The Rabbi in the Ring
Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, an assistant Chabad rabbi from San Diego, Calif., recently made news when he fought his first amateur MMA fight, winning by TKO in the second round. Several publications covered the story, but much of coverage focused more on the oddity of a man of G-d stepping in to the MMA ring and less on the spiritual message he was trying to convey by doing so.
Rabbi Yossi grew up in San Diego, the son of chabad emissaries, and was always acrobatic as a young kid. When he was 12, his parents hired an assistant rabbi who happened to be a krav maga instructor. Yossi trained with him learning the art of krav maya until going to yeshiva in Los Angeles for high school.
As a teenager Rabbi Yossi became even more interested in athletics, sports, and self-defense. He first became a lifeguard and swimming coach, then an amateur Krav Maga instructor for his fellow students in the Yeshiva Jewish School, and later taking firearm safety and public safety classes and mastering nunchuks and fire technique.
After finishing the rabbinical program Yossi came back to San Diego for an assistant rabbi position where he met an MMA trainer and former UFC fighter Thierry Sokoudjou, who suggested that they start training together.
Having gone to a kickboxing gym back in Los Angeles, this was an easy transition for Yossi and after training enthusiastically for a few months he agreed to participate in one amateur fight – in order to truly test his technique in the closest thing to a real self-defense scenario. Rabbi Yossi won the fight by TKO and became a sensation over night when the story was picked up by a local news station.
Rabbi Yossi’s reason for fighting in the octagon was overshadowed by the novelty of the news story. What the media failed to portray was that Yossi Eilfort hates confrontations and actually successfully avoided a few fights in his life. This one fight was just one event in his 10 years journey of training in martial arts and related disciplines.
He said he felt uncomfortable by the misleading portrayal of his desire to be an amateur fighter. His life goal is to become a police chaplain, providing a spiritual viewpoint and emotional support to law enforcement officers, as well as starting a special gym and training facility for the Jewish religious community.
According to Yossi, his life-long interest in martial arts and physical activity has actually enhanced his spiritual pursuits, his mental focus and ability to learn religious texts for hours at a time.
His message is this: You don’t have to compromise your religious lifestyle to live a healthy, active life, even if that means becoming a martial artist.
A Shaliach
Where do you draw the line??
Leading a “religious lifestyle” is apparently not the same as truly a being frum Yid these days… Looks can be deceiving. To be sure, fighting like an animal in a cage is not befitting a “man of G-d” no matter how long his peyos or tzitzit. This guy sounds like an ADD type who needs to release pent up energy. So why does he have to pound the head of another person (or get his own head pounded) to relieve himself?
All these excuses he puts forth defending his actions, i.e. it helps Torah learning, etc. are just that — excuses. There are many other forms of exercise he could choose to partake in but he must engage in vicious, bloody combat to learn Torah? Give me a break.
hat_glasses_beard
“Leading a “religious lifestyle” is apparently not the same as truly a being frum Yid these days”
Are you confusing Yiddishkite and Chassidishkite?
I’m no Ruv but I dont remember learning anywhere that fighting as sport was against halacha. Granted, it does not come across as ‘refined’ but that has no connection with Shulchan Orech! If you want to argue that he is not very Chassidish because you dont think our Rebbe would approve, thats ok. Dont start questioning someone’s religious status because they participate in a sport that makes you uncomfortable.
“… Looks can be deceiving.”
IDK man, everyone who I have interacted with online seems to say otherwise!
“This guy sounds like an ADD type who needs to release pent up energy.”
No amount of disapproval from such a moral authority such as yourself justifies making such hurtful comments in public. And lets say he is, lets say he is a high energy guy who needs an outlet to get out this G-d given energy… shouldn’t you be happy he has an opportunity to vent it in a healthy manner? (Now I know you think MMA is “fighting like an animal in a cage” but I wont judge you on your complete misunderstanding of MMA culture.) In an age where Chabad teens are taking their beards off, not putting on tefillin in the morning, and maybe violating some of the laws of purity, dont you think we should be happy to see someone who not only still follows the shulchon orech but also still has a beard, works in a chabad house, and finds a healthy way to channel his energy?
“All these excuses he puts forth defending his actions, i.e. it helps Torah learning”
Read it again buddy: “According to Yossi, his life-long interest in martial arts and physical activity has actually enhanced his spiritual pursuits, his mental focus and ability to learn religious texts for hours at a time.” How you doing with your spiritual pursuits my dear “shliach”? Yossi expressed his opinion that this active lifestyle has helped him. How can you counter whats going on inside him? Have you learned Perek Lamad of Tanya? You CANNOT know whats going on inside someone. Its impossible.
I can say that playing music through yeshivah and now as I transition out of the system saved me. Without my music I would never would have been able to go to zall and learn. I am one of those ADD people you speak of, I am glad I found my outlet and I am glad Yossi found his.
Judging by your opinion and horrible rant style I am going to assume your not “A Shliach” but a horribly sad person who has not had the opportunity to find their outlet.
Chaim
Whatever his good intentions were, they were overshadowed by this anti-Torah and embarassing spectacle of the crowd made up of goyim cheering, “Go Rabbi! Rabbi!”, as he wrestles his opponent shirtless, in the ‘octogon’.
