2008 Woodie Awards
Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting
Self Defense Course Offers Methods to Diffuse Street Confrontation
Daniel Groner
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: Sports
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On a wintry Sunday afternoon, Solomon Nadaf sits in the basement of Furst Hall with his feet up on his desk nursing Kurt Vonnegut's "Slapstick." But the silence is soon filled by undergrads in sweatpants and sneakers coming for instruction in the basics of self defense. Despite being just a few years older than them, Nadaf, a second degree brown belt, is their capable instructor.
In addition to his work at Yeshiva, Nadaf teaches after school programs elsewhere around New York to students aged 5-13. But he credits Yeshiva with spurring his initial interest in the sport. When he was an undergraduate at Yeshiva in 1998, he signed up for self defense when it was taught by Joseph Holzer. Nadaf recalls thinking then how "cool" it would be to take karate. "I was a hyperactive child," he said. "I learned to kick and punch [at Yeshiva]. I didn't know what I was getting into."
Having completed his undergraduate gym requirement with two terms of beginners and intermediate self defense, Nadaf still returned to Holzer's weekly class for a third semester in order to help run the class and work with his instructor. This "pay it forward" system is common in martial arts as moving up in belt ranks requires, at times, teaching and being a leader to less advanced students. After transferring to Fashion Institute of Technology his junior year, Nadaf continued to commute to Yeshiva on Sundays in order to work on his own techniques and to help others.
When Holzer left after the fall of 2003, Nadaf stepped in as full-time instructor of the self defense courses. He credits his apprenticeship with Holzer and other instructors for giving him a broad view of many forms of martial arts. Nadaf, for his classes and own methodology, pulls pieces from several styles of martial arts. "Different martial arts styles are different ways of using your body." he said. "If you do tae kwon do, the focus may be more on kicks. Aikido, more locks and throws. I try to give my students a hybrid of everything."
In addition to his work at Yeshiva, Nadaf teaches after school programs elsewhere around New York to students aged 5-13. But he credits Yeshiva with spurring his initial interest in the sport. When he was an undergraduate at Yeshiva in 1998, he signed up for self defense when it was taught by Joseph Holzer. Nadaf recalls thinking then how "cool" it would be to take karate. "I was a hyperactive child," he said. "I learned to kick and punch [at Yeshiva]. I didn't know what I was getting into."
Having completed his undergraduate gym requirement with two terms of beginners and intermediate self defense, Nadaf still returned to Holzer's weekly class for a third semester in order to help run the class and work with his instructor. This "pay it forward" system is common in martial arts as moving up in belt ranks requires, at times, teaching and being a leader to less advanced students. After transferring to Fashion Institute of Technology his junior year, Nadaf continued to commute to Yeshiva on Sundays in order to work on his own techniques and to help others.
When Holzer left after the fall of 2003, Nadaf stepped in as full-time instructor of the self defense courses. He credits his apprenticeship with Holzer and other instructors for giving him a broad view of many forms of martial arts. Nadaf, for his classes and own methodology, pulls pieces from several styles of martial arts. "Different martial arts styles are different ways of using your body." he said. "If you do tae kwon do, the focus may be more on kicks. Aikido, more locks and throws. I try to give my students a hybrid of everything."