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Holistic Krav Maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
October 10, 2024, Israel
I was working in the Loan and Mortgage department. I was told to meet the lawyer who would be handling the contracts. He shared some words with me that impacted my view on life, and on Krav Maga self-defense. He told me that 90% of his work as a lawyer, had nothing to do with law or with anything he had learned in law school, it has to do with human psychology. He said laying down the law was not very effective for getting the results that you want; understanding people, their needs and desires, is. He wanted both parties to walk out of his office feeling that got a fair deal, or even better than fair. That was the way to resolve a dispute. The law was not enough, not even close. He said most of his work involved understanding people and saying and doing that which will make them feel understood and respected.
These were indeed not only words of wisdom but words that would impact my worldview for years to come. This was more than 30 years ago, and the meeting is still fresh in my mind. The man spoke with years of experience, and I, a young man, listened.
And yet most in the martial arts have not yet understood this. The analogy is simple, the law are your physical self-defense techniques, the psychology is just that, understanding and properly assessing your adversary. If your strategy is to rely only on your martial arts skills, be it karate, boxing, kung fu or Brazilian Jujitsu, you will find that you are missing 90% of the situation. The press will report that you "put up quite a struggle", "fought like a lion", etc, but the result will most likely be the same, fatal.
No one wants to be shamed, no one wants to be "beaten", if you are wise, you will seek a way out of a fight, and if you have no choice, you will understand how to use the skills you have to get the job done. I find great wisdom in the Karate Kid films, "Best defense - not be there", and "but if must fight - win!".
We must understand how to avoid a fight, and if you must fight, we must learn to assess the opponent correctly so that we may win. The greatest mistake in fighting of any sort is misunderstanding your opponent. Even the Israeli army and Israeli intelligence, which is correctly regard as among the best, if not the best in the world, has fallen victim to this mistake. In 1967 Israel got it right and defeated the Arab world in 6 days. In 1973 Israel felt cocky, overconfident, they did not properly respect the Arabs and the recent developments in the Arab world. As a result of this they underestimated the enemy, the war lasted much longer, and the losses were several times as many. In 2023 Israel again did not properly understand the intentions of Hamas, and despite all the necessary information and training, failed to see the truth. The results of this underestimation were devastating.
Failure to properly understand your opponent is fatal, as the lawyer told me so many years ago.
When I first started martial arts, it was all about standing in a row, kicking and punching and shouting. There is a place for that, build the foundations.
As I learned more, I realized I needed to incorporate jujitsu techniques. Later on, I realized I needed grappling, Judo, and ground fighting skills. I trained with the best in all those fields. See Martial Arts Legends. Soon I realized this too was not enough, I needed defense against knives, guns, rifles, machete, meat cleavers, suicide bombers. The solution for this was Krav Maga in Israel, but this too was not enough.
As my training in Krav Maga progressed, as I became an instructor, travelled the world teaching the best of the best, I saw much was lacking in the system. I needed to study history of other peoples; I needed to understand their culture. Without understanding their culture, you cannot understand their intentions, their mindset, without this, your physical skills are close to useless.
In Mexico I studied the cartels, in Slovakia the Gypsy fighting style, in South Africa the Zulu stitching attack, and so forth and so on.
Over time I came to realize that the physical, like the law in the case of the lawyer, is only a small percentage of the solution. As the wise lawyer pointed out, the law was only 10% of his toolbox. Most of his problem-solving ability came from understanding people. I have reached the same conclusion thirty years later. Self-defense is not fighting; a violent encounter is not a tournament.
We need to understand whom we are facing, we need to understand his mindset, his culture, is he after ten dollars? or does he feel that you stole his land? Does he want to take you hostage for ransom, or does he want to cut out your kidneys and sell them? Three tough, fit, young, athletic American men were on a vacation in Mexico. They did not realize they entered drug cartel territory, They felt they were stronger and fitter than the little guys who wanted their van. They fought back, they were found weeks later with bullet holes in their heads. They had made a mistake, they had misunderstood and therefore underestimated the threat. This - Must - Be - part of our self defense training!
Having great skills but being unable to access them in times of need, because you are caught by surprise, because you did not expect trouble, because because because, is as useful as having a toolbox filled with the greatest tools but having left the key at home. i.e. It is all useless.
We now take a holistic approach to self-defense. This is not only standing in a row and kicking in the air. This is taking all the factors and circumstances into account: you as an individual, and your opponent as an individual and as a product of his circumstances.
We need to relate to him; we need to enter his head. In the early part of World War Two the US intelligence services hired the best psychological experts and located anyone who knew Hitler. They tried to get into his head. Know thine enemy! The war is won not only on the battlefield.
At IKI we see you as an individual, young, old, fit, handicapped, and we see the other guy, we need to understand him so that we understand his intentions better. Can you buy him off? or will he fight to the death? As Rabbi Meir Kahane warned us years ago, the Arabs will not be bought off with indoor plumbing and electricity, they believe they are fighting for their land, and they will never give up. Sadly, the Israeli government ignored him, and we paid the price.
Take a holistic approach, about yourself, and towards your potential attacker. You cannot defend against that which you do not understand. Fate favors the prepared. Be prepared!
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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