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Human Spirit Krav Maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
October 22, 2023, Israel
well trained Hamas terrorists. As of this writing about 2,000 have them have been eliminated.
On October 7, 2023, both a Sabbath morning and a Jewish religious holiday, our nation was caught by surprise. At this point the details are well-known. Unspeakable atrocities were committed and over 1,400 Israelis and foreigners were murdered, most of them unarmed and in cold blood. Entire families were massacred, many were tortured. Over 200 people were taken hostage to the Hell known as Gaza.
There are many questions that will be addressed in the future; mainly - how did this happen? How did Israels' celebrated world leading security fail so badly? In a word, what went wrong?
These will be addressed later on, today I want to write about what went right! I want to speak of where our people exceeded all expectations and brought great honor to our people worldwide. I think after the events of these past weeks the term "Israel, A Nation of Warriors" has reached new levels of glory. The people of Israel as a fighting nation have reached new heights and the stories will be told for many generations to come. Every day more stories of heroism and bravery are emerging and a totally different picture of that first horrific blood-filled day is emerging. While massacres did take place, it was not "sheep to the slaughter", many fought back and held off large numbers of terrorists for long periods of time. To date we know of over 1,400 Israelis killed, most of those were unarmed and killed in their homes, on the road, or at a party. Among those are about 350 soldiers and police officers killed as well, some were caught by surprise, others fell heroically in combat.
There were many failures. The High-Tech defensive systems that Israel relied on so heavily, failed, it appeared to be neutralized in a surprisingly easy way. Communication became nearly impossible. The army was nowhere to be seen for hours while the mostly unarmed civilians were left as easy prey. The cement walls were easily breached. The electronic systems easily neutralized. But while morter, high-tech, electronics and so forth failed, the human spirit prevailed.
The stories are too many to recount. Hopefully someday someone will compile them into a book that will become the textbook for heroism.
In case after case, individuals took matters into their own hands. Small groups of First Responders took on much larger groups of heavily armed terrorists. Men and women went on the attack and killed the terrorists rather than hide or seek safety. Reserve soldiers and police officers who were safe at home and could have stayed safe, got dressed, took their personal weapons, got into their cars and drove to the scene of the massacres. Police officers with nothing more than handguns and limited bullets fought off terrorists with automatic rifles, hand grenades and a RPGs. This was truly the Biblical story of David vs. Goliath, again and again and again. Young David came to life in the form of these men and women, young and old. The spirit of the warrior was alive and well in them. Many died heroically while saving their families, and in some cases entire communities. One man, with his Gluck handgun, killed between 10 and 14 terrorists while defending his family. (at the time it was not clear how many of them died, but at least 10 and 4 others were neutralized). At a local police station, a female officer grabbed a grenade that was thrown at them, she threw it back at the terrorists. (yes, this sounds unrealistic, but it is a fact).
Story after story is emerging of individuals willingly risking their lives to save and protect others. 1,550 terrorists were killed. Had these Israelis not taken these heroic actions the damage to our people would have been much worse. The terrorists came with plans to conquer a good portion of southern Israel and to stay for an extended period of time. They had food and ammunition for a long duration.
The full story is yet to be written, here I just wish to say that where hi-tech failed, where bricks and cement failed, where electronic devices failed, the human spirit did not falter or fail but rose to unimaginable heights. The true stories make Hollywood films look like child's play.
I often say that I am a low-tech person. I teach Krav Maga, and we develop the human spirit, the fighting spirit, the spirit that says Yes when everything around you says No. The spirit that says I will not give up despite all odds, the spirit that does not accept defeat.
I have trained the youth of my town for many years, now most of them have been called up to fight. May the spirit of God be with them, and may the human spirit be with them, and may they all come home safely.
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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