is both a social and an individual responsibility. If you are against violence, you’d better be ready for it because it will be there whether you like it or not. If you are afraid of it, be ready for it. And if you are not afraid of it, then fine. But I can say from my personal perspective that I can fight, but I wouldn’t dare go about my day without having the skills that I have. I am not that courageous, and there may be people that walk around who are more courageous than I am. The worst thing is to know that you don’t know how to handle a dangerous situation and defend yourself but you still choose to go about life knowing this. As I stated in a recent interview, the fundamental foundation that brings my students to Krav Maga Experts is self-respect. When someone believes he is worth fighting for, he does it. ■

The writer is a financial adviser who resides in New York City and is involved in Israel-based and Jewish advocacy organizations.