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Gun Refresher Course
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
July 9, 2026, Israel
Today I successfully completed my annual Gun Refresher Course, as mandated by the government and Israeli law. It was not simple. It involved the academic part of going over all the legal aspects of gun ownership. We had to study the law; how to properly maintain and store your gun, when it must be deposited with a licensed dealer (travel laws), rules of engagement, when property protection justifies the use of a weapon and when such an act is punishable by law, how, when, against whom one may open fire, and when must cease firing. There were laws involving third-party-defense, medical aid, closing off an area where an "event" has taken place, what constitutes a legitimate threat, and so forth.
And then we spent a considerable amount of time on safety measures, when the finger must be outside of the trigger, how to handle a jam in the weapon. Safety in the shooting range and safety in life. Vitally important information. And of course we spent time on accuracy in shooting. We do not want to miss our target; we do not want to shoot the wrong person.
I have been handling guns for a long time and honestly, there was nothing new. But I felt, OK, a refresher course is always useful. The fee of $120 did not make me happy but...such is life, and then I thought.
I have a deadly weapon in my hands, this can kill someone, the right person or the wrong person, it can save a life, it can take a life. The slightest mistake can have serious consequences of life and death, of course I need this refresher, how can I possibly take this subject lightly?
And then I thought of Krav Maga.
Krav Maga is on par with gun defense, in Krav Maga we also need refresher courses. But we must be objective, which most are not.
This course is controlled by the government and must adhere to the highest standard, 20% of our group failed. The standards are objective, no one cares about your personal style, you must prove that your training is safe, and effective. The same should be true of Krav Maga, but it is not. Krav Maga is a wide-open field where anyone with a little bit of knowledge can open a Facebook page and start "certifying" instructors. I believe that if the same standards were applied to Krav Maga as to Israeli gun ownership we would see a vast reduction in "certified" instructors. Most are self-certified.
There are indeed objective standards to judging techniques, but they are not being applied. Showmanship, image, and marketing play a greater role in peoples' perception of Krav Maga than actual skill. Most people have no way to judge an effective technique, a safe technique, from an ineffective and dangerous technique (to the user).
Refresher courses are not only important, they are essential and should be absolute requirements in Krav Maga as well. Instructors forget techniques, forget vital details and develop bad habits over time, this needs to be fixed at annual refresher courses or seminars.
But let us talk for a moment about the fees, for fees represent value attached to an item or course; how much one values what they are paying for. The cost for me to be part of a group lesson was $120 for two hours. If we translate that to a full day Krav Maga seminar that equals $480 for the day, or $960 for a two-day seminar. Yet most of our seminars are in the area of $120 for two days.
With our gun course we the students came to the instructor, he was not flown in from another country, he did not have to take a taxi or stay in a hotel.
What does all this mean? That we do not attach such great value to our Krav Maga training. It is not worth that much of an investment. We know that if we charge more than we currently charge, attendance will drop to the point that the event might have to be cancelled. I consider gun ownership very important. Many low-income Israelis own guns, because they see it as a matter of life and death, somehow they all manage to come up with the fees for the courses and the gun and its maintenance.
The question is one of value and priorities.
You carry a gun - Make damn sure you know how to use it and you don't kill the wrong person. The same is true for Krav Maga. Enough said.
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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