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Body Memory Krav Maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
August 1, 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa
Years ago I put forward the IKI concept that for a technique to be included in our curriculum it must meet the standard of Easy to learn, Easy to apply in diverse situations, and Easy to remember. The idea is simple, but it was born out of many years of experience and training in many different styles: Too many great techniques simply take too long to learn. The student does not have that much time, and he is often not that patient. If the technique is too complicated, takes too long to master, takes too long for the student to reach a level where the technique is effective for real life self-defense, then it is pretty much useless for our purposes.
Easy to apply to diverse situations - You might show me a fantastic technique from another martial art, but I am looking for techniques and concepts that can be applied across the board to diverse number of situations, not just for one unique particular circumstance. Thus, the student leans one concept which he can apply to numerous different self-defense situations.
Easy to remember - here is the focus of this blog. If a technique is not easy to remember, then it is useless, for few of us are full-time martial artists. We get busy with other aspects of our lives, we have emergencies, we have business obligations, or we suffer burnout. Now the question is, at this point, is your self-defense still useful, or is gone?
Recently here in South Africa I had two happy incidents who proved that indeed IKI is staying true to this path, concepts and techniques that are easy to remember. One, a female student in her 60's, who has not trained in some time due to personal reasons, still had the ability to see and understand self-defense situations better than most "masters". The other is one of our younger instructors.
Again, due to personal circumstances he was not able to train for the past year, in fact that last time he had trained was at my seminar a year ago. He admitted to me after the class that he was a bit nervous, anxious that he might have forgotten the techniques and "look bad" or feel foolish. He found that he had not lost anything, that he had fully retained his abilities but perhaps was a little less sharp. All in all he felt that the concept "Easy to remember" had proven itself.
Later on, he pointed out that in a previous system in which he had trained the opposite had happened. He was away from training for two, three, months and when he returned he found that he had not retained his former abilities, he felt lost and disappointed.
Our goal is survival. Our goal is getting home safely, we are not an "art", we just want to get home safely. We are not looking to make an impression or be artistic, we want to survive the brutality that might suddenly be thrust upon us against our wills.
If a technique cannot be remembered, when you are not actively training, then it is useless.
If you cannot access a technique when you are caught by surprise, then it is useless.
If a technique abandons you as you reach old age, then it is useless.
If a technique is only relevant to one particular unique situation, then it is useless.
If a technique only works if you are at the physical fitness level of Bruce Lee combined with Jean Claude van Damme, then it is useless.
Our goal at IKI is to be useful, useful to your life, useful for getting you home safely. Useful for preservation your dignity and self-respect. That is all.
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
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.
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