Rabbi Sensei Gary Moskowitz (R.)
Posted on 12/02/2013 1:13:37 PM PST by SeekAndFind
“I wore a yarmulke, and I was a target,” says ,” says Rabbi Sensei Gary Moskowitz, who is a Karate black belt.
Rabbi Sensei Gary Moskowitz, 56, grew up in Soundview section of the Bronx and took up Karate to protect himself. As one of the few Jewish kids in the neighborhood, Gary was beaten up a lot. Now he’s reaching out to city Jews who are being targeted by the “Knockout the Jew” criminals. “I wore a yarmulke, and I was a target,” he told the NY Post. “I was once dragged up six stories to a rooftop by a gang.
They held me over the ledge.” At age 14, he went to a Jewish Defense League-sponsored summer camp and took up karate. “I came back, and I was able to do 400 push-ups,” he told the Post. Later, he says, he honed his skills working at the NYPD where he became known as “Rambowitz” and was one of the only two Orthodox Jewish cops at the time. He says his years as a cop helped him gain experience in street fighting, psychology, stress management, and self-discipline.
During the next 30 years he taught a broad variety of subjects to the whole spectrum of students – Martial Arts to the police, self-defense for women and Torah. He received his rabbinic ordination from Kollel Ayshel Avraham, and is completing his master’s degree in Education Administration at Mercy College, after having completed his law studies at Touro Law School. “If Jewish kids started fighting back, they wouldn’t get picked on so much,” says Gary, who is a Karate black belt. “I’m just trying to encourage the Jewish community to do that.”
His program also includes Martial Arts Therapy for children fighting cancer and other illnesses, offering emotional and spiritual support to children and helps them to take an active role to become a partner in their own healing process.
The last time that socialists were this active in persecuting the Jews, it didn’t turn out well for anyone - but at least the US was on the side of good. I worry about how this will turn out today with a socialist in our White House. Karate is a good first step, but something more is needed.
Great stuff, but anybody can be sucker-punched, especially in a crowd, even an 11th degree barbed-wire belt. However, if the puncher fails to knock his victim out, what happens next might be highly entertaining...
You are so right. My husband always contended that a surprise two x four in the back of the head would take care of any Kung Fu expert, no matter how tough he was.
Yes - gun-fu.
It also doesn’t help matters when it’s also anywhere from 5-15 youths against a lone victim. Tough odds, even for the most talented fighter.
WARNING: NOT Family Friendly! (But funny!)
And this is exactly why I continue to advocate traveling with big vicious dogs on leashes.
*Nobody* has 7 foot arms.
First entered a dojo in ‘76 and the comments here are very amusing.
Those cats were fast as lightning.
I always say that I used to be into karate, but then I discovered handguns. Same issue applies, though - a surprise attack can take anyone down.
I get the feeling that their arms will be a lot shorter after the dogs get what they consider their fair share.
I am a black belt and I agree with the Rabbi. I also agree that anyone can be surprised and knocked down.
Many of these attacks are in Crown Heights Brooklyn a neighborhood of ultra orthodox Jews who’s community ambulances take black people for free to city hospitals for treatment. These are peaceful pious people who only look to do good deeds.
I hope that they hang together and next time come out of their homes with broomsticks, since they don’t carry guns and use the broomsticks to beat the racist thugs up until they can’t walk away, and then go back into their homes and call the police to remove the Thug refuse.
Send a message, don’t think our blood is cheap, these people
value life, are good charitable folks, and they have to protect themselves because the police does not.
Years ago there were riots for 3 days in Crown Heights, and mayor Dinkins didn’t sent the police in to stop the arson, beatings, and looting. Jews in NYC after that started leaving the city and now just about the only large population of Jews left are these Orthodox Jews.
Daniel Mendoza was a Jewish champion boxer. The knockout gamers should run into a bunch of fellows like him, but I would be happy if they ran into some more George Zimmermans too.
Handguns are good things. So are bodyguards and guard dogs. I live in SUCH a quiet neighborhood and I did learn (from daddy) the neighborhoods to avoid.
It helps staying close to Our Lord, living in safe, quiet neighborhoods, having nice, quiet, God-fearing friends and acquaintances and attending daily Mass...all good stuff.
A surprise attack would be someone sluffing a high trump and me thinking that I pulled out all the trump. I had a bridge partner who did that. She shocked the bidder and set our opponents DOWN THREE! Yay for my bridge partner.
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