clever vs. Wise SELF DEFENSE 
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

September 29, 2020, Israel 

In Hebrew there are many different terms for wisdom, knowledge, being smart etc. Each one has a unique meaning but often in modern times the subtleties  are lost. Two such words are Hacham and Peke'ah, Wise and Clever (roughly translated). The terms came up recently in terms of the restrictions regarding the Coronavirus and the way the crisis, and the economic crisis, is being handled, or more correctly, totally mishandled.

The reporter said a Peke'ah figures out a way to handle a problem, to get around it, to break the curfew, to circumvent the problem while the Hacham knows how to avoid it in the first place.  The first knows how to finagle a situation to his advantage but the second knows how to avoid the trouble to begin with. Israelis are clever people and they know how to finagle very well, but sadly in this situation it has hurt us as our economy grinds to an halt. 

Now for the Krav Maga Self Defense application. Most Krav Maga systems being taught today are Peke'ah, they are clever, they deal with the mess after the shit has hit the fan, but this cleverness is not Wisdom. The Wiser person learns how to avoid the problem and the mess to begin with. But these systems, the Wise ones, are not as cool, they are not as Bad Ass, they don't aim for the total demise and destruction of the enemy. They aim simply to get you, the common man or woman, home safe. That is not very cool but it is very wise. 

Wisdom is seeing trouble before it starts and responding correctly. There is no shame in avoiding bad neighborhoods or unsavory characters. We are not going to solve all the problems of society, we must have the wisdom to avoid trouble as much as possible. However, when the shit does hit the fan, we must be ready. 

Sometimes we cannot avoid the problem. The lockdown has pushed many people over the brink and there has been a huge increase in domestic violence. A beautiful young woman named Shira is now in the hospital. Her husband attacked her with a knife. A neighbor came to the rescue and saved the woman. Her brother described her situation. She was stabbed multiple times and beaten while on the floor. The brother briefly described some of damage to his sister, her face is unrecognizable. She will need a new mouth, and a new jaw, she has multiple cuts all over her face, she has a punctured lung, a broken arm and broken ribs and the lists continues. 
I am not here to lecture anyone and it often feels like no one is listening, as my dear father, a rabbi, would say each year at this time of year,  I feel like I am shoveling shit against the tide.  I feel as he did, and yet, I continue writing, I continue posting about my videos and DVDS, some as low as $5, but there are very few takers. Is your life worth that little to you? Are you really so incredible lazy that you will not devote some time to learning to defend yourself?

Shira's family has already raised over one million shekels, but this they are told, is not enough. The medical bills, the reconstructive surgery for this stunning young woman, a mother of a small child, are very high. Her young son asks every night, where is mother? Why is she not home?

What is it worth to you? What will it take?

I have devoted decades to creating a system that is as easy as possible to learn. You will not have to learn Chinese or Japanese words, you will not have to stand for hours in ice water or break boards over your head. But you will have to devote some time, and money to training. If not for yourself, then for those who care about you. 

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