Rabbi Chaim Simcha Hartford, PhD
Founder of Jewish Combat Arts — martial artist, rabbi, educator, and lifelong student of Torah and combat.
A Life Dedicated to Jewish Strength
Rabbi Chaim Simcha Hartford has spent decades studying and teaching the intersection of Torah wisdom and physical capability. With a PhD in Martial Science and decades of martial arts training, he founded JCA to fill a gap he saw in the Jewish community: the absence of practical self-defense rooted in authentic Jewish values.
His curriculum draws from Krav Maga, traditional Karate, and historical Jewish combat methods — all filtered through halacha and the Sefirot framework he developed over years of teaching frum students of all ages.
Rabbi Hartford believes that a Jew who can defend himself and his community is fulfilling a mitzvah — and that strength and Torah are not opposites, but two expressions of the same divine mandate.
Accomplishments & Credentials
- ◆PhD in Martial Science — International University of San Diego
- ◆Yoreh Yoreh — Certificate of Rabbinical Ordination (Semichah)
- ◆Certified Krav Maga Instructor — trained in Israel and the United States
- ◆Karate Black Belt — multi-decade practitioner and instructor
- ◆Founder of Jewish Combat Arts — Baltimore, MD
- ◆Curriculum designer of the 10-Sefirot belt rank system
- ◆Developer of the 100-Merit character development framework
- ◆In-school program instructor for yeshivot and Jewish day schools
- ◆Community safety workshop instructor for synagogues and organizations
- ◆Speaker on Jewish martial history, halacha of self-defense, and Torah-rooted strength
Since October 7, 2023, over 10,000 antisemitic incidents have shaken American soil. These are not distant statistics. They are lived realities — yeshiva boys hunted in Brooklyn, shuls defaced, Jews afraid to wear a yarmulke on the street.
This program constitutes our response. Not one of panic, but of preparation. Grounded in Torah, aligned with halacha, and informed by practical necessity, Jewish Combat Arts equips Klal Yisrael to respond with strength, kedushah, and clarity.
By focusing on proactive education and skill-building, this program equips communities with concrete tools and guidance to foster resilience and ensure security amid contemporary challenges.
Our Vision for Klal Yisrael
We envision Jewish Combat Arts as a transformative path for Klal Yisrael, renewing our ancestral heritage of defense, strengthening communal bonds, and equipping each student to respond effectively in moments of crisis.
Mere reaction is inadequate. It is essential to prepare our minds, hearts, and bodies so that the defense of life becomes an inherent expression of Torah values — not a contradiction to them.
A Jew must know how to defend himself. Strength and Torah are not opposites — they are one.
Tae Kwon Do Board Breaking Competition and Demonstration
Decades of Study & Certification
- PhD in Martial Science — International University of San Diego
- Yoreh Yoreh — Certificate of Rabbinical Ordination (Semichah)
- Certified Krav Maga Instructor — trained in Israel and the United States in Israeli military self-defense
- Karate Black Belt — multi-decade practitioner and instructor in traditional Karate systems
- Advanced grappling and ground defense training
- Weapons defense certification — knife, stick, and firearm disarm protocols
- In-school physical education instructor for Jewish day schools and yeshivot
- Community safety workshop facilitator — synagogues, schools, and organizations throughout North America
PhD in Martial Science — International University of San Diego
Yoreh Yoreh — Certificate of Rabbinical Ordination
PhD in Martial Science — International University of San Diego
Yoreh Yoreh — Certificate of Rabbinical Ordination