Moshe Katz – Head InstructorSo where does the "Moshe Katz Krav Maga" story begin?
That did it. I was hooked on Mr. Miyagi. I signed up for lessons in Shurin ryu Karate with an instructor named Chaim Jaffe. I still remember my first day; the sweat filled gym brought back found memories of high school. I was "sold" right away but had no idea this would become my life long pursuit.
When I returned to New York I trained for two years in the full contact style of Kyokushin Karate with Saiko Shihan Shigeru Oyama. Those were great times. After three months I had my first visit to the hospital, I recall it was St. Vincent's. The occasion was a round house kick to my nose. Then it was a visit to St. Luke's after my knuckles got hurt breaking boards.
I returned to Israel after being graduated from Baruch business school, and began looking for a place to train. After spending a few months in Shotokan Karate a friend suggested I check out Itay Gil. It was love at first kick.
The hard hitting style of Itay's Krav Maga gym was what I was used to back at the Oyama dojo in New York. I suffered my share of injuries and loved every minute. I began once again at white belt and worked my way up the ranks. Today, after many years of training I hold the rank of 4th dan black belt, the only such rank ever awarded by Itay Gil . During my yearly visits back to the good old USA I used my time to train. I trained for a month with my old pals at the Oyama dojo, the name being changed to World Oyama Karate. I trained in Wing Chun kung fu with Sifu Chun Kwok Chow. I also did some brief but enjoyable training with other great instructors such as David James of Vee Arnis Jujitsu, Alex Sternberg, Sifu Maurice Llewellyn (Wing Chun) and Rodrigo Gracie. Once, when walking around New York City, I spotted some members of the Guardian Angels , a group I have always admired. We got to talking about martial arts, before I knew it I was training with them at their center. In 2002 I fulfilled a dream by finally attending Karate College training camp. I did so for four years and hope to return again. There I trained with some of the greatest instructors around today. I wrote about them in my "Martial Arts Leaders" page. One instructor who I have continued to train with is Professor Arthur Cohen .
Professor Cohen has taken me to a new level beyond technique. Besides his outstanding applications of techniques for street situations, he has opened my mind to psychological aspects of self defense, environmental factors and the sociology of crime. He certified me as a Control Points instructor.
I continue to train at every possible opportunity. I am very fortunate to have Itay Gil here in Jerusalem, always happy to help me with a gun disarm, knife release or choke escape.
Moshe Katz, IDF Ranks and Certification4th dan ,Israeli Martial Arts, World Martial Arts Masters, Academy of Black Belts, Dr. Jerry Beasley, October 24, 20074th dan black belt, Krav Maga, Free Style kickboxing, Mixed martial arts, Sensei Itay Gil, September 25, 2005 4th dan black belt, United States Fighting Arts Institute, January 8, 2005 5th dan black belt, Jujitsu, United Black Belt Federation, November 11, 2008.
Teacher Certification, July 13, 2004 ISC Control Points, Professor Arthur Cohen, Dr. Les Knight 3rd dan black belt, June 24, 2002 - Jujitsu - World Black Belt Bureau 2nd dan black belt, March 16, 1999 - Kenpo Jitsu, Kancho Gadi Skornick
Teacher Certification, September 1998, Wingate Institute of Sports and Martial Arts, Israel, Kancho Roni Kluger 8th dan Certification License, 1993, Combat Shooting/Hand Gun, Krav Israel Shooting Club Israel Defense Forces,(IDF) released 1993 3rd kyu, 1989, Oyama Kyokushin Karate International Combatives Self Defense Association (ICSDA)Recognized Close Quarter Combat Instructor, May 1, 2008Appointed - Israeli National Director, May 1, 2008
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Well, I began my martial arts training sometime in the 1980's when I was a yeshiva student (Rabbinical college) in Jerusalem. Rabbi Meir Kahane tried to encourage us to learn martial arts but, I needed a little push. That push came from my sister in law Michelle who had just seen "
