Confidence to Teach
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

August 19, 2025, King David Lounge, Lod Airport, Israel

"The longest journey is the journey inward" (Dag Hammarskjold 1905 - 1961)

This blog is intended to inspire more people to take up teaching, those who feel "Unworthy", unready, not the "type" etc. I understand you, for I was once one of you.

My teacher, Itay Gil, wanted me to become a certified instructor and thus asked me to write a recommendation letter for myself (you read that correctly, I wrote it, he signed it; I wrote that I am a very nice guy and kind to children etc.) to be admitted to the Wingate Institute. (See the photo below, you can see the diploma, in Hebrew, partially blocked by my left arm, so yes, I took the course and passed.)

I did not feel right about this. I spoke to my dad, my he rest in peace. You see, this was not a job for a nice Jewish boy. In our (Jewish) school, most of the teachers and staff were Jewish, you might have a gentile female secretary, a non-Jewish science teacher, Mrs. Strumpf, a non-Jewish math teacher, Mr. De Simone, and always an Italian American gym coach. My dad, may he rest in peace, reminded me of my late Uncle Mac, who was posthumously elected to the New York Basketball Hall of Fame. My late grandmother advised him against a career in sports, and he never pursued it despite being an outstanding college athlete. The point is, I should "go for it", despite it being somewhat against my inclination and family traditions. Uncle Mac would be proud. So I did, and the rest is history. 

Over the years I have faced the usual "discrimination", you don't look like a Krav Maga instructor, you look more like a rabbi. Well, I consider that a compliment. I have learned to come back with, "Well you don't look like a Krav Maga instructor either, but I can train you to become one, a darn good one!".

and so it is. 

Fast forward a few years, Itay hires me to teach the Elite Security team of Jerusalem. These guys are young men, post army, and all must have served in a combat unit in the IDF as a prerequisite to be part of this unit, they worked in some of the most challenging areas of Jerusalem and faced serious situations involving Arab terrorists. And here am I, the instructor. 

Here is the background of my decision to print IKI instructor T shirts, which did not exist until that time. Most new sessions began like this, 

Who is the instructor?
I am the instructor.
You?
Yes, me.
You are the instructor?
Yes, I am the instructor.

Thus, the decision to print instructor T shirts. The first batch was only in Hebrew, once we became international, I added English.

I look at some of my students and I know they would make excellent instructors, but they are reluctant, simply because they don't think of themselvs as Krav Maga instructors, but neither did I until I was pushed into it a little bit. So I will be a little bit pushy. If you have the right character, and you want to help others, and you possess some basic coordination, you can help others. So why not?

Being an Apprentice Instructor in IKI does not mean you are a master of martial arts, it does not make you a "Grand Master" but you don't need to be one. If you can follow our techniques, and you have an understanding of how they work, you can help others survive, and you can help them avoid all the nonsense that is being offered on social media. And, an extra bonus, when you teach, you come to understand the techniques better... something to consider. I am glad that I did, otherwise I might still be working in a bank :) (Not that there is anything wrong with that...)

MosheKatz2024

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

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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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