Martial Arts

1. אפשר להצטרף לאימון בודד?

   Efshar lehitstaref leimun boded?

   Can I join for a single training session?

   Usage

   Clubs in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem often run a one-off trial session ("shi'ur nisayon") aimed at visitors, and English-taught krav maga classes are common. Israel's martial-arts scene is dominated by krav maga, which grew out of military training, so the atmosphere tends to feel closer to a practical fitness gym than to a traditional dojo

   Grammar Note

   "Efshar" is an impersonal word meaning "it is possible"; "efshar" plus an infinitive is all you need for a polite request or permission question. The preposition "le-" is written attached to the following word: "le-imun"

2. אפשר לצפות באימון קודם?

   Efshar litspot baimun kodem?

   May I watch a session first?

   Usage

   Use this when you want to see the atmosphere and the instructor before committing. Krav maga classes are built around realistic scenarios and may include training knives or replica firearms, so watching first spares you a surprise. Israelis value directness, so asking bluntly is entirely normal

   Grammar Note

   "Litspot" always governs the preposition "be-", so "to watch something" is "litspot be-". When the definite article "ha-" merges with "be-" the result is pronounced "ba-"

3. אפשר לשכור כפפות ומגני שוקיים?

   Efshar liskor kfafot umigeney shokayim?

   Can I rent gloves and shin guards?

   Usage

   Beginner krav maga classes are mostly done without protective gear, but any class with contact will need gloves ("kfafot"). Most gyms keep shared equipment and lend it free on a first visit. A mouthguard ("magen shinayim") is the one item you are expected to own yourself, for hygiene reasons

   Grammar Note

   Feminine plurals end in "-ot" ("kfafa" → "kfafot") and masculine plurals in "-im". In a construct chain (smikhut) the plural "maginim" shortens to "migeney", binding it to the following noun

4. אני מתחיל לגמרי בקרב מגע.

   Ani matkhil legamrey bekrav maga.

   I am a complete beginner at krav maga.

   Usage

   Say this first. "Krav maga" literally means "contact combat"; it was systematised by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1940s and later adopted as the hand-to-hand system of the Israeli defence forces. Several international bodies such as KMG and IKMF now certify instructors, and Tel Aviv has English-language classes open to visitors. A woman says "ani matkhila"

   Grammar Note

   The Hebrew present tense doubles as an adjective or noun and inflects for gender and number: "matkhil", "matkhila", "matkhilim", "matkhilot". No copula is needed — "ani" plus the present form is a complete sentence

5. בבקשה קצת יותר בעדינות.

   Bevakasha ktsat yoter beadinut.

   Please go a bit more gently.

   Usage

   Use this to lower the intensity in grappling or striking. Krav maga deliberately trains you under stress, so drills can ramp up fast — speak up early rather than pushing through. To ask for the opposite, say "yoter khazak" (harder)

   Grammar Note

   Comparatives are formed simply by putting "yoter" before the adjective. The pattern "be-" plus an abstract noun creates an adverbial phrase: "adinut" (gentleness) becomes "be-adinut" (gently)

6. יש לי פציעה בברך, אפשר לוותר על הבעיטות?

   Yesh li ptsi'a baberekh, efshar levater al habe'itot?

   I have a knee injury — could we skip the kicking drills?

   Usage

   Always say this before training. Swap "berekh" (knee) for "katef" (shoulder), "gav" (back) or "karsol" (ankle). Knee strikes and front kicks are core krav maga techniques, so a knee problem in particular needs flagging

   Grammar Note

   Hebrew has no verb "to have"; possession is expressed with "yesh le-" plus a person ("yesh li" = I have). "Levater" always takes the preposition "al", giving "to give up on" or "to skip"

7. כמה עולה מנוי חודשי וכמה עולה אימון בודד?

   Kama ole manuy khodshi vekama ole imun boded?

   How much is a monthly membership, and how much for a single session?

   Usage

   Israel's currency is the shekel (₪). A gym membership is a "manuy" and is normally sold as a fixed-term contract. Prices in Israel are high across the board and martial-arts clubs are no exception. Long contracts can be hard to cancel, so a visitor is better off with single sessions or a multi-entry card ("kartisiya")

   Grammar Note

   "Ole" literally means "rises" but is the standard verb for what something costs. Adjectives follow their noun and agree with it in gender and number: "manuy khodshi"

8. יש שיעור לנשים בלבד?

   Yesh shi'ur lenashim bilvad?

   Is there a women-only class?

   Usage

   Krav maga is above all a self-defence system, and women-only classes are extremely common. Because military service applies to both sexes in Israel, many women already have basic combat training, so these classes can run at a higher level than you might expect. Cities also have classes catering to religiously observant students who require gender separation

   Grammar Note

   The plural of "isha" (woman) is irregular: "nashim". "Bilvad" follows the noun to mean "only" and belongs to the more formal register; in speech you can put "rak" before the noun instead

9. איפה אפשר לראות את לוח האימונים?

   Eyfo efshar lir'ot et luakh haimunim?

   Where can I see the training timetable?

