You know what would have made FIDDLER ON THE ROOF even better? A full-on martial-arts sequence. But since the chance of a remake starring Jet Li as Tevye laying waste to Russian troops are slim, Rabbi Daniel Eliezer and Paul Kupperberg’s JEW-JITSU: THE HEBREW HANDS OF FURY will just have to do.
It’s filled with enough Yiddish terms to make you feel as though you just landed in the middle of Lower East Side, but fear not, goyim! There is a glossary to help you all out. To say this book is tongue-in-cheek would be an understatement. With a winking eye throughout, we’re given an exercise regimen and deadly moves to protect the chosen people.
The book is broken down into a history of the Jew-jitsu fighting style — with such basic techniques as tallis and tefillin — even making a case that Bruce Lee himself was Jewish. While some jokes will definitely make most (read: Jews) laugh, some (read: non-Jews) might have to rely on the glossary for help.
The image of battling rabbis in a horah made me think of the film IRON MONKEY, with other moves based on techniques that involve making the challah or using the chupa pole as an offense. But it’s not all technique and no practice. A whole section covers street fighting and its killer moves, all illustrated with photos. I’ll just say next time a riot breaks out at a seder, I’m prepared with the punching of the kishka technique.
This book is a perfect gift for your Jewish friends this upcoming holiday season, especially if they can laugh at themselves and find Hassidim in karate poses amusing. Kupperberg knows full well that the book is definitely its own little niche, and he is such a mensch to poke fun at the pompous tomes that dissect the real martial arts. Don’t be a nebbish — get with the teaching of our long-lost fighting style. Look out, all you MMA fighters: The chosen people are coming! Just never on Shomar Shabbas. —Bruce Grossman
Related posts:
- Daughters of the Dragon: Deadly Hands Special
- Mr. Hands
- Jews and American Comics: An Illustrated History of an American Art Form
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