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Beware the Demon
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
March 30, 2025, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
We have just completed three days of training here in the Netherlands (known to some as Holland). Our training was a bit different. As always there was the challenge of different abilities and different needs. There are those who have already spent 30 years in the martial arts, high ranking black belts, competitors and instructors. And then there are those who with great fear and hesitation are taking their first baby steps, this is their first seminar, sometimes even their first class.
There are those who have already passed 60 years of age, and there are those still in high school. There are tough guy warriors and peaceful warriors, there are fathers and there are sons, there are mothers and there are daughters. And they all have their needs.
In a way this is a challenge, and in a way it is not. You see every technique, in our style, must be suited for all types of people and all types of situations. Therefore, while there are different levels in the group, there is a common thread that binds us to create a bond in training. With IKI Krav Maga the technique must be simple, it must be adaptable, it must be easy to learn, easy to apply, easy to remember. It cannot depend upon youth, or muscle. We will not rely upon the "Three Amigos", Strength, Speed, or Precision, for those friends are unreliable friends who will fail us in the moment of truth.
A key element in our training is allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. A key element in our training is, as we say in our daily morning prayers, let us begin with humility. In Judaism we begin our day with prayers that remind us on one hand of the awesomeness of creation and the vastness of the universe as compared to our own tiny little selves but on the other hand, our unlimited potential for growth. Thus, we begin our day with honest humility and unlimited potential.
That is how we approach training. But we must beware the demon!
In martial arts movies, at least back in the day when I watched them, there were always titles such as Enter the Dragon, Beware the Tiger, etc so I will use this concept to make my point. I see a danger that we must beware of, but it is not an outside force, it is a dangerous inner force, it is an inner demon that can destroy our training. It is tricky, it is seductive, and it is difficult to resist.
I can spot it because I have years of experience, and yet sometimes I too am drawn in, tempted, but then I say, "Exit the movie theater, and enter Reality" Be cured!!
What is this demon? Who is it? how does it enter our training?
I watched a video, the defender was young and strong, "You're still young, that's your fault. There's so much you have to know"(Cat Stevens) The response was quick, exact, powerful. The attacker was unable to grab the Defender, and before you know it, Voila! the Bad guy was on the ground, beaten up.
Only...no. Sadly, that is the demon speaking. No, I am sorry.
I was once like you are now
And I know that it's not easy (Father and Son, Cat Stevens)
Yes, I know, it seems so great. But then when you try it, later on, what do you find? A big guy comes from behind and grabs you, you were not expecting it, you were not quite ready, and before you know it you are being lifted up, slammed to the ground. But the martial arts, the technique?? what happened to it? It seemed so perfect in class, it seemed so perfect when the master was showing it at the seminar, no one questioned it. But now, damn it, I am on the floor, it is not working!!
I have seen this before. You learn a technique, seems great, you go home, and now your roommate, your partner, your uncle, whomever, decides to play a trick on you and attack you the way it happened in class. but, what the heck? Now it does not work.
Why not?
What is it not working anymore? What happened?
The answer is it never really worked. It was all an illusion, yes, I am sorry. It was not deliberate, the instructor meant well, but he was seduced by the demon. Beware the Demon.
What happened?
I will tell you; I am a man of experience. Please allow me to introduce myself, I have been around for a long time, I have seen much in my lifetime.
It works when you are ready, it works when you are training with friends who don't really want to hurt you, it works when you display it with your students who respect you. It is easy to fall into this trap, but it is a deadly trap.
At our seminar here in the Netherlands we had many friends, people I have known for 10 - 15 years. I used these friends to demonstrate techniques, and they went hard on me, they resisted, as I requested. I used people who are younger than me, stronger than me, and taller than me. I am willing to be vulnerable, I am willing to show that sometimes it does not work so well, that sometimes life is not perfect. I have confidence in the techniques and in my ability and I am confident enough to show that sometimes we run into challenges, but yet we can still overcome those challenges.
A seminar is not a "promotional event", it is not to make an impression, it is to teach. I recall the story of the great genius Albert Einstein who was once corrected by a student. Other professors wanted to silence the student, but Einstein said no, let him speak. And then the great professor admitted that the student had found a fault in the equation. Yes, the great professor was wrong.
But did you know that story? I had not, only now with social media it has come out, but the point is that that episode did not end the career or ruin the reputation of Prof. Einstein, his name remains the definition of genius; to call someone an Einstein is to call him a genius. He was willing to be challenged, he was not seduced by the Demon, and his legacy endures.
A technique may look great, but not all that glitters is gold. Who is your teacher? What is his background? Does a technique look too good to be true?
I began believing the hype, I began with karate and kung fu movies, but "the dream is over" and the Wizard of Oz is just a little man behind a big screen using a machine to make his voice sound big and powerful. Remove the screen and see the truth, and the truth works.
On the topic of that classic film, Wizzard of Oz, let us look at some of the true and lasting lessons of the film.
The Lion - he is not really cowardly, all along he had the courage and the honesty that he needed, often demonstrating bravery in the face of danger, he just did not realize it.
The Scarecrow - He feels he lacks a brain and desperately seeks a brain. And yet it turns out that he was simply naive and had a brain all along, he just did not realize it. In fact he is recognized for being among the wisest in the land.
The Tinman - He lacks a heart and very much wants one. But as it turns out he is gentle, tender, emotional, and thoughtful, he truly does have a heart.
And Doroty, she just wanted to go home, she was desperate to go home but could not find the way, but as it turned out, she was never really away from home, and all she had to do was realize that.
It is time for us to go home, to ourselves, to the truth. If a technique, an approach, does not seem to work for you, if it does not get you home safely, Question it!!! Challenge it!! Ask questions. Do not be seduced by the Flash and Trash of cool looking techniques. Beware the demon in your training.
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
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?
What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?
What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?
How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?
All that and more in this unique book.
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