- Home
- Krav Maga Blog
- Krav Instructors
- Train in Israel
- Tour Train Israel
- Krav Shop
- DVD
- Kickboxing
- IKI Near Me
- Seminars
- IKI Membership
- On-Line Training
- Krav Maga Training
- Testimonials
- History Krav Maga
- Instructors Page
- Past Blogs
- Spanish
- Italian
- Certification
- Contact
- Holland Seminar
- Vienna Seminar
- Poland Seminar
- Italy Seminar
- Belt Requirements
Debra Barone and Krav Maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
December 14, 2025, Israel
It has been almost thirty years now since "Everybody Loves Raymond" aired. My parents loved the show, and I could understand why; it was real. It was not the perfect families of the 1950's and 1960's sitcoms. Fathers did not come down to breakfast in a suit and tie and perfect hair, wives were obedient, impeccably dressed and always smiling, children were well-mannered. Not so with the Barones, they were rude, crude, sometimes angry, sloppy, messy, overwhelmed, they were real, and people related to them. And the show was filmed in Merrick, Long Island, NY, where we also lived for a while. Ray Barone worked for Newsday, we read Newsday, in particular the sports section. It was real; Real comedy for real people, not manufactured perfection.
Now that all these years have passed, little details come out that were not previously known. In particular I found it interesting how Patricia Heaton, an unsuccessful, down and out struggling actress, living on coupons and supermarket discounts, got the role of Debra Barone, the role that changed her life (earning at one point $450,000 per episode).
Apparently more than 200 actresses auditioned for the part before her. She was told how Debra Barone was expected to be, but she decided not to play it safe, to take a risk and give her own interpretation of how she felt his Long Island housewife should be. She decided to make her more real. And it worked!
Patricia Heaton proved that audiences didn't want perfection—they wanted truth. They wanted a woman who reflected their frustrations, their exhaustion, and their quiet strength to cope with a challenging family and regular marriage with this usual conflicts.
She said something powerful: "I gave them someone real. That's what changed everything."
The station didn't want real. They wanted "hotter." They wanted conventional. They wanted safe. Patricia Heaton gave them a woman who was exhausted, complicated, sharp-edged, and refusing to apologize for it. And in doing so, she didn't just get the part. She changed what audiences expected from women on television. She proved that the most powerful thing an actor can bring isn't polish moves and dialogue or perfection, it's the truth. And truth, as it turns out, is what everyone was looking for all along.
Now let's apply this to Krav Maga.
What do we see being taught? Safe, standard, traditional Krav Maga, "time honored" techniques that have not been challenged in years. What I see is not real, fancy joint locks that demand years of training and pin-point accuracy. I see instructors who are not "real", they are the hulk, superman, they live in gym, they have years, decades, of training, and of course all the videos are professionally choreographed. Lets' do that again, take 37! It is as real as Hollywood, as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
We are like Debra Barone, regular, day to day, struggling with reality that is sometime overwhelming, the videos on our Krav Maga Online program, and not edited, not rehearsed, they are always the first take, to make it as real as possible, as Heaton said, "I gave them someone real. That's what changed everything." And that is exactly what we give you, Real Krav Maga, for Real People, facing Real situations. For your entertainment you can watch all the rest.
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.
Start Your REAL Training TODAY
Or is someone coming to save you?
IKI Krav Maga online distance training - Leading to ranks and certification.
Tour and Train Israel Experience
Personal Training - If you are interested in personal Krav Maga training please contact us on the form below.
