Krav Maga Blog

Both in Israel and abroad we live with great challenges; in our personal lives, in our national existence, and in our view of history and international relations. I see krav maga, and martial arts in general, as part of how we view the world and our lives, and how we cope.

My Krav Maga Blog is a mini journal of my thoughts on how krav maga action and philosophy relate to our daily lives.

Aug 7, 2008, Philip Moscow

In the martial arts we all strive to be noble warriors; to live up to the ideal of the brave and honorable warrior. Most of us will never reach it.

Philip Moscow was a Jewish immigrant to Israel from the former USSR. He came to Israel to fulfill his destiny as a Jew, a proud descendant of an ancient warrior nation.

He volunteered in our local civil guard with the police and as an EMT. He devoted his life to helping others.

He was very overweight and was rejected by the army. He lost 50 pounds and was able to enlist. He served as a medic with the 101 paratroopers unit. My nephew met him in Lebanon, in the hell hole known as 'Hizbollah land'.

Philip was killed two years ago; a Hizbollah anti tank missile ended his life at a young age. Philip lived in my town of Maaleh Adumim. This week we will mark his tragic passing with memorial services and dedicating a Torah scroll in his memory.

Philip achieved the highest level of warrior hood. We salute you Philip, rest in peace brave warrior.

Aug 5, 2008, Krav Maga Knife DVD

There have been many requests for DVD's. I have looked into the cost of making professional DVD's and I was told between $2,000 - $5,000. That would mean I would have to charge what most people charge, $50 or so for a DVD. I don't want to do that. The point of IKI is quality Krav Maga at a low cost.

This past week my student and I filmed a bunch of knife attacks and knife threats. We did it in the park in Jerusalem, just one camera. Yeah, if I had paid for a professional team I could have produced a slightly better DVD, but it would cost you a lot more. What we have here is the latest Krav Maga knife techniques from Jerusalem, at only $10, just a bit over my cost of making the product, packing it up, going to the post office and waiting on line.

So it is a bit raw, but trust me, it is great stuff. And you have my personal promise that if you have trouble with any technique - just write me and I will explain to you step by step. Where else are you going to hear that!?

Give me 48 hours and the new DVD will be on the site for sale, at only $10. You might not be able to see my face so well but the techniques are crystal clear.

Aug 5, 2008, Camel Self Defense

learn self defense from a camel

Aug 4, 2008, Krav Dojo News

Krav Dojo News

Aug 3, 2008, Two Years

It has been two years since the Second Lebanon War. Two years. The pain of the fallen is still fresh, the memory of the battles still strong. We look around and we see ordinary people; fathers, husbands, kids barely out of their teens, and we say, these are the heroes who dropped everything and went into the hell hole known as Lebanon (Hizbullah land). They went and they gave everything.

Everyone lost someone, a friend, a neighbor, a loved one. And when the war ended they went back to their jobs, their fields, their shops or their studies and tried to continue living.

One hundred and nineteen would never return but we must remember them; their names, their contributions, what they lived for and what they died for. We owe them a debt of gratitude. Remember, Freedom is never free.

Two years have passed but for some the war is still going. We cannot allow ourselves to forget them and we cannot allow ourselves to be complacent.

Remember those who went off to fight, remember those who never came back, and remember that if we want to be free we must always stand strong.

Aug 3, 2008, krav maga merchandise

krav-maga-merchandise

Aug 3, 2008, Jerusalem Krav Maga

Jerusalem Krav Maga, training in krav maga, Jerusalem area

Aug 1, 2008, Jew, Learn to Shoot! Jabotinsky

Yesterday marked the yartzeit, the anniversary of the day of passing, of the great Zionist leader Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky. The name might not be known to some of this generation but it should be, for he was one of the forces responsible for the creation of the State of Israel.

