Mike Lee
Mike Lee Kanarek was a member of a hard-core small team Special Ops unit of the Israeli Defense Forces that operated behind enemy lines where extreme violence was daily routine. Mike brings to the table his knowledge as a world class Hand-to-Hand Combat instructor and over 20 years of full contact martial arts experience to teach you to the secrets to devastating an attacker...fast!
MIKE LEE KANAREK, Chief US Instructor - Haganah
Mike Lee Kanarek was born of a Vietnamese mother and American soldier father in 1967 in the midst of the Vietnam War. He was adopted by a Jewish family and brought to Belgium. His adoptive father was a soldier in the Haganah - the partisan army that fought for statehood for Israel. Mike lived in Europe for part of his youth and in Israel for most of it. As a tribute to his Asian heritage, his adoptive parents enrolled him in Judo training at the age of six.
At 18, Mike volunteered for service in the IDF and stepped back into the crucible of combat as an Israeli Special Operations Group Commando of the battle-hardened Golani Brigade. He has 3 years active duty combat experience. His hard-core small team Special Ops unit operated behind enemy lines where extreme violence was daily routine. He has become a world class Hand-to-Hand Combat instructor. Mike brings to the table this knowledge and over 20 years of full contact martial arts experience to teach you to devastate an attacker fast.
Mike speaks six languages, including English, Hebrew and French, and has trained individuals from over a dozen countries in Haganah tactics.
Mike has used his unique vision and experience to found Haganah, a progressive mixed Israeli self-defense and fighting system that addresses the needs of everyone - from housewives to homeland security professionals. He has achieved the only endorsement of a street fighting system given in the past 20 years by a legendary martial artist - the father of American kickboxing and a peer of Bruce Lee - Joe Lewis - himself a marine veteran of none other than the same war that produced Mike. "I've seen Mike train people in his system," says Joe, World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion.
"His program is outstanding. Everyone is impressed by his material and method of teaching."
Mike's system, Haganah (which translates from Hebrew to 'Defense'), is now taught in over 50 locations throughout the U.S. Thirty more are adopting it. He has certainly overcome the odds. And he has developed a system designed to help law abiding citizens do the same.
In addition to his civilian clientele, Mike trains agents of the FBI, DEA, US Secret Service and local SWAT and other law enforcement agencies. Training includes hand-to-hand combat, tactical knife fighting, combat shooting and counter-terrorist tactics. Haganah is currently taught to US military at the base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where the Taliban and other terrorist prisoners are being held.
Mike's passion is bringing together the best elements of various practical combat fighting arts as taught by world-class instructors, adding military tested elements, and teaching them in the fastest, most effective way possible to enable people to come home safe each day. Mike is an elite operator who is interested in teaching what he knows to students at all levels. He derives satisfaction from helping the average person develop new skills and self-confidence and seeing them walk out feeling powerful.