Mount Carmel is a really special place, full of great energy and deep history. It started as a sanatorium for Holocaust survivors, and even before that, these mountains have a prehistoric past. It’s a unique spot that just feels meaningful. We woke up, had a nice breakfast, and took in the beautiful views before heading to the town of Karmiel.
We visited David Binyamin at his home, where he welcomed us with open arms. His family, his wife, kids, and his student Yuval made us feel right at home. Yuval, along with David, leads the Leverage Point Foundation, an organization in Israel that helps soldiers by providing support and training to deal with the challenges they face.
Before lunch, David shared some deep insights on Judaism and led a prayer session with Ted Schwartz, Matt Travers, and Drew Knohl. It was a really thoughtful moment and gave us a chance to reflect.
After that, we enjoyed a great lunch together. The Binyamin family’s hospitality was amazing, they even offered us rooms to rest and recharge before the seminar.
Once we were ready, we headed to the historic town of Akko in northern Israel. The seminar was incredible, with well over a hundred students from David’s schools all across the country.
Professors Pedro and Gui taught a no-gi seminar focused on the five elements of jiu-jitsu, finishing up with a talk about philosophy and history. The energy in the room was great, and the students were super engaged.
After the seminar, we headed back to Mount Carmel, ready to get some rest and gear up for another big day tomorrow.
