ACT fighting system
We fight as we teach and teach as we fight
About Armed Combat & Tactics
ACT (Armed Combat & Tactics) is a full-contact weapon fighting system with integrated empty-hand solutions, developed in Israel and taught internationally since 2000. Today, ACT is practiced in over 25 countries and led by hundreds of certified instructors worldwide.
We are a school dedicated to the prACTical use of bladed and impact weapons, and to developing unarmed solutions that arise directly from weapon-based training.
Our purpose is to improve fighting skill through a system effective across a wide arsenal of weapons while providing a safe, controlled environment to test those skills under conditions as close as possible to real combat.
Full contact sparring is an essential everyday part of our training program. We fight with unique realistic weapon simulators, designed to replicate the weight and handling of real weapons. These include both short (tactical) and long (traditional) weapons. Every technique is pressure-tested against committed opponents, in symmetrical and asymmetrical combat scenarios: weapon vs. weapon, unarmed vs. armed, or against multiple attackers.
We use a translative process to carry over the tactical understanding developed through weapon fighting into our unarmed approach. The same logic, timing, movement, and tactical principles apply, regardless of range or tool.
This is not a sport. This is not a self-defence system. It is not bound by stylistic rules, performance goals, or common stereotypes. ACT exists for those who want to test what works, discard what doesn’t, and pursue the craft of fighting with combat integrity and realism at every stage of learning.
One Algorithm. Many Weapons.
In ACT, all training, armed or unarmed, follows the same tactical foundation. We don’t separate empty-hand combat from weapon use; instead, we treat them as part of a single system, governed by shared principles of timing, distance, and decision-making.
This structure allows practitioners to move fluidly between tools and ranges. For example, 80% of techniques learned with a knife carry over (with adequate adaptation) to other weapons or bare hands. The reflexes and tactics developed in one context directly inform the next. There is no need to “switch styles”. You simply continue to fight.
The arsenal we train with includes both tactical and traditional weapons, selected for their combative relevance and the lessons they bring into the broader system.
Real Training Through Full-contact sparring
Every class, seminar, and camp includes full-contact sparring against resisting opponents. We train to recognize unpredictability, stay adaptable under pressure, and manage the psychological intensity of confrontation, always as close to real conditions as possible, while maintaining safety.
There are no competitions, no trophies, and no ego. Instead, we teach through sparring. It is the second part of the ACT instructor’s motto: “We fight as we teach, and teach as we fight.” The first part means that we apply the techniques in sparring exactly as they were taught. No hidden tricks, no withheld knowledge. The second part means that sparring is an essential part of the teaching process. When instructors spar with students, the goal is to provoke specific reactions introduced in drills and help the student connect structured practice with the realities of combat.
This approach brings clarity. It sharpens judgment. And it elevates your fighting ability to a new level. Because if you want to learn how to fight, you must fight. No amount of drilling will make you a true fighter unless you test yourself against skilled, committed opponents.
The "MMA of Weapons"
Our system brings weapon fighting closer to the spirit of MMA. Not in format, but in mindset. More and more practitioners are asking how they would fight in an environment with few or no rules, against an opponent who is fully committed and not limited by stylistic boundaries. That question lies at the heart of ACT. Our focus is full-contact, non-sportive fighting with minimal constraints. This forces us to pursue maximum efficiency in every technique and keep the training process grounded in realism. For us, the path is defined by one constant: the search for what is truly prACTical.
The History of ACT
ACT was founded in Israel by Alexander Zhelezniak and Noah Gross, two martial artists with decades of experience in weapon-based and unarmed combat systems.
The system’s combat style is built on two sources: the study of traditional and modern martial arts, and the personal interpretation of techniques that have been tested in full-contact sparring. Every technique that proves effective is analyzed in detail: why it worked, how it worked, and under what conditions it can succeed again. This fACT-based process of validation is a core part of ACT’s method.
Over the past 25 years, ACT has continued to develop through live exchange: constant sparring, cross-training with other schools, and ongoing refinement of its methods. The result is a living system. One that adapts, sharpens, and remains grounded in combat integrity.
Alexander Zhelezniak
Chief Instructor and Founder
Alex has trained in martial arts for over 35 years and has been teaching full-contact weapon fighting daily for the last two and a half decades.
Alex developed ACT through countless hours of sparring—against all types of opponents and with all forms of weapons. Using steel blunts, wooden wasters, padded simulators, and empty-hand contact with minimal protection, he gained a depth of experience few in the field can claim. That experience was distilled into the structured, prACTical system ACT is today: designed to bring each student to their highest level of fighting ability.
Noah Gross
Co-Founder
Noah Gross has trained in martial arts for over 45 years under teachers such as Doron Navon, Mark Davis, Moty Nativ, Michael Ryazanov, and Alex Zhelezniak. He holds a 6th dan in Bujinkan Ninjutsu and is an Advanced Weapon Instructor in ACT.
His background includes Arnis, Kenjutsu, Western Renaissance martial arts, Historical Kapap, and Jogo Du Pao. As a martial arts historian, he specializes in the history of hand-to-hand combat in pre-state Israel and published a book on the subject in 2010.
Since 2004, Noah has helped shape ACT’s structure and curriculum, bringing academic insight and practical experience into the system’s ongoing development.
Train With Us
Whether you’re new to martial arts, an experienced instructor, or simply looking for an honest approach to training, based on combat integrity, you are welcome to train with us.