   Usage

   The Israeli week starts on Sunday, and from Friday afternoon until sunset on Saturday is Shabbat, when most gyms close or run reduced hours — do not count on Friday-afternoon or Saturday classes. Jewish holidays such as Passover and Yom Kippur bring further closures

   Grammar Note

   The particle "et" is obligatory before a definite direct object and never used with an indefinite one. "Luakh ha-imunim" is a construct chain, so the article attaches only to the second noun

10. אפשר להראות לי את התרגיל שוב, לאט?

    Efshar lehar'ot li et hatargil shuv, le'at?

    Could you show me the drill again, slowly?

    Usage

    The most useful line when words run out. Krav maga is taught as a sequence — attack, counter, disengage — so if you lose the thread it is better to stop and ask than to guess. "Targil" is the general word for a drill or exercise

    Grammar Note

    "Lehar'ot" is the causative (hif'il) form of "ra'a" (to see), hence "to show". Deriving meanings by casting a three-letter root such as r-'-h into different patterns is the heart of the Hebrew verb system

11. מתי מותר לי להשתתף בספארינג?

    Matay mutar li lehishtatef besparing?

    When am I allowed to take part in sparring?

    Usage

    Krav maga leans on scenario drills rather than free exchange, and actual sparring is often reserved for advanced classes — leave the decision to the instructor. In a boxing or MMA class, by contrast, light sparring usually opens up after a handful of sessions

    Grammar Note

    "Mutar" (permitted) is impersonal and combines with "le-" plus a person: "mutar li" = I am allowed. Its opposite is "asur" (forbidden)

12. יש מקלחות וחדר הלבשה?

    Yesh miklakhot vekheder halbasha?

    Are there showers and a changing room?

    Usage

    Large Tel Aviv gyms come fully equipped with showers and lockers. Israeli summers are humid and you will sweat heavily, so a change of clothes and a towel are essential. Krav maga uses no gi — a T-shirt and comfortable trousers are the norm

    Grammar Note

    "Khadar halbasha" is a construct chain meaning "dressing room". "Yesh" never inflects for the gender or number of what exists, so it covers a list of items unchanged

13. איפה אפשר לראות תחרות ג'ודו?

    Eyfo efshar lir'ot takharut judo?

    Where can I watch a judo competition?

    Usage

    Judo is a genuine national strength in Israel, with several Olympic medallists, and is widely followed. Fixtures are listed by the Israel Judo Association and posted in gyms. Krav maga has essentially no competitive circuit, so if you want to watch actual bouts you will be looking at judo, wrestling or boxing instead

    Grammar Note

    The letter gimel with an apostrophe writes the sound [dʒ], which native Hebrew lacks. Likewise tsadi with an apostrophe gives [tʃ] and zayin with one gives [ʒ] — all devices for spelling loanwords

14. יש אימונים גם בשבת?

    Yesh imunim gam beshabat?

    Are there sessions on Shabbat too?

    Usage

    A question specific to Israel. From sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, public transport stops and most facilities close for Shabbat. Secular cities such as Tel Aviv have gyms that open on Saturday, but in Jerusalem you should assume everything is shut. Worth asking when planning your days

    Grammar Note

    "Shabat" names both the weekday and the religious day of rest, and is used like a proper noun without an article. "Gam" is placed immediately before the word it emphasises

15. תרים ידיים ותסתכל לו בעיניים.

    Tarim yadayim vetistakel lo baeynayim.

    Hands up, and look him in the eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. Israeli classes give short, blunt instructions with none of the softening you might expect. Addressing a woman the endings change to "tarimi ve-tistakli". In krav maga, controlling where you look is taught as part of the technique itself

    Grammar Note

    Spoken modern Hebrew normally uses the second-person future in place of the formal imperative: "tarim" = raise. Paired body parts take the dual ending "-ayim", as in "yadayim" (hands) and "eynayim" (eyes)

16. תכה בכל הכוח, אל תתאפק.

    Take bekhol hakoakh, al tit'apek.

    Hit with everything you have, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor while holding the pads — both a demand for commitment and permission to give it. Krav maga puts heavy emphasis on ingraining the feel of a genuinely committed counter-attack, so you will hear this constantly

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition is "al" plus the second-person future ("al tit'apek"). The negator must be "al", not "lo". "Lehit'apek" belongs to the reflexive hitpa'el pattern, hence "to restrain oneself"

17. הפסקה של חמש דקות, תשתו מים.

    Hafsaka shel khamesh dakot, tishtu mayim.

    Five-minute break — drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. Israeli summers are hot and humid, and the coastal strip around Tel Aviv is particularly draining. Tap water is drinkable throughout the country, so a refillable bottle is all you need. The plural "tishtu" is used because the whole class is being addressed

    Grammar Note

    Numerals agree in gender with the counted noun: "daka" (minute) is feminine, so the feminine "khamesh" is used, where a masculine noun would take "khamisha". "Mayim" (water) is always grammatically plural

18. מספיק להיום. כל הכבוד!

    Maspik lehayom. Kol hakavod!

    That's enough for today. Well done!

    Usage

    Said by the instructor to close the session. "Kol ha-kavod" — literally "all the honour" — is the most common expression of praise in Israel and comes out at the end of practically every class. Answer with "toda" (thank you). Tipping is not a custom

    Grammar Note

    "Le-hayom" contracts the preposition "le-", the article "ha-" and "yom" (day) into "for today". "Kol ha-kavod" is a fixed verbless phrase used as an exclamation on its own

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