Shadows Appear to Me
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

January 14, 2024, Israel

WarsawGhettoMemorial

I was introduced to the tragedy of the Holocaust when I was a young child in Israel. Today many are against exposing the children to such tragedies, some refer to this in very harsh terms. Personally, I am grateful. I wish I had spoken to the survivors, witnesses, when I was younger, but that was not the culture of time. The culture was: be strong, build the nation, build the new young state, cry privately. 

From a young age I met the victims, in my sleep. I still visit them frequently; it is a source of comfort for me. The late Elie Wiesel was among the victims, and he made a vow to his friends and family who did not survive, that he would devote his life to their memory. He became the number one Nazi hunter and brought many Nazis, of many different nationalities, to justice, despite the fact that world wanted to forget. That "world" was not only the criminal nations of the Axis, those who fought against all that is decent, but even the free world, even the USA and even the State of Israel. Many just wanted to "move on". but people like Elie Wiesel would not permit them. These individuals became the conscious of the world. 

For the survivors, the witnesses, the war never ended, and only ends in their own death. It is not forgotten, it will never be forgotten, it cannot be forgotten. This is a pain I was exposed to early on in life, and it has shaped me as a human being. It is this lesson that I try to bring to our style, IKI Krav Maga, you must feel some pain. When you look at people, they are not clients, they are not athletes, they are people who have fears. For me this is not a physical endeavor, it is not about people that simply want to add a black belt to their list of accomplishments. For me it is addressing the deepest, unspoken, fears inside of all of us. I see the potential rape, I see the potential humiliation, I see the laughing faces of the gross attackers as they kick you on the ground. I see them in Germany in 1939 and in Amsterdam in 2024, and in Israel n 2023. I see them laughing as they shout out to you, Who are you?? are you a Jew?

But in a sense, all of us are Jews, all who have suffered, all who have been discriminated against, you don't need to be a Jew to be a victim. But we feel your pain, we have been there, and we say loud and clear Never Again!

We will not go quietly; we will fight back. And we don't care if you like that or not. 

Holocaust survivor and author, Dr. Mark Dvorzhetski wrote many years go....in my dreams I am walking...in rivers of tears and blood...Shadows appear to me... I hear their voices...

These voices, the voices of victims, everywhere, are silenced. It is not polite to discuss such things. It makes people uncomfortable. But silence brings on another tragedy, silence like a cancer grows, and silence is the enemy of progress. 

My friends we know what silence brings,
Another Hitler waiting in the wings,
So stand up now and shout it to the sky,
They may bring us to our knees,
But we’ll never die!  (Robbie Solomon) 

I hear their voices, and I hear ACT! Do something while you still can. So, my knee hurts, and my back hurts and I can hardly turn my neck these days, but in two weeks I embark upon another tour, and I will teach the best self-defense I know. And hopefully my words will reach more people, hear my words that I may reach you, take my arms that I may touch you. And the shadows appear to me and say, Go, Go and the Force will be with you. We will be with you. 

Moshe2021

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

CoverNationWarriorsNew

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.

Books by Moshe Katz

Start Your REAL Training TODAY

Or is someone coming to save you?

IKI Krav Maga online distance training - Leading to ranks and certification.

DVDs from Israel

Tour and Train Israel Experience

IKI Membership Options.

Krav Maga Certification

Krav Maga Instructors

Krav Maga Seminars

Personal Training - If you are interested in personal Krav Maga training please contact us on the form below. 

IKIFlag

Please note that all fields followed by an asterisk must be filled in.
Google