AVI NARDIA-Machado Black Belt and Kapap Grandmaster

"It is better to be a student of reality than a master of illusion"
Avi Nardia


PROFESSOR NARDIA CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU BEGAN TRAINING WITH JOHN MACHADO?

I arrived in the US already an experienced teacher. I was a CQB and SWAT teacher and had always been interested in BJJ.
In the past, I had visited a few schools but did not find what I was looking for. One day I was picking my kid up from school on Wiltshire and I saw Professor John Machado’s Academy.

Professor John Machado invited me to watch a class and I knew immediately that I had found was exactly what I had been searching for. The same day I registered and began training and have been with him ever since.
I have followed Professor John Machado from Wiltshire, to Market Place then Culver City and lastly to Torrance.
Even when I lived in LA, I wasn’t looking for the school closest to my home, but the school closest to my heart. With the kind of teacher who shared my attitude and thought process and the way relating to martial art.
As a teacher with many years of experience, it is very hard to find someone to be my teacher because I am looking to just to find any instructor, but to find a real teacher who understands and is of quality.
Even though there were BJJ schools only a mile away from me, I prefer to travel any distance to study with John Machado because he is this kind of person.

The Japanese say it may take over 15 years to find your teacher. In my case it took close to twice that - almost 30.
I began Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at age almost 40 years old. I had problems with my back and neck - three broken vertebrae and many other physical limitations.

My first week was a nightmare. After every night thought I could not move and I thought my body would never survive it.
By the second week I was already addicted to BJJ. Even though it was a long journey - and not without some pain and suffering - it was always fun and filled with family and friendship.

As a new immigrant with no family around me, Machado BJJ became my family in the US. I always felt I had support and John always had an outstretched hand and an open heart. He was willing to help and back me up whenever I needed him.
Training with Professor John Machado is one of the things I am most happy that I have done in my life. I view my training as one of my biggest achievements and more than anything – this achievement allows me to teach and pass on what I have gained by BJJ with the same attitude as John Machado. With no ego, in a selfless manner governed by friendship and sharing. This art is not a “bully style” of martial art.

I see it as something different and through teaching this, promoting to not bully others but to strengthen others, to promote and build them.
I am proud and honored to be part of the Machado family.

WHAT MAKES KAPAP UNIQUE?

KAPAP is not a conventional system. It is a bridge between systems - a philosophy and a concept. KAPAP was not designed as a belt ranking system, or to create new Masters and Grandmasters. There are more than enough systems that do this. As a bridge, KAKAP’s goal is to unite Martial Artists from different disciplines so that they will be able to communicate and share knowledge as brothers in arms. We wish to do this without conflict, ego or politics based on the common Martial Art principles.

For example; martial arts are commonly designed to be used with one’s understanding of human biomechanics, such as, learning how to harness universal self defense principles of push and pull, balance and balance displacement, economy of motion, chain of attack, action/reaction, use of at least two points of contact, tools and angles of attack and so on.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM JEET KUNE DO?

I never studied Jeet Kune Do. Worldwide, people who experienced different movements of martial arts (MMA) will arrive at somewhat the same conclusion regarding human movement in martial arts, and find themselves practicing an eclectic system. I chose to associate with the term ‘eclectic system’ rather than MMA because MMA today is more concerned with training for competition in a ring. For example, MMA practitioners do not deal with weapons and self defense against street style attacks.
IN KAPAP sport training is still one facet, but it is not the central agenda as in the current practice of MMA. We focus on Self Defense – involving both empty hand, and use of weapons.

IS KAPAP THE SAME AS KRAV MAGA?

KAPAP and Krav Maga are generic terms used to describe hand to hand combat in Israel. Neither is one system, or founded by one organization or leader. Each teacher instructs based on his own experience and knowledge.
Neither is more “legitimate” or “the real deal” than others. Just like Karate schools, each teacher has their own ideas and how they want to run their organization.
The KAPAP I teach is based on my knowledge and experience. The federation/organization I am a part of is under Lt. Colonel Chiam Pe’er of Israel.

My school’s World Wide Mat exists entirely under my supervision and my name. This is why it is called Avi Nardia KAPAP Combatives and I use my own Logo KAPAP Combatives.

Today the KAPAP I teach is an International system based on my travel around the world and experience living in the United States for over 10 years. My students and friends hail from every race and religion without any political bias or prejudice.

I don’t represent Israel any more than I represent the USA. I am a private civilian who teaches based on my life experience in training, combat, fitness and health. I have the honor of enjoying the friendship of students from all over the world - from Japan, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe, USA, Israel, Australia and Lebanon. Most important, my students train as a family of kapap practitioners with no conflicts over politics or race.