- 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
Five Disciples
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
September 29, 2026, Israel
Sitting in the airport in Addis Ababa, I open a book, the Ethics of the Fathers, part of the Talmud. I read a section, I think about it, I read it again. Five students had he, Raban Yochanan ben (son of) Zakai, and these are they....
I think about it, I know those are not just words, not just a number, there is something beyond this. It is a simple statement, but I feel in my soul there is more to this, more than just a listing of students. A few weeks pass, the thoughts perculate and now I am ready to express what I feel. Those words echo through the years from the first century to our very day, and they are relevant and contain a powerful message, to students and teachers. Five students had he, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai...and we today are still among his students.
He lived during the late Second Temple period and during the transformative period after the Romans destroyed the Holy Temple. His life was devoted to study and to the preservation of the Jewish way of life for future generations.
Let us study together, let us read the words of the ancient sages of our people.
Rabban Yochanan the son of Zakkai received the tradition from Hillel and Shammai. He would say: If you have learned much Torah, do not take credit for yourself---it is for this that you have been formed. (created)
Rabban Yochanan the son of Zakkai had five disciples: Rabbi Eliezer the son of Hurkenus, Rabbi Joshua the son of Chananya, Rabbi Yossei the Kohen, Rabbi Shimon the son of Nethanel, and Rabbi Elazar the son of Arach. He would recount their praises: Rabbi Eliezer the son of Hurkenus is a cemented cistern that loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua the son of Chananya---fortunate is she who gave birth to him; Rabbi Yossei the Kohen---a chassid (pious one); Rabbi Shimon the son of Nethanel fears sin; Rabbi Elazar ben Arach is as an ever-increasing wellspring. (Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 2, sections 8, 9)
The passage does not mean that he had only five students. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was the head of the yeshivah (the central academy) for all of Israel in the aftermath of the destruction, and he had many students. Rather, these five were his students in the fullest sense - they embodied within themselves everything he had to teach.
A teacher can teach for decades, a lifetime, devote his entire being, his life, his soul, to his students but at the end of his life he may ask, how many true students did I really produce? How many true disciples? He may never know.
I wish to make a distinction between students and disciples. I teach life, via the means of Krav Maga self-defense. The lesson is life, not martial arts. The lesson is survival. Over the years many lives have been saved, some on the physical level, some on the spiritual level, and I can say that I have had many thousands of students, but how many of them are true disciples?
How many were "students in the fullest sense, embodying within themselves the true message of the teacher and everything he had to teach."? Five students had he, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai.
He had thousands but only five were truly disciples.
We will give our heart and soul, and many will benefit but after a lifetime only a handful will merit to be called true "disciples", the rest? They leanred few things.
We should draw strength from this passage and this message, the great Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai had only five true disciples, but those five disciples maintained the teachings in the true way and passed it on. We today are the direct result of those five disciples. The entire Jewish people today are disciples of those five teachers. These words are in every Jewish home, repeated by every Jewish child. Five True students, disciples, is an empire!
With our system of self-defense, IKI Krav Maga, there are thousands of students but very few true disciples. They are the ones who make the most effort, who come to training no-matter-what! They fly to attend Tour and Train, they host seminars, the drive many hours to attend seminars, they study the videos, they ask questions. These are the true disciples. These are the one who will embody the full message of the teacher. These are the ones who will pass it on to the next generation.
The Ethics of the Fathers begins with linage, starting with Moses and down to the sages of the Talmud, this is important for it teaches us that the purpose of wisdom is two-fold; to enrich our own lives and to Pass It On!! Our wisdom must not die with us; it must be passed on in the truest form to the next generation. Five students had he, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai and here are their names.
You may not remember their names, but you will know that the master valued each one and called him by name and pointed out the unique attributes of each of them. For each true disciple carries a unique quality about them.
The disciple is not a casual student, not a "now and then" student. May we merit to be such students, to attract such students and to produce such students.
Moshe Katz, 8th 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.
