Amit Himelstein is one of the busiest martial artists in Israel. A warrior with long experience who has acquired in-depth knowledge of many martial arts, as well as real life combat experience in the IDF – the Israeli army, and is now recognized internationally as a leading self-defense expert.
Today he regularly conducts workshops for security and military personnel around the world, and krav maga/self defense seminars at martial arts clubs all around the globe.
In Israel the martial arts and MMA academy he established in Kibbutz Manit (near Caesarea) is packed with daily classes, and provides a wide range of options under one roof: Kickboxing and Chinese wrestling (Sanshu/Sanda and Shuai jiao), grappling and multifaceted jiu-jitsu BJJ, military techniques for arresting and take-downs from the world of Krav Maga and tactical combat.
In the article before you, Amit shares his path into the martial arts, and his extensive experience teaching self-defense in Israel and around the world.
Amit, how did you find your way into your first martial arts lesson? how old were you at the time?
I started training at the age of 8.
Born and raised in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, you could say that I was quite a disturbed child within the kibbutz system.
From then on the educational system around me realized that it was worth releasing some of my energy in positive ways, and from there I was directed into the martial arts…
Like many kids in the 80's and 90's I started out with Karate, during my first years in Karate I trained with Michael Wilchik and Rafi Bitton.
Later on I represented Israel as a teenager in a number of Karate combat events overseas, first in Kumite fights and later also in full contact fights.
The biggest of these competitions was held a year before my recruitment to the IDF, at the World Championship in Paris in 1998.
Were you also interested in other martial arts besides karate at that time?
During my first years of training I also entered the world of Krav Maga. Even in those days I found myself moving between the love for the combat-arena and my passion for the practice and mostly exploring within the understanding how many of these worlds compliment one another, and yet they are different.
Thanks to the world of contact fighting and the integration of the Russian immigration in Israel during the 90's which brought with it a deeper understanding of physical combat and how to increase a warrior's arsenal of tools, I was exposed to a wide variety of influences and delved into the dimension of takedowns through Judo and Wrestling.
These first years ended when I joined the army – IDF, for mandatory service.
During my army service I functioned as a team sergeant in an elite unit throughout the second intifada period, at the same time while in this position I was also in charge of the unit's Krav Maga training, and building a training program for the soldiers.
When you mention the Russian immigration and wrestling, did you also have an encounter with Sambo people at the time?
Mostly wrestling and judo people… my grandfather, may peace be upon him, was a Sambo coach.
He was an officer in the Red Army but I did not have the pleasure of meeting him. Having said that, his influence might just run in my blood…
You also spent some time China, did you go there right after completing your 3 years of mandatory army service?
When I had finished my mandatory army service, I took a flight to travel around the world for a bit and after three months I arrived in China…
My goal was to train a little, but from there I found myself falling in love with the world of Chinese Sanshou, which combined the striking and wrestling dimension.
Their striking there was sharp, supported by body-weight exercises of explosive power and range games.
The wrestling was a whole world of learning and refinement – we learned Shuai jiao and Mongolian wrestling.
The takedowns were focused according to the combat styles and there was a huge emphasis on bodyweight training that supports such a load of fights.
And so while the original idea was to stay in China for a little while, it became a much longer period… and I found myself living in this reality training in China from 2003 to 2006, the year I finally returned to Israel and started to establish "Sanshou Israel" Martial Arts Academy.
During the first years of your academy you also taught traditional Chinese Kung Fu weapons such as sword and kung-fu pole , is there still a place for this in your academy today?
I have a great love for traditional fighting.
I believe that traditional patterns whether empty handed or with traditional weapons give a glimpse into well thought training styles and most importantly increase your range of motion and flexibility as a fighter.
In past years I would teach more traditional patterns, today I have a limited number of groups that still learn and practice traditional Kung Fu.
The years have led me to realize that not all trainees are built for understanding and this process and for many of them takes away from the main emphasis of the academy which is combat and competing.
The combat field at the academy has developed way beyond the borders of Chinese wrestling: Sanshou and Shuaijio.
Along with the huge progress of grappling and BJJ in Israel and local MMA events, we began to see more of our students entering the ring during combat events and found ourselves with an annual competition schedule that included many fighting events all across Israel and Europe.
How did your connection with Soke Haim Peer come about?
*note: Haim Peer is head of the local multifight ju-jitsu system and holds high ranks in many fighting methods. Soke: head of martial arts system.
This whole process happened during 2010, when we participated as a team in the World Championship of the American Sanshou Association, after which I stayed a bit longer for a grappling training camp.
Upon my return and with the role I had in the IDF Reserve duty, I got to know Haim Peer, who invited me to join as a guide in one of the seminars held in Israel with his former partner.
They asked me to introduce army style arrest and control content. The seminar was successful and following it I began to regularly guide the organization at the same time as training with Chaim and studying his martial arts methods.
Amit Himelstein with Haim Peer
In 2012, the organization of Haim and his previous partner came to a crossroad, and at the same time as training at my academy, I started a large project within the IDF's Air Force, while I was serving as a leading instructor in that organization, which eventually split.
Haim and I continued without his original partner and we now chose to focus more in the field of security training, working with units of Law enforcement around the world.
In 2014, together with Haim Peer, we began to lead instructor courses at Tel Aviv University's campus, in parallel with our joint work in the organization and the individual work of each of us with different army units in Israel and in our academies.
