Apparel Apparently
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International

The Look, Barbie Dolls, LA and Krav Maga

February 4, 2016, The Valley, California

There is just something about California, the sunshine, the people, the fond memories. There is something special about this place that very much appeals to me.

There is LA Fitness and the the LA look. There are probably more fitness gyms and plastic surgeons here than any place else I know. And there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. I do find a very positive atmosphere here.

There is a friendliness here that I do not find elsewhere but there is also a a certain detachment from real values. There is a lot of "me".

I was chatting with the friendly guy from the rent a car place. He asked me what I was doing in California and I told him I travel the world teaching Krav Maga. He became excited and like most people I meet expressed his admiration for the style and said he actually took a few classes a couple of years ago.

At first he talked about how much he enjoyed the classes and that he was sorry he did not continue but...life, keeps you busy. 

As the conversation went on we became a little more open with each other.

He asked if there were local schools in the area that I could recommend. I said there were none in the LA area. I simply said they were not affiliated with IKI, were unknown to be, and I did not have personal knowledge of these schools.

I also pointed out that many American schools tend to focus on different aspects of training than we do. We are not fitness oriented. We stick to down to earth self-defense and survival.

JR then told me more. He said he really did not care for their approach. He said while Krav Maga appeared more realistic than other styles he had tried, the schools here appeared to be more interested in selling apparel then in teaching reality self defense. He said it was all about the "look". He quickly become disillusioned and that was the reason he chose not to continue his training. 

I confirmed with him that one of my issues with some of these schools is the way they advertise; just check out the adds, like the Barbie dolls the Krav Maga students are all "Perfect".

All the men are young and muscular, all the women are, how shall we put it, well, hot.

While I am here in California I have been seeing a great deal about the upcoming changes with Barbie dolls. No longer will they be all tall and thin and white, as they have always been. Now there will be seven skin colors and "less perfect" body types. Shorter and less thin dolls will be introduced to match the reality of the little girls who are buying them.

Isn't it time that Krav Maga did the same?

The advertisements create a false sense of what Krav Maga is all about. It is not about creating perfect bodies, it is about staying safe. And may I say that many Krav Maga schools are far from reality training.

The advertisements in fact create a false sense of expectations and focus on the incorrect goals. Most of us will never look like Barbie and Ken, but we do have a right to defend ourselves.

Krav Maga is not about the apparel, it is not about the look, and it is not about losing weight.

Being in Israel I tend to focus on different values, on reality self defense. Too many people have died due to lack of training. 

Our heroes come in all sizes and shapes, men and women, young and old. They are all beautiful. Our training is designed for all of them, for all of you.

We will not offer you a spa, we may not have the most slick look, but you will get the best training, simple and basic, direct and to the point.

My friend JR came looking for real self defense, he is a military veteran and an honest man. He walked away disappointed and disillusioned. He found it was all about the look. 

In a world controlled by false social media, Hollywood movies where everything is fake, where impressions matter more than reality, it is difficult to find the truth. 

But in a real life confrontation, where your life is on the line, only the truth matters. Train truthfully. And survive.

Realistic training, people from all over the world come to Israel for our two week intensive training program. For more information please see Tour and Train Israel Experience. 

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