Rabbi Teams Up with Student for Martial-Arts Match

If it is unusual for a nice Jewish boy to become a professional martial-arts practitioner, it is even rarer for a Chabad rabbi to become one of his most avid supporters.

But Rabbi Yitzchak Creeger, co-director of the Chabad House at the University of Cincinnati, has been hard at work making it possible for business major and jiu jitsu champion Robby Malof to travel to Israel to compete in an international martial-arts tournament next week.

Malof will be the only U.S. contestant in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Israel Open Championship, which takes place on Sunday, April 13, in Ra’anana, Israel, near Tel Aviv. It is a competition for professional athletes who have been successful at the highest levels of mixed martial arts, such as jiu jitsu, wrestling and judo.

Malof, 22, heard about the event and contacted the promoter about joining the competition. When he was invited to participate, he shared the news with Creeger, who sprang into action to help turn the dream into reality.

“He wants to represent Judaism and do it right, and I want to help him do that,” said Creeger. “I encourage that kind of drive; I’d do whatever I could to help a student achieve his dream.”

Creeger helped Malof find some local sponsors to pay for his plane ticket to Israel and provide some spending money for the University of Cincinnati student.

“I told him if he goes, I want him to celebrate Pesach at a proper seder,” said Creeger, who hopes to arrange for Malof to spend the holiday in Jerusalem. “He told me he wants to visit the Kotel [Western Wall].”

Creeger and Malof met when the rabbi invited him to a Shabbat dinner at the Chabad House on the university campus. The Torah portion that week was Vayishlach, which depictsJacob’s wrestling match with an angel. “I invited him to talk about being a Jew and a wrestler,” said Creeger, “and we connected from there.”

The rabbi’s interest in martial arts predated meeting Malof. When he served as a Chabad rabbi in Binghamton, N.Y., Creeger was invited by some Jewish students to join members of the university wrestling team in what he called some “friendly training” sessions and developed a penchant for the sport.

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “It was extremely invigorating and exciting. Best workout I’ve ever had, and the guys couldn’t be friendlier.”

Trip Proved a Milestone

The rabbi got to know Malof better during a 2012 trip sponsored by Taglit-Birthright Israel; Creeger was one of its leaders. “He is a fighter, but real sweet … very gentle … a spiritual kind of guy,” he said of Malof.

Malof, who was raised as a Conservative Jew, had drifted away from practicing his religion and was trying to find his way back when he met the rabbi. “I wanted to connect with G-d and with Judaism, when I started getting emails from the campus Chabad. Going on the Birthright mission was a milestone.”

When his father became ill and subsequently passed away in 2013, Malof found comfort in Judaism, and his connection deepened.

“I felt extremely lost and out of place. Rabbi Creeger helped me out,” said Malof, whose great-grandfather was a prizefighter in the 1930s. “He helped me view it in different Jewish ways, and it sparked a lot of things.”

Attending a Chabad-sponsored Shabbaton in New York made his commitment to Judaism even stronger.

“I knew nothing about the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory], and I learned so much,” he said. “Now I feel a level of proudness and empowerment—like it’s my job to carry on the name of my family and my people.”

Malof proudly wears a kipah during competitions and remained undaunted when he heard cries of “Go home, Jew boy!” at a recent match in Kentucky.

“I want to break the stereotype, show people that Jews are not weak, nerdy people,” he said. “I want to be an ambassador, change the way people view us.”

Malof began practicing martial arts, with a focus on jiu jitsu, when he joined the school wrestling team in eighth grade. He was 14. “I was a hyper kid; I had a lot of energy and I needed an outlet,” he said. “Wrestling provided that.”

As he honed his skill, his victories mounted. Following a recent win in Chicago, Malof’s world ranking rose to 8th in “no gi” (a form of jiu jitsu practiced without the traditional robes, known as “gi”) and 17th in “gi.”

His father, who was a boxing fan, was initially more accepting than the rest of the family, whose support grew when they realized this was more than just a whim or occasional hobby. Malof said the turning point came in 2011, when he won his first championship bout in Surf City, N.C.

“Everyone started to take me more seriously then,” he said, “but my mother still worries that I’ll get hurt, like a typical Jewish mother.”

Malof took a hiatus from martial arts to work on his studies and develop a personal-training business. He is now ready to open his own 1,200-square-foot studio in Cincinnati, called Limitless Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The initial class offering will include “gi” and “no gi” jiu jitsu, wrestling and self-defense.

“I’m a big fan of the word ‘limitless,’ ” said Malof. “There’s no limit to who you can be and what you can do, and I want everyone who comes through the door to realize that.”