Krav Maga and your Lifestyle
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

February 26, 2025, Air France on route to Israel

When I began training in martial arts everyone was into wearing their "gi", i.e. the traditional Japanese training outfit. It was a practical outfit, you could grab it, toss someone around in it, sweat in it, even get a few blood stains. But there was more to it than that, it gave many a sense of belonging and camaraderie. We felt we were special; we wore the same outfit and shared a certain goal, purpose. Some took it farther, learning some Japanese and even traveling to Japan. For many the dojo became a family, a community, something they lacked in their lives.

All this is positive, constructive, with hardly a downside. But there is one point I wish to make here, your martial arts training need not replace your current lifestyle. For many, martial arts, and Krav Maga in particular, is not a "way", as the Japanese would say, it is an addition to their lives, a way of protecting their lives. It need not replace your family, your lifestyle or routine. 

I will elaborate. Years ago, my dear mother, may she rest in peace, handed me the Jerusalem Post and said, "There is an article here that would interest you". When she would say that I would read. Honor Thy Mother. But this article upset me. It was about a young Jewish man, from an "Ultra-Orthodox" neighborhood in Brooklyn, who was being harassed and beaten for being weak. At a certain point he said enough was enough and decided to do something about it. He took up boxing, weightlifting. The article details his journey from Wimp to boxing champion and how he was no longer a target of antisemitic bullying.

Happy ending? No, that final paragraph of the article destroyed me, it was something to the effect of ...Yankel (I can't recall his actual name) is no longer an observant Jew, he is covered with tattoos, no longer attends synagogue or observe the Jewish dietary laws or maintain a Jewish lifestyle...

Then what was it all for? He was being bullied for standing out as a traditional Jew, and in the process of learning to stand up for himself he lost the very thing that mattered most, himself. That is not the purpose of self-defense, it is not here to replace your life, but to protect and enhance your life.

I have worked for many years to develop IKI Krav Maga into a unique system. Its philosophical roots are in the Talmud and the Torah, debate and analysis. Ironically many systems of martial arts are based on faith, tradition and lineage, we are not. We are based on the Jewish tradition of challenging everything and being humble about it. My goal is not for you to abandon your current lifestyle but to train you to protect yourself. I have worked on developing a system where you can train twice a week for an hour and a half each time, and that should be enough to learn to protect yourself. You do not need to quit your studies or give up other dreams. You will still have time to live your life, as you wish. Krav Maga is not here to change you as a person, but to give you the tools to protect the person that you are. Yes, it can be a positive force in your life, yes, it has indeed transformed many lives for the better, but you don't need to give up who you are. You don't need to change your lifestyle. 

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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

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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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