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I met Mr. Moni Aizik (the founder of Commando Krav Maga) in
Bermuda in October 2006 at a “Public Seminar” my karate training buddy
insisted we attend. Having over 25
years experience in martial arts, including a black belt in Okinawan karate,
I appreciated Mr. Aizik’s acknowlegement of traditional martial arts. His instance on ‘running away to safety’ as
the foremost tactic of self-defence assured me he knew what he was teaching. After the course, I stayed in communication with Moni Aizik
and assisted him with some offshore business contacts as I am a business and
technology consultant by profession. At
the time, I was making arrangements to move to Australia to be with my
fiance. Upon seeing an opportunity to
bring CKM to the land down under, I recruited my best Aussie mate Rob
Didriksen, (a former police Tactical Response Group Officer), to take the
instructor training course with me. With
no local course available, Rob and I attended the instructor training course
in Newmarket Ontario in March 2007 and received our Level 2 instructor
certificates. The
instructor agreement I signed says I can “teach up to one level
below me”. As a Level 2 instructor, I
take that to mean I have the right to teach Level 1 instructors, (for which
there is no certification system in place by Moni Aizik). I clearly communicated my desire to do so
prior to commiting myself and my training partner to the course fee of
$2,000.00 USD each, plus our travel and accomodation expenses (roughly
totalling $10,000.00 AUD). Moni Aizik
was well aware of our intention from the start to promote CKM throughout the
region and he himself reviewed and accepted my instructor application - without
comment - although I specified “Australia Pacific” as my requested
territory. While Rob stayed in Canada, I returned to Australia and
began teaching CKM at two locations in Brisbane. My classes were small, but I persevered,
building a growing clientele through considerable promotional work. Rob returned to Australia a month later and
we were keen to begin promoting the system in the other state capitals, but
that’s when we became aware of some of the trouble with CKM. The proprietor of the local martial arts supply shop asked
if I was involved in the CKM instructor course they were displaying a poster
for. To my surprise I saw advertising
materials featuring Moni Aizik promoting an Australian instructor course in
Melbourne, Victoria organized by Mr. Bozidar (Bob) Gabersek, a well know
self-defence instructor and seminar presenter. I immediately contacted Mr. Aizik to
inquire about the course and find out why I had to hear about it through other
sources rather than from him directly.
I was given an excuse about “a communications breakdown” and assured
that I would be kept in the loop regarding the Australian course. I considered arranging for Moni Aizik come to Brisbane to
do a seminar to promote CKM in Queensland.
Mr. Aizik advised me his fee would be $3,000.00 U.S. dollars, plus
airfare and expenses for a one day seminar.
Upon review, I advised Mr. Aizik it was unrealistic to expect adequate
attendance in Brisbane to cover his costs plus advertising, promotions and
facilities rental. It would take 24
people at $200 AUD each just to cover the costs and I pointed out that none
of the one-day seminar photos on his website had that many students in
attendance. I requested he waive a
portion of his fee, or assume some of the risk of attendance in order to
promote the system here in a new country.
He advised me he would not discount his fee, nor assume any risk and
that I should be willing to pay him in order to promote it for my own benefit
from new students. Further, he advised
me that doing seminars wasn’t in his best interest and that I should “do the
math, the money is in teaching instructors”.
Our relationship notably soured at this point when he realized I was
not willing to pay for the privilage of promoting his system. I returned to the same martial arts shop a month later
only to see a new poster promoting the Australian course – now relocated to
my home city of Brisbane. The promoter
was now Mr. Graham Healy, a Brisbane based martial arts instructor. Mr. Healy was contacted by Mr. Gabersek who
had decided to not go ahead with the CKM course, in spite of having already
given Mr. Aizik $3,000.00 USD as a deposit.
