- 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
Krav Maga Endorsement
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
August 7, 2025, Israel
There are many very dangerous techniques out there, many "instructors" who as the Talmud says, "Have not served the master sufficiently", bottom line, what they are teaching can get you killed.
I am referring both to the social media teachers who keep posting videos online, and to many "instructors" out there who teach very bad techniques that are more likely to put you in greater danger than help you in any way.
So how do you know if a teacher or a style have any value? That is sadly, a very difficult question to answer, but I will try.
This is important! so pay attention.
When I started out in martial arts, I too knew nothing. I had nothing better to go on than the Karate Kid movie. Now, years later, despite still being a fan of all the Karate Kid movies, Mr. Miyagi and Daniel San, and even the new Cobra Kai series, I realize that the techniques used were...basically useless, and most of the actors had little to know understanding of martial arts. It was just a good movie. What was good about the movie was that it inspired many people, such as myself, to pursue martial arts, for that I am grateful.
When I went looking for a school, I had basically nothing to go on. That is a big problem. The first school I joined was a traditional Shurin ryu school lead by the very capable Chaim Jaffee, there were good people there and I am grateful for the instruction I received, although I am not a Shurin ryu practitioner. The early lessons were valuable and help lay a good foundation, some of the concepts I still use.
When I came to LA I went on the advice of a close friend and joined a Ninjitsu school lead by Shidoshi Frank Dux, we are close till this day and I am grateful for that training, although I am not a Ninjitsu guy.
In New York I simply took the Yellow Pages and checked out every single karate school listed. I watched the instructors, I watched the students, and I chose the Oyama school, which was a very good choice, although, again, I do not consider myself a true karate practitioner, my calling was Krav Maga, and our own system.
However, choosing a good self defense school is much more difficult. There are many Karate styles, it is difficult to say that one is better than the other, but when it comes to self defense, the wrong choice will not only be a waste of time but could very well get you killed, the stakes are high.
It bothers me to see people posting self defense videos on Social Media when I know these will get you hurt, or worse. It bothers me to see poor instructors draw large crowds to their seminars when I know that what they are teaching is very poor quality. It botherse me, not because I am jealous, but because I care. Let them succeed in another field, but not mislead people with their low-quality system.
So what makes me different? and why should you trust me?
First, you should not trust me, you should trust others who vouch for me, and you should trust the logic that I present.
When I teach, I show a technique, I explain it slowly and carefully, I compare it with other styles, I show why it works, this is not a faith class, this is not a cult, I explain everything. I show where other styles go wrong. I show why the others are making critical mistakes. I show how with a certain knife defense you leave the attacker with a free hand with which he could negate your technique. I show where your choke defense can and will go wrong. Everything I show is totally logical. If you are a logical person, you will get it. This is not a movie star or "celeb" following. I do not put on a show for you. There is no "brand name", there is simply honesty and truth born out of half a century of research all over the world.
The fact that I have testimonials is nice, but so do the others, anyone can get testimonials from fools who can't tell the difference between a good technique and a useless technique. Testimonials are also often faked. And of course many testimonials are paid for, look at the USA elections, all the fraud is coming out now, celebrities who were paid a million dollars to endorse under qualified candidates, all fake, and dangerous for us all. Endorsements are not the issue here. The issue is Who is endorsing the style. Let us focus on that for the moment.
There is a joke that most here will not get, at first. What is the only book that religious Jews read that has no endorsement? It is the Bible. You did not get it? That is OK. I will explain.
We do not trust so easily. Before a book of a religious nature is published, such as dealing with Jewish law or Biblical interpretation, the other will send a copy of his book to the leading rabbis of the day. They will read all or parts of the book and write an "Haskomo" or "Agreement, Endorsement" which the author will publish at the opening of the book. Thus, the reader will see a personal letter from say, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein of Blessed Memory, and know that it is "safe" to read this book. This protects us from books from unqualified writers. It saves us time and aggravation. The endorsing rabbi will know the individual and vouch for his intergrity and knowledge, otherwise we should not bother.
Now of course the Bible has no such endorsment, now you get the joke. Other than the Bible and the Talmud, if a book does not have an endorsement or two or three in the opening pages, no one will read it.
But this is not the case in martial arts. In martial arts there is no board that objectively evaluates if a person can teach or not. Let me point out that in the example of the Haskomo no money is ever exchanged. This is PURE. You cannot purchase a rabbi's endorsment, this is not Opra or Beyonce, (to differentiate between Holy and Unholy), who can be bought for a million dollars. The rabbis offer their endorsements without any payment.
I see self-defense techniques that would not pass any objective evaluation, but the problem is that "Buyer beware" does not work, as the buyers have no knowledge. It is like a non-car person taking their car to the garage, you can be told anything, and you have no way of knowing if you really need a new muffler or tires. But the risk here is not only financial, it is a matter of life and death. People are being sold untested, unproven, or totally disproven techniques.
I watch a technique, and it is like finding 11 spelling mistakes in one sentence. It is awful, and I can prove every single aspect of a technique, objectively.
Our approach is not the modern Western approach, i.e. everyone is entitled to their opinion, not at all. You are not entitled to your opinion, not until you earn it with knowledge. Sure, I can stand outside a garage and say, I think the problem is the exhaust, but truthfully, I am not qualified, so therefore my opinion is useless as best, misleading and dangerous at worst.
I see people who truly should not be teaching and yet their seminars are full, and people are so impressed. If you are impressed with an imposter than I must conclude that you know as much about self-defense as I know about Quantum Physics, which is very little. When you "like" such a video I must reach the conclusion that you really do not understand self-defense at all. If I see a student of mine do a "Like" on social media on a technique that they should recognize as inherently false, that will set them back for the next promotion. I must make sure they can distinguish good self-defense from poor or dangerous self-defense.
If you are going to buy a car, or discuss options for treating cancer, bring along someone who knows something about the topic, otherwise the consequences can be terrible. The same should apply to self-defense, there is simply too much at stake, learn to distinguish between a performer and a true instructor.
Studying the holy books, Ein Yaakov
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.
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.
