daily Toil Success
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

March 1, 2023, CDG airport Business Lounge, Paris, France

Success, the good life, toes in the sand, a glass of champagne in the hand; that is what many people want and strive for. But how is this achieved? What does one need to do? What is the plan?

I am in Paris, sitting in the Business Lounge, and I will be honest; it feels great. Instead of spending nearly 8 hours in between flights sitting on a hard metal chair like I did for many years on these tours or trying to sleep on the floor without being robbed, I am relaxing in luxury. There are couches, there is a shower and there is ample food and drink. The coffee is good. The staff is friendly although French is tricky.

I sit and I talk to my parents. There is no longer a need for a phone, I just talk to them and hope and believe they can hear me. You raised me well Mom and Dad. You taught me to work hard, to never give up, to not let others pull me down or crush my dreams. You showed me how to get up after every fall. Yes, I was listening, and more important I was watching. We are in our home in Savyon and I see you Dad with your adding machine. The numbers do not look so good, there will have to be some sacrifices this month. I hear you speaking to mom about the cutbacks. Such is life. Tighten the belt and move forward. Dad, I see you trying to move up in your job. I hear you talking to mom about perhaps teaching more hours or raising her rates for private English lessons.

I am taking it all in. It makes me stronger.

and now your quiet shy little boy, short for his age, not a star in anyone's book, is sitting in the Paris Business Lounge after a month of teaching Krav Maga seminars in the USA, in Ohio where I was born, in Florida where we lived, in Costa Rica and Mexico, teaching Police and Military. I hope I make you proud.

And as I sip from a glass of wine, I ponder the journey. I just recently visited Brooklyn, seeing a dear old friend. It was there that I rose early each morning to train at the Oyama Kyokushin dojo and dreamed of one day earning a black belt. I think back to the dojo in Jerusalem, how after a long and tiring day I drove to the dojo and attended all three lessons that were offered. I think of the daily toil.

Success does not come overnight, and it does not come from wanting success, it comes from working hard every day. It comes from dedication. It does not come just from dreaming of a future goal, it comes from the daily tasks, from the daily toil, it comes from a lifestyle.

During this trip there were many highlights, many special moments, among them several stories of students using our techniques in actual life and death situations. Among them were stories of how our training has changed lives.

Changing lives and saving lives, what a great reward.

But the lounge itself is also a reward, and a symbol. The wine and coffee cannot compare with the feeling of satisfaction of saving lives and changing/empowering lives, but it is a sign of having achieved something. It is a mark of recognition, and for me, this too is a part of a growth process, to allow myself to enjoy such moments in life, to say it is OK for me to take a moment and be happy.

I sit back and sip on a cup of coffee, there is no place to go and no need to rush, I think about the journey, the physical and spiritual; It is the daily toil that makes the difference, combined with a vision of the future.

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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