It’s great that he has a noble cause and a passion, but everything MUST be expressed through the guidelines and parameters of Torah and Halacha. Not just what feels good.
poll
the poll has a inappropriate picture
Give me a break
Why confuse your desires with the your avodas Hashem? There’s nothing spiritual about it. yodayim yedei eisav. It’s not the yidishe way, never was, never will be.
jason
To #4 and all negative commentators: Whether you like it or not, MMA is a sport, brutal as it may be at times, its still a sport, has rules and parameters and one who is trained in MMA is less likely to fight in the street and also puts a person in a position to defend themselves and family without a gun. The fighters in the ring respect each other and the unbelievable amount of preparation and effort it takes to train. They will tell you that the preparation and training is probably more difficult than the timed fight.
To say its not the “yidishe way, never was” contradicts the Jewish warriors of the past from King David, Joshua, Maccabees, etc. One doesn’t just pick up a sword and fight, it takes time and dedication to become an expert warrior as this Rabbi has dedicated. If anything, this Rabbi emulates the Jewish warriors of hte past we hold so dearly to. Perhaps if all Jews were to take upon this level of physical dedication to self defense, we wouldn’t be so easily stuck into an oven. Sorry that is the truth.
Friend
Anyone who knows Yossi will tell you he is a straight up outstanding person. Only the truth though is he is even better then outstanding. The year I spent with him in Pittsburgh proved to not only me, but rather to everyone around him, that one can have a both physical and spiritual life.
P.S.
Have a safe trip back to San Diego!
amen
lets please not turn him into some sort of “shliach” trying to send a message to be mekarev yiddin.
he is a JEW, he is a FIGHTER and he has a smart buisness manager!!!
thats all!!!!!!!
B
Rabbi Yossi is great! And I think he has a really good message, I think incorporating more physical activity and sports into the yeshiva system, without sacrificing time for Torah study / classes would bring fitness to our kids and be an amazing benefit to our people!
kol hakavod
someone who doesn’t lower his standard as a frum person
so all you negative people out there should stop judging people before you know them, even if you don’t… where is dan lekaf schut?!?!
Mendel
Chullul Hashem?
hat_glasses_beard
Why?
To the outside world this is a MMA fighter who holds on to his religious ideals!
For people who have a distorted idea of what religious life is like this is an eye opener!
This is not a Chillul Hashem, this is an inspiration, this is a Kiddush Hashem!
Hat_Glasses_Beard_Yarmulke_Tzitzit_Down_To_The_Floor
Actually, for people who have a distorted idea of what religious life is like this will only make them more confused!
hat_glasses_beard
I can only speak for the members of my Chabad House. As with Demitri, they find this guy an inspiration.
As far as Chillul Hashem is concerned, I think he did fine. The original story was positive and the feedback that I saw was as well!
coral springer
he wrestled my older brother in yeshiva and my brother took him down rather quickly;)
no jokes, but yossi good on ya…
he’s also a big mitzva yid, doing dances at simchas for anyone he can go to make mesameich;)
may his fighting help be a light to the nations and he should be matzliach in his hafatza
To all the negative commenters
It’s not fair for you to judge someone that you don’t know and decide that he is not chassidish or what he’s doing isn’t. Yossi is a very calm and sweet guy and gives a lot of his personal time to others. He spends his time being mesameach a lot of people. While this may not seem like a sport, its not different than playing football, hockey or basketball. And to the people freaking out that he isnt wearing a shirt, seriously, calm yourselves and find something better to do with your time. It’s erev shabbos, go cook or clean your house instead of sitting here ragging.
wow
this man is far from add he ‘s a very nice bocher he has feeling of lamentation he’s a smart man i think his gole is to make sure an Muslim gets of the ring so that he can make him in to what he really is and make that man cringe away from Jew hatting
Sarah
“…perhaps he is one of these ADD types…”
As if these ADD types have a choice.
Did you edit before you hit [add comment]?
Do you realize how condescending you sound?
Granted, I also “have a problem” with anyone being in a sport where the point is to harm another being. (Boxing, and wrestling are also on my list of sports I won’t watch.) But that does not give me the right to demean another person.
to number 2.
This is not a question of chasidishkeit, and taking off your shirt is not the biggest issue here.
it is forbidden in shulchan aruch to hit another person even if the other person gives permission. and it is also forbidden to hit yourself. this isur is min hatorah!!!
see alter rebbes shulchan aruch chelek 6 hilchos nizkei guf v’nefesh.
I wonder what being frum these days means? wearing a yarmulka in public?
???
Beating the hide off someone is sport? Forget about being “Chassidish.”
I believe
the negative comments are not judging him as a person, this sport is what’s being judged. I too, believe he should use his energy for something more positive.
my thoughts..
I think people should just leave him alone already…I’m sure he never wanted it to attract this much attention. I bet his intentions were good and he’s probably moved on to other things now…
וואס טוט א איד אין אזעלכע פלעצער
זיך שלאגן אויסרייסן ביינער
לא זו דרכינו