At a time when most Jews were content with 'asking' the nations of the world to secure our independence, Jabotinsky said we must fight for it ourselves. He initiated the Jewish Brigades in World War One and he himself volunteered and enlisted. He said we must sit at the victors table as equals and demand our share. He fought on the side of the British against the Turks, conquering the land of Israel.

Later on he formed the Hagana, the Jewish self defense units in Israel. In the 1920's he shook the Jewish world with his famous article, "Jew, Learn to Shoot".

His lesson is clear' if you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will bother.

Jul 29, 2008, krav-maga-visitors

Krav Maga Visitors

Jul 29, 2008, Krav Maga Striking Techniques

Krav Maga Striking Techniques; hand and foot

Jul 28, 2008, Krav Dojo Newsletter

Krav Dojo Newsletter

Jul 27, 2008, Fight Quest, Human Weapon,; Krav Maga

Fight Quest, Human Weapon; Krav Maga

Jul 24, 2008, Krav Maga Perfect Body

Krav Maga Perfect Body

Jul 23, 2008, Another bulldozer

Yesterday at 1:45 I arrived in Jerusalem to visit friends from the USA. 15 minutes later, two streets away, another attack took place. Another Arab worker used his bulldozer to try to kill Israelis. He hurt a few but was killed before killing anyone.

An armed civilian, what the anti-Israel world calls a "settler", killed the terrorist on the spot with his personal weapon. Once again we see that a well trained, well armed civilian population is essential in our fight against terrorism.

Pacifists and anti gun people, sorry,.

Jul 22, 2008, Fear of the Unknown

I was checking out some of the Google ads they put on my site, some of them are interesting, useful, and some are funny. There are a few on how to pick up women at bars. The author asks, why are men afraid to approach women? he says, "The unknown scares the hell out of us, we don't know how women will react."

There is great wisdom in that. In my line of work, Krav Maga, the same is true. People fear the unknown, they fear violence, and they fear fights. That is why when I was fighting full contact there was nothing as great as that first blow I received. Like, I got hit, and I am OK, now I feel ready to rumble. That first hit erased the element of the 'unknown'. So we drill and we train and we act our scenarios' with knives and sticks and God knows what, why? To reduce the fear of the 'unknown', to see how the opponent will react.

This sort of training prepares you for the real world by reducing the unknown and giving you practical experience.

I can't give you advice on picking up women in bars, but in terms of Krav Maga I can offer some tips.

Write me, keep in touch. and hopefully I will see many of you in the USA in November.all the best,Moshe

Jul 17, 2008, airline self defense

airline self defense

Jul 17, 2008, Two Coffins

Two years ago two Israeli soldiers were taken hostage near the Lebanese border. Israel went to war to bring the boys home. Sadly we did not succeed. Yesterday, after much negotiations, we waited with anticipation for the arrival of our POW's.

We paid a dear price; five convicted murderers and 199 bodies of terrorists. In return we expected two live soldiers. Instead we got two coffins.

The whole nation stood and watched, with anticipation, hopes and prayers for the return of our boys. We waited, the families and loved one's waited. We hoped to see their smiling faces.

My mother was watching on TV. She shouted, "Two Coffins!". Those bastards murdered our boys in cold blood.

When you train in Krav Maga think of this. Think of our enemies; a cruel and barbaric people who do not share any of our values. Think of this and train hard.

Jul 14, 2008, Never Be Afraid to get your butt Kicked

I still train with my teacher Itay Gil whenever possible. The knife defenses and the self defense drills can be ruthless and painful. Many high ranking people such as myself might choose to avoid such training. Why take the chance of making mistakes and looking bad? Why get hurt at our age?

The answer is if you are a true martial artist you know you are always a student first and a teacher later. You know that you must stay at the cutting edge, you can never rest on our laurels. You have to work hard.

Jul 14, 2008, Renzo Gracie, the master from Brazil

Renzo Gracie, the master from Brazil

Jul 13, 2008, Military Krav Maga

Military Krav Maga

Jul 13, 2008, Krav Maga Thinking

Krav Maga Thinking

Jul 13, 2008, Confidence

For your technique to work you need to perform it with confidence. But where does that confidence come from?

