Yehoshua Sofer facts for kids
Yehoshua Sofer is a talented artist from both Israel and Jamaica. He is known as a hip hop and rap singer. He is also a skilled martial artist. Yehoshua Sofer created his own martial arts style called Abir-Qesheth Hebrew Warrior Arts. He teaches this style in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv through the Abir Warrior Arts Association of Israel.
Sofer says his family has passed down this martial arts tradition for a very long time. He believes it comes from ancient Israelite times. He says it was kept alive by a secret group called "Bani Abir" in Habban, Yemen. Sofer sees this martial arts training as a way to continue the practices of the Jewish people from before the Second Temple period. This unique style uses the Hebrew alphabet for inspiration. Many of its moves and stances are based on Hebrew letters.
Early Life and Training
Yehoshua Sofer was born in 1958 in Jamaica. When he was five years old, in 1963, his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he began studying a martial art called Tang Soo Do. By the age of ten, in 1968, he had already earned a black belt.
Later, in 1974, he started learning Kuk Sool Won. He became very skilled, reaching the level of 6th dan. During the 1970s and 1980s, Sofer used his martial arts skills professionally. He worked as a trainer and also as a bodyguard.
Music Career Highlights
In the 1990s, Yehoshua Sofer became known as a hip hop singer and rapper. He used the stage name Nigel Addmore. In 1993, he was an MC on an album called Humus Metamtem. One song from this album, "Hummus makes you stupid," became very popular in Israeli clubs.
Sofer has also appeared in documentary films. He was featured in "Awake Zion" in 2005. Later, in 2016, he appeared in "Hummus the Movie". These films helped share his story and his unique background with a wider audience.
Developing Abir-Qesheth
In 2000, Yehoshua Sofer was running a Kuk Sool Won school. This school was located at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
Then, in 2002, he started something new. He founded the Abir Warrior Arts Association of Israel. Through this association, he began teaching his own special martial arts style. It is called “Abir-Qesheth Hebrew Warrior Arts” (אבי״ר-קשת אומנות לחימה עברית). He teaches this style in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Sofer states that this style is a family tradition. He says it dates back to ancient Israelite times. He claims it was kept secret by a group called "Bani Abir" in Habban, Yemen. Sofer calls himself Aluf Abir / אלוף אבי״ר, which means "Grandmaster of Abir." He believes this martial art continues the practices of the Jewish people from long ago.
The word אביר in modern Hebrew means "knight." The Abir-Qesheth style is inspired by the Hebrew alphabet. Its movements and stances are based on the shapes of Hebrew letters.
See also
- Krav Maga, a modern Israeli martial art developed in the 1940s by Imi Sde-Or.
