Transcript [00:00] My name is Kenan. I am a martial arts [00:02] and self-defense instructor. I've been [00:05] doing it my whole life. I started in [00:07] South Africa. Trained in Israel for a [00:09] while and now in London. I am a [00:12] full-time teacher. [00:14] Throughout my life, I've trained with [00:17] regular commercial clubs, non clubs. Uh [00:21] it's just since October the 7th where I [00:24] think we all felt that everything [00:26] changed around us that I felt the need [00:29] to to specifically train the Jewish [00:33] community [00:35] in Stanford Hill. Judaism for the people [00:38] here is their everyday life. It's their [00:40] whole life. [00:43] Driving around in this area for the [00:45] first time was a real eye opener for me. [00:50] Just seeing literally thousands of [00:53] identifiably Jewish people walking in [00:55] the streets, the first question going [00:58] through my head was uh do they know how [01:00] to look after themselves? Can they [01:01] defend themselves? [01:05] Being Jewish, unfortunately, you have a [01:07] target on your back. [01:16] I think what I offer is maybe a break [01:19] from that. It's almost like a a relief. [01:23] I'm focusing mostly on the youth at this [01:25] point, the younger generation, because I [01:27] really want to be able to have as much [01:29] impact as I can. [01:33] I want to try in my own humble way [01:36] impact the culture a little bit. And I [01:39] feel like if I teach the younger [01:41] generation, I'll have a better chance of [01:44] doing that. [01:46] Um for the ultraorththodox, a lot of [01:48] them um don't have a background of uh [01:52] physical activity or sports. So for me, [01:56] it's really starting on a blank slate. [01:58] Also, when you're teaching kids [01:59] something, um it doesn't matter what it [02:01] is, they pick things up really, really [02:02] quickly. It brings a lot of joy just to [02:04] watch them week on week improving until [02:07] eventually you've got a product that you [02:10] you are literally shocked that you [02:12] started uh teaching them when they knew [02:14] nothing. and they're like little ninjas [02:16] after like a year of training. [02:22] >> My name is Abi Kahan. I'm 17 years old. [02:25] Been training in the martial arts for [02:26] about 17 years. That's about 3 years. Um [02:31] I started it to build more confidence. [02:33] Hi, I'm Mario. I'm 15. I've been [02:37] training only for about 2 and a half [02:39] years. [02:41] I started because I wanted to know I [02:44] wanted to train I wanted to defend [02:45] myself in the streets. [03:00] My broader goal is to take any Jew who [03:05] wants to come train, give them the basic [03:08] skills to be able to look after [03:11] themselves on the street so that they [03:13] can go about their lives as proud Jews, [03:16] identifiably Jewish, and not be fearful [03:19] and they can walk with their heads held [03:21] high.
🤼 Meet Keenan David: The Krav Maga master teaching Stamford Hill’s ultra-Orthodox how to defend themselves.
South African-born Keenan moved to the UK from Israel ten years ago, when he first encountered the Stamford Hill. He immediately saw there was an obvious need for his expertise amongst those in the community.
He believes being able to defend oneself is vital for the visibly Jewish, given there is a "target on your back" when you are Jewish in the UK.
So he got to work.
He now has a gym focussed on the Stamford Hill ultra-orthodox youth, where he teaches teens all kinds of martial arts.
His dream is to teach every Jew to defend themselves, religious or not, and has opened another gym for the wider Jewish community in London, Tribe 12, in Golders Green. He is clubbing together with other Jewish coaches to create the UK’s first all-Jewish youth team for Jiu Jitsu competitions.
📰 Read Keenan's story on our site now thejc[dot]com