It comes from doing that same technique over and over again until it becomes part of you. Once you have confidence in your technique you will be able to execute it even better.

When you are afraid - this fear is reflected in your technique. In Israel we believe in engaging the enemy, we seek him out, we don't try to avoid him. It is like the difference between trying to get a 'walk' in baseball as compared to going for the big swing. When you go for the walk, the free pass, you are avoiding the challenge. In Krav Maga we seek to challenge, we don't shy away. This way we move in aggressively and achieve our aim.

Happy Training.

I will be in the USA in November, hope to see you then.

Moshe

Jul 10, 2008, The little things that count

We don't realize how things affect us. We think we do but we really don't. Small annoyances add up to severe problems that eventually explode in our faces. Little things that we think will not affect us in a moment of truth – in fact do. We simply don't have a clue.

That's what military Krav Maga training is all about. You repeat something again and again and again. You keep going when you think you simply cannot go on any further. You keep fighting when you so badly want to just give in. We won't let you give in. We insist – you will fight until you are dead. You will fight to the end. This is your best chance at survival. We learn this from experience.

In training many people think they can take short cuts. "Yeah, I got the idea, let's move on". In fact these short cuts can get you killed. It is the endless repetition that embeds the technique in your head so when you are dead tired, bruised and beaten – you can still keep fighting. You just got to keep on going.

So we do our push ups until our muscles ache and our knuckles bleed. Ignore the pain, rise above it. We fight back until we have no more gas left, and then we dig deep inside and find that extra reserve, that still small voice that says, "Never give up".

Jul 10, 2008, Armed Defenders

Armed Defenders, the Krav Maga Way

Jul 9, 2008, Krav Maga Black Belt Requirements

Krav Maga Black Belt Requirements

Jul 9, 2008, Non Verbal Diffusion

Non Verbal Diffusion

Jul 8, 2008, John Pellegrini - Combat Hapkido

John Pellegrini - Combat Hapkido

Jul 8, 2008, Staying Grounded

The following comes from an on-going conversation with a friend, Steve Collins, a Kung Fu master,

Hey Moshe--

You reminded be of an important concept. Most fighting arts that originated out of necessity for a military such as Krav Maga are brutal, efficient and take advantage of the local population's strengths. If a given system takes more than a few months to become proficient in, it is either bloated or useless. It is only the systems which developed (mostly in China) that developed solely for the purpose of examining a fighting art that take years to master the nuances. To be honest, if I left out the forms (and we only have five), I could teach a monkey the basics of my system in a few months of hard work & daily training.

Thanks for the reminder. Its stuff like this that keeps me grounded.

Regards,Steve

Jul 7, 2008, Krav Maga Aggressiveness Training

Krav Maga Aggressiveness Training

Jul 5, 2008, Krav Maga Instructor

I had a discussion today with a fellow Krav Maga instructor in a different part of the country. He spent two years as a Krav Maga instructor in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and now works security at the airport. He is a young guy and quite modest about his abilities but I can tell, by his body language and movement, that he is a formidable fighter.

He modestly says, "I only train in the basics", but that is the essence of street and combat, Krav Maga, to over train in the basics, develop the mindset and aggressiveness to use it in real life, to have the confidence to make it work, and this is precisely what he has.

I hope this young guy continues his training, he has what it takes.

Keep training everyone, don't let up, and stay Safe.

Jul 3, 2008, It Happens Again

Yesterday it happened again. Another Arab terror attack in the heart of Jerusalem. More Jewish victims, and...another hero.

People often ask, "What is Krav Maga?" and I always answer, "An attitude, a mindset". Many of the techniques more look the same, but they are not the same. Yesterday we saw Krav Maga in action again. An Israeli, trained by the IDF, is riding his bicycle down the streets in Jerusalem when he notices a terrorist in action. He leaps off his back, takes a hand gun, jumps into action, wrestled with the terrorist, and shoots him. His brother in law did the same thing back in March. This is Krav Maga in action; we do not run away, we engage the enemy and we don't stop till it's over. No apologies, no 'control' techniques. This is reality.

