Be strong.
Be wise.
Be safe.

Combat-proven, street-wise self-defense training for youth and adults. Because you are worth protecting.

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Could you protect yourself if your life depended on it?

If you're not sure, you're not alone. Most of us were never taught how. Recognizing danger, staying calm under pressure, protecting yourself and the people you love—these are skills, and skills can be learned.

You don't need to be big, strong, or athletic. You just need the right training.

As a certified Krav Maga and active shooter response instructor with over 20 years of experience, I've taught self-defense to students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds. My goal is to give you the awareness, confidence, and the practical ability to defend yourself—and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you're not helpless if something goes wrong.

Meet Rabbi Michoel Shapiro
(a.k.a. The Fighting Rabbi)

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Different

How We’re

Master techniques that work in the street—not just in the dojo.

Tournament-style training doesn’t prepare you for reality. Instead, it ingrains dangerous habits for dealing with street violence. In reality, violent criminals will not abide by sporting rules or “fight fair.”

KCA’s training combines timeless, battle-tested military tactics with the modern methods of Israeli Krav Maga and other leading self-defense systems from across the world to enable you to rapidly neutralize an assault and find safety.

Develop the most crucial kind of strength—the mindset to prevail.

When it comes to self-protection, physical skills are only 5% of a much larger equation. To use physical force effectively, you must be mentally and emotionally prepared for the harsh realities of violence.

Through KCA’s unique method of training, you’ll cultivate the confident mindset to enforce the word “NO” against anyone who threatens your life or the lives of those that you love.

Learn how to defend yourself—and not go to jail for doing it.

The aftermath of violence is just as important to address as the event itself. You must return home with a clear conscience, and not land in jail or lose everything you own by unintentionally breaking the law.

As part of KCA’s training, you will learn about the moral and lawful use of force.

What participants are saying

  • “Wow, that was powerful.”

    There are very few people as knowledgeable as Rabbi Michoel who can keep an entire room of people completely engaged for a full 90 minutes. It was amazing. And he brings such great energy. I highly recommend him for entertaining, educational, and empowering team bonding events.

    — Zev Freundlich, CEO, TeamCorp

  • “Seriously the best krav maga training”

    No one—and I mean NO ONE—can teach self-defense like Rabbi Michoel. He is truly an expert in his field. Through his classes, I have gained not only self-defense knowledge and skills but also confidence, self-worth, and peace of mind. You just can’t put a price on that. I cannot say enough!

    —Jodie Loscak

  • “I would recommend this class to every woman I know!”

    I took this 6 week women's self defense class and learned a sense of awareness we should all have. I learned how to assess a situation for real danger, how to try to defuse the situation, and how to defend myself.

    —Sara Friedman

  • “His approach is empowering”

    Michoel is an excellent teacher. His delivery method made it easy to learn, and understand both the techniques and principles he was delivering. His approach really empowers the individual by way of both physical, and psychological training. I finished his 6 week course feeling confident in what I had learned, and my ability to apply it in the real world. Everyone I speak with is very much looking forward to continuing our training!

    —Hinda R.

  • “I know I can protect myself”

    This course changed my mindset from being fearful to knowing I can begin to protect myself just by being aware of what I happening around me.

    Esther W.

  • ”These are important skills for everyone to learn”

    Rabbi Michoel was clear and really brought the ideas home. We practiced to really know what we were doing. I especially felt it important to learn the concept of being aware and motivating ourselves to protect ourselves because we are worth protecting. The concept of being first. And striking first. I really enjoyed the class! It’s something important for anyone to do for yourself!

  • “Valuable information and strategies”

    The course provided valuable information and strategies to help navigate these trying times, and I believe that this is a course that everyone can benefit from.

    —Chaim A.

How can we help you?

  • Corporate Events

    Engaging and empowering team-bonding events for businesses

  • Community Trainings

    Self-defense & active shooter trainings for organizations

  • Group Trainings

    6-week trainings for groups of up to 30 students, at any location

  • Private Lessons

    One-on-one (or small group/family) lessons for men, women, and teens.

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free video

Get the 18-minute self-defense lesson that could change EVERYTHING

Get the SIMPLE first-seconds framework that can help you spot danger sooner, avoid freezing, and create the opening you need to get away — EVEN IF you have no self-defense experience.

Questions

frequently asked

  • Yes, I’ll come to the location of your choice. Be it your private residence, school, business, summer camp, community center, house of worship, or another venue, I’ll travel throughout the tristate area (and beyond) and bring all the necessary safety and training gear.

  • Absolutely NO previous experience is required to begin training in self-defense at KCA. If you do have prior training in combat sports, such a MMA or kickboxing, you’ll learn how to correctly apply the skills you’ve honed in the gym to real violence on the street.

  • Michoel’s past and present credentials include:

    • Certified as associate instructor under Grandmaster Rhon Mizrachi’s Krav Maga Federation (2001)

    • Certified as associate instructor under Mike Lee Kanarek’s Haganah F.I.G.H.T. System (2006)

    • Former member of Moshe Katz’s Israeli Krav International

    • Former study group leader of Lee Morrison’s Urban Combatives

    • Certified as Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health (2019)

    • Volunteer First Responder with Hatzalah of Union County, NJ

    • Certified as Chaplain by the United States Chaplain Task Force (2020)

    • Certified as AVIRT Active Shooter Response Instructor (2023)

  • Our definition of “good” is that you can effectively protect yourself through proactively preventing and dealing with violence. Our six-week Self-defense Fundamentals course will give you the essentials of how to identify and respond to ninety percent of the most common situations that can pose a threat to your life. Beyond the Fundamentals, continued training in our advanced curriculum takes approximately 12 months.

    The principles and techniques you’ll learn are designed to be learnable within 10 minutes, easy to practice, and not require Olympic level physical conditioning to be effective in the street.

  • Please contact me at fightingrabbi@gmail.com for pricing details.

Reach out to get started Today

To request a training or course in your area, please fill out the form and we’ll reach out to you.