Awareness Again and Again
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

March 17, 2024, Israel

I am getting ready for class and viewing a video of a real-life fatal stabbing that happened here in Israel just the other day. It is not pleasant. We will be working on this attack tonight, it will not be easy, but that is how we train. We analyze real attacks and we see how we can defend against them. 

Israel has, or at least had until recently, an image of being tough on terrorism, on being a nation of Krav Maga experts, etc. Former Israeli soldiers use this concept to market their courses around the world, Krav Maga - the official system of the Israeli armed forces. The truth is very few people in Israel are highly skilled in Krav Maga, certainly not the military. But the image persists. 

It is never pleasant to watch a video of a man being killed, but we must. And what is the first thing that I notice?

I notice a bunch of people standing around or sitting around. Those sitting are on their cell phones, what I call the death machines as these modern devices cause many deaths. The others are engaged in conversation or thinking about they are going to buy (some sort of grocery store I think). An Arab walks in. I am not racist. I have nothing against any group of people, as long as they dont' try to kill me. 

So we are in a war. And daily we face terrorist attacks, and yet what do we see? a whole group of Israelis NOT paying attention. They are enjoying themselves and distracted by whatever. As is often the case, the young Arab is not really doing anything. He is not eating, he is not yet buying anything, he is just loitering around. This should be a warning to us. He is waiting for a good opportunity. One hand is in his pocket while the other is out of the pocket, this too is a clear sign of danger. Rule of thumb: It is the hands that will kill you, if you can't see the hands, there may be trouble. If one hand only is in the pocket, that is a sure sign that he is hiding something, most likely a deadly weapon. You can see in the video the Arab fumbling a bit as he reaches for his knife. No one notices, not even the solider who is about to be stabbed. Soldiers should know that they are a TARGET. If you are wearing a uniform, police or military, you are a more likely target for a terrorist, and you or your next of kin will receive a substantial "Pay for Slay" (provided by oil money and international contributions for needly "refugees"). 

And then, as the attack takes place, what do we see? We see people running away! scrambling to get away. The soldier is fighting for his life but only one person is helping. After the soldier tackles the terrorist to the ground, one other man helps hold him down. But where are the brave Israelis we are so proud of? Running away in fear, each man, or woman, for themselves. 

There is no technique that is as important as Awareness, and there is no technique that can compensate for the lack of Awareness.

So before we even go into a Krav Maga defense, in terms of the actual physical martial arts move, we need to address the bigger, and far more important issue: Awareness!  This is FAR more important than how good your technique is. Awareness, as I always say at my seminars; there is no technique that is as important as Awareness, and there is no technique that can compensate for the lack of Awareness. There is awareness and there is the willingness to take a risk to help others, to jump into the fight rather than run away. 

This tragic video shows me how our values as a nation have been corrupted. We need to return to our Core values as a warrior nation. We wanted to believe that we are Modern Western Europeans, but we are actually living in a very different environment. 

Awareness. 

Moshe2021FlagA

Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.

Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz

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What is the cultural background of Krav Maga?  What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?

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