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Limitations of Modesty
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
August 13, 2026, Israel
Moshe studying an ancient text printed in Europe before the war, an inheritance from his grandfather Rabbi Isaac Klein of blessed memory.
We have an inherent contradiction, Modesty vs. Self Promotion.
I shall explain.
Growing up in Jewish schools and Yeshivas (Rabbinical academies) one is raised with the virtue of modesty hailed as a supreme goal. Humility, modesty, is stressed at every point. Our teachers demonstrated this in word, deed, action and demeanor. I can still recall dear Rabbi Gottesman of blessed memory, saying, "Your grades are for yourselves and your parents, if you did well, you don't need to tell others, you don't need to brag about it." The Ethics of the Fathers teachers us, "Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakai said, if you have studied a great deal of Torah wisdom, do not hold it as a "credit" to yourself, as this is the reason for which you were created."
As a young man this was my greatest aspiration. I believed in the saying, "This is the way of the Torah, to eat bread with salt, to drink water by the measure, to sleep upon the ground and live a life of hardship, and to study Torah diligently. If you do this, you will have a happy life, and all shall be well with you, in this world and in the next." (Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 6)
כך היא דרכה של תורה: פת במלח תאכל ומים במשורה תשתה ועל הארץ תישן וחיי צער תחיה ובתורה אתה עמל. אם אתה עושה כן – (תהלים קכח ב): "אשריך וטוב לך"
"אשריך" – בעולם הזה, "וטוב לך" – לעולם הבא.
And, remarkable, I was able to achieve this longed for life of poverty and piety.
And yet, we are also commanded to enjoy this world to the fullest. There is deep meaning in this apparant contradiction. But here I will discuss the issue of making a living, which we are commanded to do, and the need to spread goodness in the world.
Many years ago I did not even include my name on my blogs. I wrote blogs, and never mentioned myself or my credentials. And then my wise cousin Steven, a well-known New York City psychologist with a doctorate in psychology, contacted me. Why is your name not on the articles you wrote? I will not read an article unless I see a name and a brief bio. If I am going to take the time to read an article I want to know beforehand that the author has credentials that make his views legitimate.
I heard the rebuke and I accepted it. My modesty was not appropriate in this case. While I thought I was being humble I was in fact depriving the reader of information that he was entitled to know! If I am going to put some information out there, I had better prove that I can back that up with education and experience. If I am reading an article on psychology, it makes sense to see...Dr. Steven Katz, Doctorate in psychology, 30 years experience in treating patients, Now I have a reason to be interested in the opinions and thoughts of the author.
That made sense and I accepted that. From that day onward I have always included this information on my blogs and articles. It is not a lack of modesty; it is providing the potential reader with what he is entitled to know. And thus, we approach the issue of balancing true modesty and humility with real world needs.
The great Gerer Rebbe, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Poland, gave the following analogy; The Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the lowest of all the mountains, to demonstrate that one should be humble. But why then, it is asked, was the Torah not given to the people in a valley? If the purpose is to teach us humility what can be more humble than a Valley, why chose a mountain at all?
The answer is simple and yet profound: God is teaching us be humble but be a mountain! Do not be a valley that everyone tramples upon. Be a mountain, a modest mountain, but a mountain nonetheless.
And now let us apply this message to Krav Maga self-defense. Our goal is to provide legitimate effective practical self-defense for all people. But what if no one knows about us? How do we promote this life-saving service that we are providing?
If we are too humble, no one will know about us, and therefore no one will come and train. Our modesty becomes false modesty. We are not helping anyone while others, charlatans and shameless self-promoters, are fooling the public with their Snake Oil Liniment. We have an obligation to promote ourselves, honestly and professionally. If we are too modest, a handful of people may find out about us, like seeking a mystic in a far off cave, but the general public will not know, and not benefit.
I have felt for a long time that my dear mentor, friend and teacher, Arthur Cohen of Blessed Memory, was the best teacher of his generation. but yet, few knew about him. Like me, marketing was not his strong point. He was the most innovative self-defense expert I have ever met and he has had a profound impact on me and IKI. I would always say, "Arthur, you are the martial arts world's best kept secret, but it should not be that way."
We must be a Mountain, a humble mountain but a mountain never-the-less. We have something valuable to offer, being too humble becomes false humility and benefits no one.
So how do we find the balance? As Mr. Miyagi would say, That, Daniel San, requires wisdom, when have full respect for self and full respect for others, that answer comes.
If you respect yourself, you will not tell lies. If you respect others, you will not try to fool them. Can you imagine; a woman was violated, she wants to learn to protect herself but all you are thinking of is a "customer", a source of income. Shame! A man was held up at gun point, he wants to learn gun defenses, and one is teaching him unproven theatrics that require the skills of a member of the Chinese Acrobats combined with Olympic strength and the agility of a cat with the aggression of a leopard. Yes, this is what is being offered today and the gullible customer, student, has no way of discerning the truth from the Fantasy.
There is no easy way to find this balance, but if you believe in Truth, in Honesty, in anything Holy and sacred, whatever your religion or faith might be, then you will stick to the honest path. You will state your credentials proudly but humbly. I have trained for a long time, I am in a position to offer some useful training and advice, I have legitimate certification and credentials, nothing is 100% but we have had a great success rate. That is not arrogance. That is telling the prospective student the truth.
The Ethics of the Fathers is a great place to start in order to find this path.
Looks good! Beware of Charlatans, what looks too good to be true, is too good to be true.
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.
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