I have recently begun with teaching on-line, with lessons and video clips, it is not the same as being here but it is a start. In my upcoming tour I will be meeting with and training with our students all over the USA, maybe Canada to.

We are involved in a real life and death struggle. We must be prepared. Don't back down!

Jul 2, 2008, Mountain Spirit Warrior Dojo

Mountain Spirit Warrior Dojo, Israel

Jul 1, 2008, Phil Nurse Thai Boxing

Phil Nurse Thai Boxing

Jul 1, 2008, israel, nation of warriors

Israel, Nation of Warriors, new book by Moshe Katz

Jun 30, 2008, MMA Rank Requirements

MMA Rank Requirements Israeli Krav International

Jun 30, 2008, Martial Arts vs. Aerobics

Martial arts vs. Aerobics, which leads to greater fitness

Jun 30, 2008, Krav Fitness

Krav fitness, krav maga fitness program

Jun 29, 2008, Tai Chi Krav Maga

Tai Chi Krav Maga

Jun 28, 2008, Krav Women

Again and again I read about violence against women. Yes, they appear to be easy targets, yes they are usually smaller in size, but no this is not unavoidable.

Krav Maga offers an alternative. Remember Fight Quest, the Krav Maga episode with Avivit Cohen? I think most people would be reluctant to take her on, it simply would not be worth the effort.

Train hard, train often, be nice.

Jun 27, 2008, Hostage Situation

Hostage Situation, How to hand a hostage situation

Jun 26, 2008, Benny The Jet

Benny The Jet

Jun 26, 2008, Motivational Quotes

motivational-quotes

Jun 25, 2008, Belt test

Today at our center in Maaleh Adumim, over 15 students were tested for belts ranging from yellow thru Blue. They all worked very hard. The fights were particularly difficult, full contact even for the little ones. There were some tears but they stuck with it. Nobody quit before it was over. They made me proud.

They understood that in a belt test, as in life itself, there is no quitting. Winners don't quit and quitters are never winners.

It is not easy for me to see little kids get hit, or big kids, but it is for their own benefit. Life is tough, we can't give in. We got to 'take a licking and keep on ticking.' There is no other way.

Jun 25, 2008, Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis - The Legend

Jun 24, 2008, Ideal Vs. Reality

The goal of this site is to present Krav Maga, a reality self preservation system. I have trained in many systems, and somehow they are advertise as "Self defense, improves confidence etc. etc."

Well how do you improve confidence if you system is not really self defense but rather art or sport?

Even systems that address self defense, often miss the point. Do you train with a knife against your throat and your back to the wall? Do you train against multiple attackers? Do you address issues of clothing, physical surroundings, lighting?If not - than you training for an 'ideal' attack but a realistic attack. Lets get real, lets survive.

Jun 24, 2008, Biblical Warfare

Biblical Warfare

Jun 24, 2008, inspirational-quotes

inspirational-quotes

Jun 24, 2008, Kyokushin Workout

Kyokushin Workout at the Oyama dojo

Jun 22, 2008, Karate College

For many years I attended the Karate College summer program in Radford, Va. It is an outstanding program and an unforgettable experience. It is run by Dr. Jerry Beasley and includes some of the top instructors in the martial arts world. See my "Martial Arts Leaders" page for some examples.

Sadly, I cannot attend this year but our organization will be represented by Mr. Perry Gibson, an outstanding martial artist. Perry runs a successful school in Christiansburg, Va. I hope to visit his school this November.

So, if you can make it out to Karate College, I highly recommend it, Trust me, you won't regret it.

Jun 21, 2008, Krav Maga Sample Techniques

Krav Maga Sample Techniques