Build your Armor – Mind Body Spirit
© Copyright Avi Nardia, Aleks Nardia, Christopher Shabazz
Your armor will not defend you from the fear in your heart – Avi Nardia
“you’re only as old as your spine” Chinese proverb
Mens sana in corporesano
is a Latin phrase, usually translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. The phrase is widely used in sporting and educational contexts to express the theory that physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being.The phrase comes from Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal
Mobility essential in Martial art
“We see in order to move; we move in order to see.” ― William Gibson
“Nothing happens until something moves.” ― Albert Einstein
During one of my visits to Israel, I handed Mishel Horovitz RIP ( the head Instructor for KAPAP at Palmach days and developer of the Stick fighting for KAPAP at the old days ) the KAPAP Krav Maga book written by me and published by Budo International Magazine, as well as a set of the KAPAP DVD published by Budo. As I was looking at some old pictures and manual books he had, I noticed one particular book called Practical Unarmed Combat – Moshe Feldenkrais 1942. This name took me back to my childhood memories and reminded me of one of the great pillars of Israeli Martial arts… a name you need to research. I remembered from my early age all the Judo and self defense books I used to read which were written by Moshe, as well as how he used to teach his fitness style at the time and how he became known for teaching the Israeli Prime Minister to stand on his head.
| Moshe Feldenkrais – The only thing permanent about our behavior patterns is our belief that they are so.
Moshé Pinchas Feldenkrais was an Israeli engineer and physicist and the founder of the Feldenkrais Method,which claims to improve human functioning by increasing self-awareness through movement. Feldenkrais’ theory is that “thought, feeling, perception and movement are closely interrelated and influence each other.” He was a scientist-clinician and among the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century on how to improve movement and function. He was far ahead of his time in understanding that the brain can change itself. Throughout his life, he developed a revolutionary method to improve skill and well-being, making the impossible possible. |
Feldenkrais had a scientific mind that pushed Japanese jujitsu which had exploded as an international phenomenon in the early 1900s. Feldenkrais learned jujitsu techniques for real life application in the street. He published a book on Jujitsu that was based on what he had learned fighting and teaching others and was intended as a training tool for the Haganah, or Jewish defense forces. Much of his work was incorporated into the system that became known as KAPAP – Krav Maga today for sure. He was trained by the First Judo Black Belts and trained in the First Judo clubs in Paris, France
His ideas and principles were based on “maximum efficiency with minimum effort” to everyone.
Throughout the years, I got involved with Brazilian Jiujutsu and started follow Ginastica Natural and Bio Ginastica by Prof. Orlando Cani, while I was student of Machado RCJ under Professor John Machado. This whole natural Body movement reminded me of my childhood and the days that I was teaching in Tel Aviv University. I was doing some warm up flows based on Bio Ginastica and another professor of the Feldenkrais method asked me if I teach Feldenkrais, which made me smile. No, I wasn’t teaching the Feldenkrais Method, but understanding body movement is common to all humans, isn’t it? When I visited India, I met a Yoga teacher that had done similar movements and when I went back to my BJJ class and asked Machado, he smiled and said yes, he knew the Yoga movements. During my most recent visit to Professor Machado’s school, I conducted a demo with a very talented student and martial art teacher, Ken Akiyama Sensei. His movement evolved into a new era and made me proud to see how his movement continues to develop and progress and how talented he is from the level I taught him and what he had made from that.
This helped me set a few principles on how we see movements in KAPAP Krav Maga:
PRACTICAL – actually useful. Movement needs be helpful in everyday
life. From getting up in the Morning to fleeing from danger, our movements need to be based on need.
ADAPTABLE – Movement depends on context. Based on specific and ever changing environments and situations and learning to adapt.
EFFICIENT – efficiency and skillful performance while following the safety first safety last rule.
VITAL
The movements help keep us safe. They are useful in times of emergency.
INSTINCTUAL
Movement is instinctual, in contrast to Technique, which is not. Study technique to turn instinct into ability.
COOPERATIVE
Study the Values and Morals and social skills lead to great friendship and community , work in a group to accomplish what no individual is capable of. Practice can be done alone or with group.
ENVIRONMENTAL practice both outdoors and indoors in order to maximize health benefits and increase well-being and connection with nature and healthy lifestyle.
EVOLUTIONARY human move has not changed. Our health is tied to moving as we, the human species, always has..
UNIVERSAL Movement is common to all human beings, regardless of origin, gender or age.
If you Practice Yoga once a week you will change your Mind
If you Practice Yoga twice a week you will change your Body
If you Practice Yoga every day you will change your Life
Any Yoga is Better than No Yoga
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India– Any Traditional Martial Arts will teach the same — Yoga and art of Mobility is Part of Any Traditional Martial arts from Breathing – Sprit To Mind and Body .
We need more resolute, not excuse – Avi Nardia
Avi Nardia Academy – www.avinardia.com www.avinardiablog.com