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Four Rules for Instructors
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
September 14, 2026, Israel
I have been teaching for along time, and I have been guiding other instructors for a long time. And over time one picks up some wisdom. I will try to share some of this with you now.
Rule Number 1 - Do not get Injured. This should be rather obvious, but I only learned this lesson later on in my career from Prof. Arthur Cohen. If you are hurt, you cannot travel. If you are hurt, you cannot teach. Therefore, you should never work with people that can hurt you. There might be a new student who stands 6 feet tall and is a body builder, he might be awkward but very strong, and he may hurt you, either accidently or deliberately. Yes, there are those who will try and prove themselvs and disprove you the instructor by showing you that your stuff is crap and will not work. They are not trying to learn. While you are simply trying to teach, they are trying to fight. It is not an equal game.
You must be very careful when matching up students and make it very clear that we are here to learn, not to fight or prove who is tougher. There will be time to test the techniques against full resistance, but that comes at a later stage. In the learning stage we are not "defending ourselves" we are going easy and simply trying to learn, it is not a "fight", students must understand that and respect that.
You as the instructor are not anyone's training partner and not anyone's dummy or punching bag. I have been hurt by children at seminars, accidently, they are beginners, they don't know what they are doing and can easily hurt you. And our course, the guy who walks in the door and wants to "test" the instructor, has no place in our program.
Rule Number 2 - Never Prove yourself, Respect yourself - Never feel you have to prove yourself to a student. Over time they will come to respect you, they will see who you are. If you hold the status of instructor this means that you have already proven yourself to your instructor, that is enough. You do not need to prove yourself to every new student who walks in the door. Have your diploma on display, you are an accredited instructor from an accredited association. That is enough.
You are here to teach your students, to guide them, not to compete with them.
Respect yourself, you have already proven yourself. The Mona Lisa sits proudly in some museum; she does not need to prove herself. If someone does not see the beauty in this iconic work of art, it is a reflection upon the viewer, not upon the art.
3. Train Assistant Instructors - None of us can teach every class. Things come up, a brother's wedding, the president has invited you for that gala dinner, we all get sick from time to time. You must have backup, you must have students whom you have trained to take over when you cannot be there.
4. Pass on the Knowledge - Our job is not just to impress. Our job is not just to teach techniques. Our mission is to find those qualified students who will pass on this knowledge to the next generation. In our tradition each generation of rabbis is commanded to pass on the wisdom and knowledge that has been passed on to them, along with the knowledge and wisdom they have accumulated over their lifetimes. This is our Tradition!
Spread the knowledge! Pass it on!
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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