When I telephoned Graham Healy, he immediately knew who I was and told
me he had done his research, knew I was the first CKM instructor in Australia
and that he had communicated with Moni Aizik about potential problems
regarding stepping on my toes. Mr. Healy
forwarded me an e-mail from Moni Aizik confirming this conversation
and as such I regarded him as an honest and forthright individual. Graham Healy and I met and discussed the
possiblity of jointly promoting the CKM instructor course and CKM in
Australia and the Pacific region. I contacted Moni Aizik by telephone and was surprised
when he claimed
he was unaware he was going to be teaching in Brisbane and that
Brisbane was the city I am based in – in spite of my profile being listed on
the CKM website as Brisbane and my gift to him of a Brisbane shirt at the
course I attended. Listening to him
stammer around trying to come up with his ‘explanation’ is practically
comical. I lost a lot of respect for
Mr. Moni Aizik at that moment. Upon reviewing the financial arrangements for the CKM
instructor course I declined to participate and advised Graham Healy that
further contribtion would be “throwing good money after bad”. I have extensive business experience and am
well aware of normal business procedures that limit financial exposure and
risk based on reasonable expectations of return. Let us not forget, the martial arts
business is a business and must ultimatly be profitable for the efforts of
those involved. Vague assurances of
student enrolment and a title of “National Director” do not put food on the
table, nor assure the continued growth of the business. After a first failed attempt, the instructor course was
confirmed for 18-20 November 2007 in Brisbane. A “Public Seminar” one-day class (mandatory
for the instructor students), was scheduled for 17 November 2007, serving as
Mr. Healy’s sole opportunity to recoup some of the costs of brining Mr. Moni
Aizik to teach the instructor course and the significant trans-Pacific
airfare. Mr. Gabersek (now no longer
involved), had his $3,000.00 USD deposit go toward the costs and would never
see a dime in return. Mr. Moni Aizik
took payment of $1,500.00 AUD from each student directly for the three day
instructor course. It is important to understand that I do not begrudge Mr. Aizik
making money from the system he created.
My concern lies with what I believe to be unscrupulous business
practices that exploit well-meaning but naďve participants. While Mr. Gabersek wisely walked away from
his deposit, he has considerable success with his other efforts. Graham Healy however told me he is
servicing business debts with his bank.
He spent considerably more out of his pocket, and from the pockets of
two of his own student investors, than the cost of the instructor course
fee. For this patronage, he was given
the title “CKM Director”. I’ve spoken at length with Mr. Healy and advised him of
my opinion of Mr. Moni Aizik’s practices.
I also played the recording of Moni Aizik lying to me about his
knowledge of the Brisbane course to Mr. Healy to demonstrate Mr. Aizik’s behaviour. To me, my consciece requires me to warn the
unsuspecting; they are then free to follow their own course. I would not normally bring grievences about
business practices to light publicly, but Mr. Moni Aizik has since made a
concerted effort to deny me the benefits of my instructor certification and
has used his influence to defame me. Let me give a few important details of the events during Moni
Aizik’s trip to Brisbane in November 2007.
Along with Grahm Healy, my wife and I met Mr. Aizik at Brisbane
airport and we attended a welcoming lunch together. We made plans to do some Aussie sight
seeing together and meet again for the greeting session at Graham Healy’s
training facility. After some poorly coordinated efforts the next
opportunity I had for a private meeting with Mr. Aizik was after the greeting
session at which Mr. Aizik and I finally discussed my concerns. We spoke for over an hour and I was open
and candid with my issues and the problems I was facing regarding CKM. I was categorically informed that teaching
any instructors for CKM was “not on the table”. During
this private meeting Moni Aizik first invited me to participate in the 3 day
instructor course two days later – free of charge. He had only previously extended the
invition for me to attend the Public Seminar.
