Abir Qesheth History
The history of Abir-Qesheth can be broken up into three periods:
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The time of Avoth until the galuth of several Judean families from Malchuth Yehudah to Habban in Yemen.
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The time of the Bani-Abir in Southern Yemen and the wars that were fought with the surrounding rulers and tribes. During this period the system of Abir evolved due to the struggle for Jewish survival in the region
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The time that the family of the current Aluf Abir – Yehoshua Sofer Maatuf-Dohh (Grandmaster of Abir) left Yemen and the system’s entrance into the modern age.
As one might expect from Torah based Jews, Abir is a combat system which is inseparable from and subordinate to authentic halakhic rulings concerning every action which is taken by its practitioners. The system provides a deep expression of commitment to Hashem, the Torah, and to the people of Israel as a nation.
The Abir system is as effective as a form of physical combat, as it is as a Torah based discipline. An Abir practitioner acquires useful fighting skills that provide solutions to a wide variety of defensive needs. As an ancient Jewish tradition bridging our past and our future, Abir is not just a grab-bag of striking, grappling, and acrobatic tricks. Students of Abir experience tefillah and Torah-study in each training session; although it is not imposed upon students to be Torah observant to any degree outside the walls of the Abir training hall.
Ancient History
According to the Mesorah found amongst members of the Maatuf-Dohh family, ancient Israelis developed a set of fighting techniques used during the various conflicts found in the Tanakh and historical records.
According to this Mesorah these techniques are described in both direct Tanakh texts, halakhic writings, and Midrashic accounts. These accounts are more than just homeletic whispers in time but instead point to a Meosrah that members of the Maatuf-Dohh family maintained in parts until the current era. Want to learn more?
Modern History - Bani Abir
Members of the Maatuf-Dohh family maintained a Mesorah that explains that modern cultural elements of their lives in southern Yemen were actually techniques of an ancient fighting system used by their ancestors.
Brihim bin-Hasan maintained this Mesorah in his everyday life since members of his family served as body-guards for various leaders in the Middle East. This Mesorah was passed down to Awadh ben-Brihim and his sons, one of which teaches this system today. Want to learn more?