Principles of Simplicity
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International

April 3, 2017

Simplicity: Seems simple but actually it is rather complex. It is complex because simplicity must be adhered to at all times. The rules of simplicity are rigid and cannot be broken. Simplicity must be followed throughout the technique, from beginning to end. Half simple is not enough. It is not easy to have only simple moves as part of the construction of your technique.

Imagine a road, a long, wonderful road, but now and then along the way there are unfinished sections, or destroyed sections, or bridges that have collapsed, or a lake in the middle. The fact that most of the road is great is of no significance, you will not reach your desired destination. You will be left stranded in the middle of nowhere.

I often see techniques that on the surface, at first viewing, look great. But in my gut I know something is wrong. I watch it again, step by step and I find the collapsed bridge, the part that will not work: the person may not have cleared the line of fire, grabbing the gun would require speed and timing nearly impossible to replicate in a real life situation, grabbing the knife in mid motion against a real aggressive attacker would never ever actually take place. Too many "collapsed bridges" along the way. That road is utterly useless.

Good construction has no weak links, no weak spots. Buildings constructed two thousand years ago still stand because the engineers understood this principle. You can't be half right. You cannot violate your principles at any point. One weak link is all it takes to destroy a building.

Build a theater and you must make sure every seat has a good view and can hear the voices of the actors. This attention to detail can still be found in the theaters King Herod built over 2,000 years ago. You cannot leave anything out.

And yet when I see self defense techniques in some styles it appears to me like a magic act, a slight of hand demonstration. It is so fast and flashy but is it real? Like "magic" it is all fake, a slight of hand, fooling the eyes of the viewer.

Simplicity, build it right and it will work. It's that simple.

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Those walls are more than 2,000 years old. The lovely young lady is quite a bit less  :)