SELF-DEFENSE FOR THE LA JEWISH COMMUNITY
Join our weekly classes to start feeling more confident and resilient
AM ISRAEL CHAI
✦PROUD AND PREPARED
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A FIRST STEP
✦FUNDAMENTALS FOR THE STREET
AM ISRAEL CHAI ✦PROUD AND PREPARED EVERYTHING STARTS WITH A FIRST STEP ✦FUNDAMENTALS FOR THE STREET
WHAT YOU WILL WILL LEARN
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DE-ESCALATION
KEEPING A SAFE DISTANCE OUT OF THE STRIKE ZONE, MAINTAINING YOUR COMPOSURE, AND ASSESSING A FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE.
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DEFENSE STANCE
PREPARING THE BODY TO MOVE QUICKLY IN ANY DIRECTION, SAFELY BLOCK AN ATTACK, WHILE MAINTAINING A NON-THREATENING POSTURE OR RUNNING AWAY TO SAFETY.
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DEFENSIVE MOVEMENT
ABILITY TO MOVE EXPLOSIVELY IN AND OUT OF THE STRIKE ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING BALANCE AND AVOIDING BEING TACKLED.
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COUNTER-ATTACKS & ESCAPES
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY COUNTER THE ATTACKER WITH PUNCHES, KICKS, KNEES, ELBOWS, BLOCKS, AND GRAPPLING MOVES.
MEET THE FOUNDER
KALMAN CHODAKIEWITZ
I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING/COMPETING IN MARTIAL ARTS FOR 30+ YEARS ACROSS THE US, ISRAEL, AND BRAZIL, RECEIVING MY BLACK BELT FROM SENSEI NISHIYAMA (FOUNDER OF THE TRADITIONAL KARATE ASSOCIATION) AND WORLD CHAMPION SENSEI AVI ROKAH; AND MY KARATE INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION FROM MACHIDA KARATE. I AM ALSO A FORMER NCAA SABER FENCER AND JUNIOR OLYMPIC PARTICIPANT.
OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE TRAINED MMA UNDER FORMER UFC CHAMPION LYOTO MACHIDA; MUAY THAI KICKBOXING UNDER IKF CHAMPION ENN FAIRTEX; MMA WRESTLING UNDER UFC CONTENDER VLAD MATYUSHENKO; BRAZILIAN CAPOEIRA UNDER MESTRE RAIU; AND BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU UNDER CLEBER PEBA, BLACK BELT FROM ALLIANCE BJJ SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL.
WHY I FOUNDED GIBORIM
AFTER A CLOSE FRIEND WAS ASSAULTED BY A MALE COLUMBIA LAW STUDENT FOR SIMPLY SPEAKING HEBREW TO HER MOTHER ON THE PHONE, I DECIDED THIS WAS ENOUGH! THIS WAS MY CALL TO ACTION TO FORMALIZE MY KNOWLEDGE TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE GIBORIM PROGRAM.
I HAVE BEEN BUSY PRIVATELY TRAINING JEWISH YOUTHS AND MOTHERS ACROSS LOS ANGELES WHO FACE ANTI-JEWISH THREATS OF VIOLENCE AND BULLYING - AND NOW I SHARE MY EXPERTISE WITH A WIDER LA-COMMUNITY AS WELL.
“I AM MORE RELAXED AFTER TRAINING WITH KALMAN”
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“My son was complaining about unprovoked attacks by kids much larger and dominating in stature. We were getting desperate and needed something to change.
Kalman came highly recommended to train us privately, and over the course of 6 months, I saw a major transformation. I too joined the classes seeing how my kids were developing in recent months. My son can now instinctively move out of the way when a punch or kick is aimed at him, and without a flinch. He has developed the ability to consistently escape being headlocked or get someone off of him when on the ground. Also, he can throw punches and kicks with speed and force.
Above all, Kalman makes sure my sons never forget: The best way to win a fight is by avoiding it and de-escalating any tension.
Kalman is a very attentive teacher who gets the kids to want to train and practice on their own, try new techniques, and be scientific in their approach to learning. I could see that my son today is a different person, full of pride, confidence, and humility, willing to learn and safely pressure test his new skills and defensive instincts. Since training began, I have not received any complaints or seen any evidence of continued bullying and brawling against my children.
Raquel Richter
Mother of Mateo, 13 year old Youth Giborim student
Frequently Asked Questions
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We are on Instragram!
@giborimclub
Check out our videos content on instagram. Follow us for our weekly updates
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Absolutely! Most students begin their self-defense journey here at Giborim.
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With parental supervision and active engagement from children, we can start classes as early as six years old. At this age, a parent must be present during the class. We recommend scheduling a private at-home session to see if it’s a good fit for your child. For youth ages seven to fifteen, we offer weekly after-school group classes on Wednesdays. Feel free to book a class to give it a try!
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Never! We have dedicated students in their 70s and even 80s! Your age should not limit your ability to participate in and learn from our classes. While the classes involve physical activity and some exercise, our instructors and training partners tailor their approach to meet the specific needs of each student. Safety is our number one priority, ensuring that you have fun while continuing to grow and learn with each session.
Read all Frequently Asked Questions here