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Organizing T Shirts and Krav Maga
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International
June 29, 2018, Israel
All things must pass.
Every morning reminds us of the passing of time. A new day is born but yesterday is gone. We try to hold on to what we can.
If you study the Old City of Jerusalem you see this struggle; to preserve the past and yet to provide the needs of the present generation. Each building project involves trying to preserve the archeological history and yet provide housing for people alive today.
That is Judaism; preserving the past and yet providing solutions for our current lives.
Essentially that is our lives, we are told not to live in the past and yet to hold on to our roots. Balance, like the perennial Fiddler on the roof, balance.
For me this lesson came in the form of sorting out my closet. Unlike the homes we had in the USA here in Israel we have to learn to minimize. Many of my friends and family in the USA have space for an army; attics, storage space, basements, garage, build in closets; in Israel we have none of this. For us space, just like land, is precious. We must carefully chose what to keep and what to let go off.
I recall reading about my old neighbors the Sanderson's. Danny described going through his parents belongings, after their passing, and seeing all the stuff they had saved. He and his sister decided they simply could not keep it all, so he said, "a kiss, a caress, and into the trash bin". Sigh. Memories.
And so with a heavy heart I allowed my trusted friend Esther to help me solve my closet space problem, she brought in a large bag, I wondered what this was for. Soon enough I found out; she intended to get rid of many of my T shirts, some would go to the trash, the better preserved ones would go to the bin for the needy. For me it was devastating.
KLOS Rocktober sleeveless T shirt, a collector's item. It was not that old. But she pointed out the date, October 1985, could it be that long ago? and so it went.
Each T shirt had a memory for, some were gifts from my parents when they went on vacations to exotic lands. They went on trips and I received T shirts as souvenirs. Many T shirts were gifts from students, some were from colleges and universities where I taught, seminars I attended, music concerts, special events. But space is limited and like surgery, cuts had to be made. I remained with a few memories of the past but mostly with those T shirts that were useful to me now.
Gone were the old worn out T shirts, gone were T shirts that no longer fit. One has to be practical with limited space. And so it hit me: This is our Krav Maga.
Over the years I have studied many styles and have enjoyed them all. I have many favorite techniques, I enjoy doing them, I enjoy teaching them. But at a certain point we need to perform delicate surgery, we need to make difficult decisions, we must decide what to cut and what to keep.
In the end we are left with only the most useful, the most practical, the most effective techniques. Our Krav Maga is not nostalgia, or history, it is a living system designed to keep you safe, here and now.
Old photos and T shirts, I wish I had a room where I can hang up all the old T shirts and surround them with photos of that time, but alas, my museum must remain in my heart and soul. Photographs and memories.
Aging Rocker Krav Maga : Danny Sanderson and Krav Maga
Krav Maga T Shirts
Wear it with pride. Krav Maga T shirts, hoodies, Dri-fit, IDF combat pants, Kickboxing shorts, long sleeve T shirts, women's' cuts, short sleeve, no sleeve, tights, mugs, but no socks...
The old and the new, El Al Israeli airlines flying over Jerusalem.
The Old City of Jerusalem.