I have other ongoing business (and a then-pregnant wife), and was
unable to commit to the instructor course as I knew it would require
rearranging my already busy scheule – including my own regular CKM class on
Monday. I was asked on 3 November 2007
by Mr. Graham Healy (as we drove to attend a CPR/First Aid update course
together), if I would bring my training guns specifically to the Public
Seminar and I agreed. I recall thinking
I was glad he didn’t ask for them for use during the instructor course, as it
would have caused a conflict with my own regular class. I attended the Public Seminar and was able to encourage
one of my top students to attend (paying his $200), as well. I made an effort to promote the Public
Seminar with my students, however the feedback was the cost was more than
they were willing to spend for a day of training. My one student and I were proud to wear the
new Aussie-camo CKM T-shirts I had made from the start of the class. I was unable to stay and socialze after
class and was still unable to comit to attending the 3 day course starting
the following day. On Sunday morning I was able to get away from other
commitments for a couple of hours and arrived at the training facility at
aproximatly 9:00 AM. Moni Aizik
immediately met me and told me that I was “late”. I reminded him I’d never commited to the
instructor course and advised him I was only able to come by for a couple of
hours that morning. He was visibly upset and told me that I was not welcome
there “as a tourist”; I was to take the class as a student (for which I’ve
already received my certification and was advised during our private
conversation that if I did take the instructor course it would not qualify me
as a Level 3 instructor, nor would it add any time to my existing 12 month
certification). Although I did bring
along my training guns and knives in case they were needed, I didn’t stop to
offer them before leaving the premises it was abundantly clear I was unwelcome
in. I received numerous abusive text, voicemail and e-mail
messages later that day and became very uncomfortable with the
situation. I made the decision to
safeguard my own welfare and not continue my involvement with the instructor
course. I did not at any time agree to
provide the training equpment for the instructor course and I felt no
obligation to subject myself to further abuse in order to help Moni Aizik or Graham
Healy. I’m apauled one of the students
was seriously injured during the course due to the use of a real knife and I
would never condone the decision not use proper safety equipment. After the course Mr. Moni Aizik immediately had my
profile (and Rob Didriksen’s as well), removed from the Australia locations
page of the CKM website. In addition,
he terminated my user account on the CKM forum, cut off my access to the
private instructor forum and used his influence to have me removed from the CKM
instructor group on Facebook. This
happened without warning or explanation.
It was not until four weeks later on 24 December 2007 when Mr. Moni
Aizik finally replied by e-mail advising me of a time when I could telephone
him to discuss the situation. Duing that phone call Mr. Aizik (who
agreed to the conversation being recorded), explained his side of
the situation to me and why he considers me to be a person he “does not like
in my organization”. He was unhappy
about me printing T-shirts which he claimed was a contradiction to the
“contract” I signed. He also
threatened he would “take the best lawyers in the world to fight with you”
during this conversation. He insisted
all future communications between us must be in writing. His assertion he lost money coming to
Australia flys in the face of the several thousands of dollars he collected
in addition to all of his expenses being paid must be pure fabrication. Mr. Moni Aizik and I agreed to put in
writing the issues he identified in an effort for us to work together. I immediately sent him an agreement
in writing regarding teaching instructors and after review, we
agreed to a compromise on the T-shirts.
In spite of numerous, repeated efforts to confirm these details, Mr.
Moni Aizik chose to ignore my communications and has not made good on his
promise to reinstate me on his website or forum. I don’t belive Moni Aizik has been negotiating with me in
good faith. All I wanted was a chance
to receive the benefits I believed I paid for as part of my training and
certification. The one-year validity
of my instructor certificate will soon expire and Mr. Aizik will have no
further obligation to me. As a result,
I have filed a
complaint with the Ontario Better Businsess Bureau (BBB) and
written this explanation in the hope it will benefit others. All of the details are factual and I have
extensive documentation to backup my assertions. I note there are at least
three other complaints listed with the BBB. I have created an online forum here on the
Australian domain name I own to allow open discussion of the
system and to allow my fellow insructors the opportunity to promote
their schools. In spite of the professional
issues I have with Moni Aizik I continue to support all efforts to teach
reality based self-defence here in this great country. I will teach my Australian child the importance of “a fair go” by
living it as best I can. Receiving the
same is all I ask. Sincerely, Will McLay 24 February 2008 Visit the CKM Australia online
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