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False Narrative
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
July 23, 2026, Israel
We live in an era where we have greater and easier access to information than ever before. In my own lifetime I recall that in order to get a piece of information for a school assignment I often had to travel to a city library, wait in line, wait for the newspaper or periodical or journal or book to be available, and then read it in the library. I recall searching through microfiche. Today I see people who can't even be bothered to type in the item on their computer, they simply speak to their cellphone. There was a time where elders were valued, as they had memories, knowledge and wisdom. Today sadly that is all being replaced with all sorts of devices that will soon take away our ability to think for ourselves.
There is a mistaken notion that everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is a falsehood. Only those who have studied a topic, only those with a certain mastery of a subject, are entitled to an opinion on that topic.
The result is that many believe things that are simply not true, but at least today we have the ability to research, if we are not lazy. There are many false narratives that the public is fed and have been fed for a long time. I am on my way to South Africa now, and I have taken the time to study their history. There is a simplified false narrative that white people came and kicked out black people that had been there since time immemorial. It is false. It is far more complicated than that. and the part about the native tribes, or nations, killing each other in the most brutal ways for centuries is completely eliminated from the narrative.
We were told that horrible Europeans came to America and destroyed the peaceful natives who lived in harmony with nature. False, far more complicated than that. and the part about the native tribes, or nations, killing each other in the most brutal ways for centuries is completely eliminated from the narrative.
We are told that life in the past was far better, but they leave out the parts about plagues, servitude, lack of opportunities, smoking in the workplace.
Myths are past down, often with a political, social, or religious agenda, but most are false, or severely lacking in detail with crucial information left out. And so it is with martial arts.
When I was growing up our view of martial arts came from one basic source TV and movies. Of course this was for entertainment, but it was convincing. A generation grew up with certain stereotypes of Asians, and of the martial arts masters. The masters were wise, quiet, all knowing. They certainly had no egos. There was a certain Asian mystique, a certain magic, a wisdom that was beyond anything we could experience in our own lives. And there was a belief that one who masters the martial arts can accomplish anything. This is even alluded to, half-jokingly, in the Karate Kid movies, Mr. Miyagi: Man who catch fly with chopstick, accomplish anything. and while I am a big fan of Mr. Miyagi and there is great wisdom in many of the quotes, this was meant a joke, precisely because people will take it seriously. This is all part of the False Narrative of martial arts.
The truth is there is no magic, and most of what we see on the big screen, (or today on your tiny, small screen in your hand) is false. The finesse, the precision, the timing, that we see on these films creates a false narrative. and this narrative can have deadly consequences. The techniques are unrealistic. No matter how much you practice them, no matter how much you train, in the moment of truth, with stress, shock, fear, anxiety, they will fail. Your reality will look nothing like the movie.
But the fantasy is so intoxicating that even martial artists come to believe this. I did. It is easy to fall into this trap. And then when you become an instructor it is reenforced, as your own students comply with you, they instinctively go along with your moves, and so you come to believe that you truly are "the Master", but you are not.
Most will live and die with this false belief, but the few who will actually have to use these Fantasy Techniques in real life, will have a brutal awakening, or permanent non-awakening.
One might think that gradually these fantastic techniques would be exposed. And I use that word fantastic in its original meaning, deriving from Fantasy, not real. and yet we see the opposite, with the advent of social media we see these old fantasy techniques are resurfacing, and reaching more people than ever before, people without the knowledge to separate the wheat from the chaff. I recognize techniques that I dismissed 30 years ago, still being taught as "realistic self-defense solutions for women". and the comments are "Yeah Girl, you go girl" and so forth. Clueless and dangerous.
We are fed historical false narratives, and we blame nations unjustly. That is why we have a generation of college students protesting against Israel when they will most certainly fail a basic history test on the subject. We must not be this way. Educate yourself! And the same is true for martial arts, self-defense and Krav Maga. Drop the hype, search for truth. Dig deeper, it is not always easy but it is always worth it.
Stop buying a false narrative.
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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