- 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
Know Where you are Going
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
November 5, 2026, Israel
Oyama dojo, 1990's
To know where you are going is Power. To have a direction in life is Power. It is a power that is difficult to describe, a power to overcome obstacles, as if they were not even there, it is the power to accept pain, setbacks, even defeat when you know you are on The Path.
Brooklyn, New York, 1986, getting up at the crack of dawn, tired, not in the mood for anything but getting back into the cozy bed. Get up, get dressed, get out, the cold, the walk to the F train. Take a seat, try not to fall sleep, you might wake up without your belongings, pay attention. Washington Square, just a short more distance, a little walk, the dojo sign is visible. Up the stairs, lazy sleepy eyes, get changed into the gi, get on the mat, start stretching, know where you are going and none of this is an issue. Tiredness, pain from the night before, you feel none of it, only the Direction, another day, another training session, another step along the path to the goal.
Training is over, time for a full day at work, but the training remains in my head. The goal remains. After work, another two classes. I see my direction; I know where I am going. When you see your path before you, you do not see the obstacles, you Accept Difficulties, you accept setbacks, at times you even accept defeat. A challenge is an opportunity, a gift.
The end of the day, tired, often in pain, standing on the subway, waiting for a seat to open up, finally a seat, what luxury. The word Uncomfortable does not exist. There is a path, there is discipline, there is patience, there is understanding, there is a slow process of physical and mental growth, of realization of the self, of the path.
Looking Back
Looking back, with nostalgia and longing for those younger years when the future was unwritten, I realize that every sacrifice, every inconvenience, every punch in the face or kick to the leg, paved the path.
The path to business class is standing on the subway
The path to lounge is the F train platform at 6 am on a freezing cold Brooklyn morning.
I remember the moment Itay Gil told me to move from one column to the next, I was now a black belt, a change had taken place.
Sometimes you can't hurry, you need to put in the daily work, be patient with yourself, progress cannot be forced, wisdom and experience cannot be purchased. Sometimes, the Waiting is the Hardest Part.
Turn back the clock, it is 1971-2, I am riding my bicycle home from school. I pass by the Sanderson home. Danny is a struggling musician, practicing with his band, whom no one ever heard of, but in a short while would become the most famous band in the history of Israel, the "Israeli Beatles" if you will. Every time I hear the same two songs, Venus, Oh Mamy Blue. They practice, again and again.
Today Danny Sanderson is a household name and an Israeli musical icon. Practice, hard work, patience. Tonight I fly to Italy for a seminar. I am entitled to enter the El Al Business Class Lounge, I am proud of this, not because I am arrogant but because this little gesture is a manifestation and representation of all my hard work, over a lifetime. I will sip my coffee and think back. Sitting in the King David Business Lounge is not free. I began to pay the price with endless drills as a beginning Karate student in Jerusalem with Sensei Chaim Jaffee, then with Frank Dux in The Valley, and with running up those stairs to catch the F train to Manhattan for those early morning training sessions at the Oyama dojo. Know where you are going, keep your goals and dreams in mind, and the obstacles will disappear. No one said the path would be easy, if it were easy, it would not be worth it.
The cup of coffee in the lounge while waiting for my flight may not seem like much to others. After all, you can purchase a cup of coffee anywhere in the airport, but to me, it represents my life, my work, the legacy that my parents gave me, my task in this world to teach, to share important knowledge as my parents and grandparents did before me. It is my moment to relax, to reflect, to think back, to talk to my parents and hope that they are proud of the path I have followed, and never quit.
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.
