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[mleone]

I understand this is what started it all..


A Letter from John Whitman, President Krav Maga Worldwide
Regarding Law Suits Against Krav Maga Instructors and
Blasting Moni Aizik's Article in Black Belt Magazine
November 29, 2005

Dear Krav Maga Instructors,

You may have seen a recent article in the current Black Belt magazine about Moni Aizik’s “Commando Krav Maga.” If you haven’t seen it, don’t bother.

If you have seen it, you will understand more clearly than ever why we work so hard to protect our trademark. The techniques are nothing like the system Imi wanted. I won’t spend any time arguing against the virtues of his techniques – I will simply point out that this isn’t Krav Maga.

We have already served Moni Aizik with a lawsuit to protect our trademarked name in Canada and the U.S. Although this is extremely expensive, we will use every means at our disposal to protect our rights. More importantly, we will protect the system that Imi wanted.

We ask you also to do your part. Teach good, aggressive, practical Krav Maga, the way it was taught to you by us. Strive to maintain and even exceed the high standards we have set. This, more than anything, will allow us to succeed.

Thank you for your dedication and hard work!

Sincerely,
John Whitman
President, Krav Maga Worldwide

[Hock]

I wonder, was this letter in magazines?
Sent worldwide?

I wonder where Levine fits in this equation? This group?
I wonder what could be so utterly wrong with Moni's moves?

Hock

[mleone]

This letter was designed to be sent out after Monis Blackbelt premeire article.
So this letter was sent out to all Krav guys after this article was in black belt.
Supposedly they appeal the suit over and over..
It was sent world wide but this letter wasnt in any magazine.


Here is the issue that Moni was first in..
http://www.combatsurvival.com/blackbelt-2005/

All the Juice of Levines responses!

Right here!
http://www.usadojo.com/take-action/petitions/darren-levine-interview.htm

[JimH]

Mr Whitman is one of the Krav Maga Instructors under Levine and President of Krav Maga worldwide LA.

I love how this group buys a name,that in Israel means ANY and ALL Martial arts and they apply it and sell it as Military Krav Maga.
Amazing since Levine and Few of his instructors ever served in the IDF?

What is Military Krav Maga ,outside of Levine's organization:
Anything useful for the battle field.
Imi had Boxing,wrestling and Gymnsatics,it was fitness first ,H2H second.
Darren's approach is the same it is fitness that teaches H2H.
Military Krav Maga uses and has used the arts of boxing,wrestling ,Karate,Judo,Jujitsu,aikido and Kung fu as a few of the arts finding ways into the mix.

It is Funny That Moni was a Military Instructor in Israel,served in the military and yet Levine,who never served a day, slaps Moni with a Lawsuit because what Moni teaches is not Levines Idea of Krav Maga,lol.

I guess Levine and his org will be paying out ALOT of suits as their are many teaching KM that does not look like Levines.
I think Many of the non Levine KM people have materials that look more like Moni's than Levine's and they ALL served in the Miliatry?
Wonder who's KM is closer to what is taught?
avi Nardi who ahs been an Instructor to the Police and Military in Israel has materials that mirror Aizik's.
(Again I hope Levine has lots of Money)

I shook hands with a guy who said he liked me and he made me director of all Martial arts and Self Defense in the US,I just had to buy him a Burger and give him a few bucks .
So be ready I may be coming to claim whats mine,lol,lol.

Hey but Levine is really only interested in stopping those who get into the mags and do articles,because when people come into his schools they expect to see something similar to what was in the Mags and they Do Not.

[Hock]

I wonder if these were submitted questions in writing and there was no response over time? Or was Levine just sitting in a in-person interview, ignoring the Qs in stony silence?

When you think of it, Levine really had no choice but to file these lawsuits. He had promised his students the moon, with expensive, geographic franchises and BIG bucks. then these "darn" new guys step in and destroy the juicy setup. He is a lawyer. He did was lawyers do.

Hock

[mleone]

Check out the PDF with the Gun Disarm Correction..

http://www.usadojo.com/pdf-files/Krav%20Maga%20Israel-USA-Poor-Technique.pdf

[mleone]

Even after the system head was deceased they were still signing his name...

http://www.usadojo.com/Images/take-action-images/krav-maga-cert-imi-signed-sml.jpg

That blows me away...
I think they were also worried about the effectiveness of Monis material and were threatened by greener grass.

[mleone]

This letter kind of makes you under stand more about tranferances of rights...

http://www.usadojo.com/pdf-files/darren-levine-pdfs/cert-of-auth-darren-levine.pdf

[Hock]

Sunday morning in Ohio, I was watching an MSNBC business feature/segment, inside a news hour, about Los Angeles Krav Maga.

Man, it was a really good segment. I almost joined myself! It was so convincing. But curiously in the end, the Levine and Whitman started saying they had pruposely pulled back all the advertising because....

"We are afraid of being seen as a fad."

"If we loose any quality control? Levine said. "I will shrink this organization. I will not allow for lose of quality control. I would rather see it shrink ion half than loose quality control."

To wit, news-girl stares into his convincing face with watery eyes.

But me, I can''t help it. My business-bullshit-meter went off. This was a public excuse to cover the international tumble of Los Angeles Krav Maga? From blood-sucking, leech-like business practices that runs almost all their schools eventually into into escape/survival-mode.

In the newsclip there was this fantastic Krav girl just blasting away at focus mitts. Jab, cross, hook and the trainer was feeding pads and tapping her on the head in the series, not unlike a common Thai or boxing series. She was BLASTING the mitts. She was a smaller girl and her fists were small. She was thin and bony and as good and as hardcore as all this looked to the novice watching TV, I just couldn't help but think how this velocity and impact on the ducking "street-head"...she would/could shatter her hands.

"Sport Cancer Training" for this ultimate self defense? The little "cancers" of sport training that feed into reality training and may kill you off.

Always this disconnect. Losing the boundary. People just don't think these things through.

I disconnected the program

But the clip was VERY good. Just my meter went off. Is this "quality control thing" the new propaganda story to cover the massive decline and interest? The flooding to other cheaper/user-friendly, Israeli systems?

Hock 

[JimH]

Hock,
I think is the MSNBC clip you spoke of:

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=ff2a84ce-337b-489f-9b46-34136700ea4f&p=hotvideo_m_edpicks&t=m5&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15486691/&fg=

The girl in the clip You spoke of is
Shannon Castro  Sherman Oaks CA,Krav Maga Instructor

[Hock]

She is awesome, but I worry that she might actually punch a ducking head someday. Not good odds for her small, bare knuckles.

Hock

[redcap]

I watched that clip with Mr Levine.  Can I use the term "full of shit" or is that not allowed on this forum?   How very L.A.  Redcap

[Bri Thai]

I missed the awesome woman.  I just didn't see anything at all remotely resembling "awesome" from any of them!

Was she the one prattling on about how she will now continue to walk down alleys "knowing she can at least hurt the guy?"  That's like a lifeguard saying "I'll continue to swim in dangerous waters, knowing that at least it'll take me longer to drown."

No offence to KM.  I'm sure there are some pretty nasty versions of it!

[Bishamonten]

Wow! Its always a worry when the guy running the company starts talking about integrity when his actions seem to demonstrate a lack of it. "Its about saving lives"?? You have just had one of your students say on international TV (I'm in Australia!) that she might not win (live??) but at least she'll hurt the attacker. What good is hurting him if you're dead in a gutter? Not really saving lives is it? Its about making money Mr Levine.

[Hock]

That is the clip.
The woman is the dark skinned (black?) one on for shorter seconds than I first recalled, but you can tell she is a focus mitt hitting fireball.

Hock