Being the Candle: The 2015 Haganah Annual Conference

A few years ago now, when I met Sigung, Grandmaster Frank Yee, he told us some very wise words. He said as important as tradition is, innovation is just as, if not more important. When he wanted to write his book on the 5 Animal Form in 1987, he knew he couldn't do it because he was still creating and formulating his art. He constantly was innovative and evolved over the years. It was only this past year in 2014 that this book was published.

In the summer of 2013, I met my mentor's mentor for the first time. Founder of the Haganah system, Mike Lee Kanarek. You can read about my first meeting with him here. He was amazing, real, brilliant, and intense. I attended yet another seminar with him one year later, and I had asked him to be involved with a long term project which I ended up doing a Youtube Special in October. I have been training in Haganah under my mentor Master Samuel DeJesus since January 2012 and even took a FIGHT test under him at his school.

This month in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Mike Lee had hosted his annual Haganah Conference where all his Haganah Black Belts and chosen FIGHT instructors from across the nation came together to train, be upgraded in the system, and to some even test for their Haganah Black Belt. The very first Conference was held in 2005. Since then the Conferences were held in places such as Las Vegas and at the headquarters in Florida.

Let's explain a few things first before you get lost in all the lingo. FIGHT stands for Fierce Israeli Guerilla Hand-to-hand Tactics, a system that mixes principles of Krav Maga and Hisdarut, and combatives and tactics from Mike Lee's experience in the Israeli Special Forces. Its a fantastic, elite fighting system of high level self-defense, for lack of a better description (at least without cursing lol). The system had developed and expanded over the years and branched into areas of ground surivavl material, Israeli Tactical Knife fighting, and Israeli Pistol Tactical Training dealing with the high stress situations involving rifle and pistol usage.

One can become a Black Belt in the FIGHT system but in order to become a Haganah Black Belt, only Mike Lee himself can produce those Black Belts and only after one does an intense amount of training and certified in all areas of Haganah, not just the FIGHT system. These tests would be done once a year ONLY at the annual conference. My mentor happens to be a Mike Lee Kanarek (MLK) Black Belt.

The Haganah Black Belts and FIGHT Instructors gathering for the annual conference.

I do not know how much information I am allowed to convey so I will keep my information limited, but changes in the direction the organization have been made for the betterment of EVOLUTION. Evolution to the system, evolution to the protocols, evolution to the quality, as any true founder would do. Mike Lee's entire FIGHT material has been changed and upgraded #Evolved. It's the second generation, of Gen 2 material. I got certified in the gun material in November at the headquarters in PA with Stu Bryant who is a fantastic ambassador of Mike Lee's. I had the opportunity to go to the conference this year and complete my Gen 2 certification and learn the upgraded empty hand and knife material as well, and train with other Haganah Black Belts, be with my mentor and many other I have met over the years, and witness a MLK Haganah Black Belt test which spanned over the three days we were there.

Learning from Mike Lee is phenomenal. He has a very charismatic personality, rough around the edges, but a REAL person. He tells it how it is, he has no problem giving his opinion, but he is developing you and building you up in the process. But also to see him demonstrate his own material is priceless as well. There were some fantastic guests during the conference as well.

For reasons I won't disclosing because I do not know to the extent of what I can share, the conferences will be changing in the future after this particular one, and only those attended this very conference will be allowed to attend these conferences for their continued education in Haganah and are all the true ambassadors of the Haganah system in Mike Lee Kanarek's name. I was honored to be a part of this brotherhood and this very event, and all left as Gen 2 Instructors. I also wanted to represent all my mentor had taught me over the years with great quality as well. I owe it to him to being a part of this world.

Another highlight was that one of my mentors was testing for his Haganah Black Belt at this conference! Rick I met as a FIGHT Instructor at Rockaway Fight Center, and I believe is Master DeJesus's first student to become a Haganah Black Belt! He went through a lot of conditioning, stress and aggression drills, high level stress scenarios with the rifles and pistols, build ups drills with combatives and endurance, and the entire Gen 2 FIGHT material, ending with sparring. Without getting into much detail, it was amazing what these candidates had to pull through for this weekend. Mike Lee kept the standards high.

Rick Testing for his Haganah Black Belt under Mike Lee Kanarek.,

Again, without disclosing too much information and not a lot of detail, this group is the last to do their MLK Haganah testing at an annual conference. Testing procedures will be different and there are not 6 platinum Haganah schools across the nation that can produce Haganah Black Belts from Oregon, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, and others. The Haganah headquarters was in Florida for about a decade, I think. There was this HUGE banner that would be at the hosting headquarters and was given to Stu Bryant when the headquarters was relocated to Pennsylvania this past year. This was another evolved concept.

Mike Lee had decided to do away with a central headquarters and the headquarters would be spread among all the ambassadors at this very conference. He had cut up that large banner that these individuals have seen for so many years and gave the pieces to each one of us, signed and numbered. Wherever we are, that is a part of the legacy of Haganah and it's longevity. I have my piece framed and hung up in my school already. To many of the people who have known Mike Lee for so long, it was like he was giving a piece of his heart to each of us. It was a beautiful moment, and you couldn't help but be so proud to be apart of this brotherhood.

As militant as the art is, Mike Lee has a tremendous amount of experience in traditional martial arts, and although he may tell you technically he does not keep the physical elements in his system, he certainly does keep the same principles alive in his system as a true martial art would be. How do I know that? First and foremost, the amount of LOYALTY that was in that room was overwhelming and so comforting to see. There is not one person in that room who did not have the most utmost loyalty to Mike Lee Kanarek. They would have his back no matter what, and truth is, he has all our backs in return. I do know that it took a long hard road to be sure of the true allegiance of people he had in his system, but as with anything, you go through the rough waves to find what is needed.

The greatest martial arts masters have that very key. I see it with Mike Lee Kanarek and his Haganah Black Belts. I see it with Grandmaster Kang and his long time students. Joe Lewis had it with his proteges, and Mike Lee has for the late warrior. I see it with my own Sifu and his Sifu as well. I saw it with the martial artists down south with Master Kathy and Master McNeil. I am beginning to see it in my new generation of students now as well. Loyalty is key. And Mike Lee Kanarek knows his family is strong not just physically, but loyally.

It was an honor to be a part of this and I strive to be a good ambassador for Mike Lee and to also continue to represent my personal mentor as well. I want to congratulate my mentor, master Samuel DeJesus who was promoted to 3rd Dan in Haganah aand some other warriors from our area such as Sifu Dave and Ed Du Plessis. Also thank you to my buddy Allison who joined me in this certification process and Stu Bryant for all his help and hosting this conference, and his excellent students. And to the other instructors and Black Belts who helped in the training and gave good training as well, especially Mark and Steve. Congratulations Mike Lee on a successful conference. It was badass, and I am proud to be a part of it. (BOWS)