Galilean hero, sword polisher, child polisher
Yaakov Fridman, the 71-year-old founder of the Maccabi Ma'alot fencing club in the Galilee, has built a world-class sports empire. Over 30 years, he has transformed a small local hall into a powerhouse that has produced dozens of world and European champions.
The Master: A Fanatic
"Everything starts with the dreamer. Yaakov is a madman for the cause, a level of madness that doesn't exist in normal human beings, the kind found in great artists, great chefs. It is totality, a madness of no compromises," says Idan Kfir, CEO of the Association for Competitive Sports in Ma'alot-Tarshiha, describing 71-year-old Yaakov Fridman. Fridman is a dreamer, an artist, and an uncompromising mentor. His "raw material" consists of children and teenagers he collects from schools, sports centers, or even the street. His workshop is a small, 65-year-old hall next to the water tower in Ma'alot-Tarshiha, home to the "Maccabi Ma'alot" brand.
Dreams are the fuel that drives the machine Fridman has built, but the "oil" in that machine is his ego. "I don't do it for the country or for the flag. It is first of all for my ego," he explains. "It is important to me that in every international competition we are on the podium." His ego has been well-fed: since founding the club in 1994, his students have won 44 medals at World and European championships and over 100 medals in World Cup competitions.
The Way: A Collection of Constraints
Fridman's story echoes the plot of the 2015 film The Fencer. Born into a family of tailors who fled Poland for Russia during World War II, he became a mechanical engineer but faced antisemitism in academia, which blocked his path to a doctorate. In 1990, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Fridman and his family made Aliyah to Israel. The beginning was difficult: two engineers living six-to-a-room in a 40-square-meter caravan, working as cleaners and security guards. Yet, his perseverance helped him create a unique training system that is now considered phenomenal on a global scale.
The Method: Identification, Investment, Adaptation
Fridman's secret lies in his individual approach. He doesn't wait for champions; he creates them. "I go to sports lessons, see a child who looks like an athlete, and I invite him. Even a child standing outside the school with a cigarette," says the coach. The club has become a second home for many, with Fridman acting as a father figure, checking homework and ensuring his students are fed. He refuses to charge for personal training, choosing the dream of medals over financial gain. "What will earning another 180 shekels give me? I don't need another car or another house," the master insists, continuing to build a future for his students.