In 2018, Haim and his teacher – the late Israeli martial arts legend Gadi Skornik, awarded me with a black belt under the Multifight Jiu-Jitsu organization.
These days, you find yourself often on flights to workshops around the world and when you are not conducting workshops abroad you have an academy with a tight schedule and of course a family…
In very busy weeks, what fitness exercise do you make sure not to skip?
Yes, I fly often for teaching seminars.
Fortunately, I am surrounded by a great team that covers me here in Israel at the academy, and a tremendous combat team in the reserves that takes on projects that run on a regular basis that we have with the army.
Anyone who knows or follows me knows that I am a huge proponent of gymnastics and body-weight training. I have with a regular video blog where I post videos of my workouts, and I sometime offer such workouts as programs for clients from all over the world.
Have you developed any routine to maintain your health and fitness with such a busy schedule?
When I'm abroad I usually stick to 2 habits that help me:
1. My diet is free of processed food and I drink lots of water
2. Morning and evening bodyweight training sessions, filled with squats and lots of various push-up exercises and stability work.
In places I visit on a regular basis I usually have a group of friends to wrestle and roll (ground combat practice) in addition to the seminar and body weight training.
Do your students who train at your Sanshou Israel Academy also participate in local BJJ competitions?
About two years ago, the academy still participated in BJJ competitions.
Today we are under a tremendous competitive load thanks to the flourishing of the MMA industry, the wrestling events, and the joint league events we established with other martial arts clubs – an interclub league that includes two events each month.
Do you get to roll with BJJ people according to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rules?
I have been competing in traditional wrestling only for the last few years.
I roll with jiu-jitsu people regularly during training at our club and during my seminars in the world, during guest visits of teachers in my academy and various training camps in which I participate, but not in classical BJJ competitive settings.
What successes have your students had in the last year or two in competitive battles?
A student of mine named Meslis participated and won the last Bellator and Heroes MMA in Tel-Aviv. Gabriel Werklin, a student at the club that I advise, participated in the IFL's grand debut event in Raanana. And 2 more students also advanced to major events in this year's HEROES league.
We take an active part in hosting and participating in all IMAAF events of the Israeli MMA league, with many successes for the young trainees.
What kind of female representation is there in your academy? Is sanshou open to women?
Our Chinese wrestling sanshou classes are open to women, and in our academy there's a special concept known as "Fight like a girl" has been running for years.
At FIGHT LIKE A GIRL, we managed to create an accessible, experiential and challenging training concept that combines the basics of fighting, a lot of fitness and self-defense.
We didn't invent a new method, we just took the things we saw that worked and put it together in a well thought manner.
There are groups for women in the academy that combine Sanshou and Wrestling, and there are also groups focused on functional training.
A longtime student of mine – Noa Tiller, one of the amazing instructors who grew up in my academy, leads this project in Israel and in a number of institutes abroad in recent years
As a teacher who has been teaching children, youth and adults martial arts for years, is there a mantra/motto that you make sure to say in the ears of students?
I work with many diverse age groups…
One of the beautiful things about our martial arts academy is that children who enter kindergarten or one of the training frameworks at the elementary schools, can grow within the academy platform and become competitors in the youth leagues, go through the preparation for the army as part of the fitness groups, enlist in one of the elite units where the academy instructors train, and then travel and train in the various academies of the IKF in the world, develop into the training world, grow as a competitor or enter the security training and combat training led by the academy instructors.
As a coach, I believe that the academy is a family, not necessarily a caressing family, but definitely a family that will take care of lifting you up when it's difficult, directing you to the place where your potential will be realized in the most meaningful way.
We have a mantra that always repeats, "If it won't be simple, it simply will not be"
The training, the sparring partners, the techniques, everything is clean and simple, no complications, simple work, a close-knit family of fighters, with clear goals.
How do you relax after training, workshops and lots of adrenaline?
Gymnastics is my go-to meditation.
In the days after big seminars, workshops I find myself practicing slowly, quietly.
There is something amazing about advanced body weight workout that gives you a deeper understanding of the physical limits, breaks down movement barriers and requires attention to every angle and load.
What book or article did you read recently that particularly interested you? We'll be glad to hear…
I read a lot of articles, mainly history of the East and listen to a lot of lectures and podcasts mainly on sports science.
At the moment I can highly recommend one of the best and educational lectures for mental resilience: Lewis Pugh on changing your mindset after swimming in Everest
You recently conducted self-defense workshops in Bristol (England) and soon you will also be in Germany for another seminar, what other projects are you currently running in Israel?
We run a program in schools in a regional council in Menasha – from elementary to high school including a religious state school. At the center of the program are self-defense training, wrestling and combination groups of special education
And of course at the same time we are continuing the existing projects in the army and abroad. At the moment there is a big project in the paratrooper brigade and very soon a new project with the police forces will also start.
What can you tell us about your program that started last November – "Instructors Exchange"?
This is a project that aims to promote the organization's young up & coming instructors – fighters who spent many years evolving within our academy. This way it gives them exposure at the international level, and it also provides member clubs of our international organization IKF an opportunity to enjoy young instructors input with unique emphases.
Ofek Halan took it upon himself to be the pioneer of the project and he flew at the beginning of November to Canada where he became an instructor at one of the clubs of the Spartan Krav Maga organization and at another club that joined us in the organization last summer.
The content he delivered in Canada is the academy's children and youth program, the basic wrestling program and our Krav Maga programs.