Biography:


Moni started training in Judo and Jiu Jitsu at the age of 8 under Opa Schutte, himself 2 generations away from the founder of Kodokan Judo, Jigoro Kano. Throughout his youth, Moni virtually dominated Israel’s competitive scene, winning national titles 7 times. Deciding not to try for an Olympic birth in hi s late teens, he opted instead to shift his energy to becoming a member of one of the world’s most clandestine and sophisticated military units, responsible for counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering behind enemy lines.

In the 70s, Moni was asked to improve upon the army's existing hand-to-hand combat system, using his extensive knowledge of reality based Jiu Jitsu and competitive Judo, specifically for the use of their special forces. Blending the lethal trinity of Krav Maga, Jiu Jitsu, and Judo, he founded this new system, eventually calling the civilian version Combat Survival. As such, one factor that has always separated Moni from the typical Krav Maga instructor is his depth and range of knowledge in other practical self-defense systems.

After finishing his tour with the military, he would frequently travel to Japan to study the technical wizardry of World Judo and Sambo Champions Isao Okano and Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki. In the meantime, his club in Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv, was quickly becoming recognized as the defacto national training center, and would be the seed to eventually produce the nation’s first Olympic and World Silver medalist in Judo, Yael Arad. Moving to North America in the eighties, he would go on to demonstrate his abilities in both elite instruction and business, as he would establish one of the most successful schools in Canada, the Samurai Club, which would itself house another generation of champions and world famous No Holds Barred fighters, including Ultimate Fighting Champion Carlos Newton, Japanese Shooto star Joel Gerson, and many others. The Samurai Club literally dominated every competition, either provincial or national, that it sent fighters to. The reason jiu jitsu is as big as it is in Canada is primarily due to the club’s foundation of fighters (also including Mark Bocek, Omar Salvosa, etc.) who are all considered the best grapplers or reality based martial artists in the country. Nevertheless, what distinguishes Moni from most instructors in general is not only his ability to spot talent and develop it in a variety of disciplines, but more so his finesse in bringing out the champion in the average person, helping them reach levels they never thought they were capable of, physically and mentally. His latest succesful venture, EDGE COMBAT FITNESS which he co-owns with his student Joel Gerson, is located in the north end of Toronto, in Concord, Ontario.