We Are on a Mission from God
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

August 10, 2026, Israel

Whenever I teach a technique, I think of the grave responsibility that I have. Others are trusting me with these techniques, people's lives are on the line, I cannot take this matter lightly. 

I remember when this change took place, this moment of enlightenment. I had been training for some time, and I felt unhappy with a certain knife defense/disarm that was being taught at the time. It was a defense vs an Overhead knife attack. I recall the moment I looked in the mirror and wondered.  Until then I had accepted whatever my teacher was teaching, I did not question it. If it did not work, I trained harder, I gave it more time and more time. but at a certain point I looked myself in the mirror and said something I would say many times in the future - Be honest with yourself, do not lie. It is just me you and the mirror, me, myself and God, no one to make an "impression" on, just be totally honest, does this technique work under stress? Me, myself and God, our father in heaven, and my father, who is in heaven, be honest, Does this work!

The answer was No, I did not believe in the technique. In the privacy of my own little world I had to admit that the technique did not work. That meant I had to work harder, I had to search and research. I had to keep trying to find something that worked better against a violent knife attack. I had to try harder because I was on a mission, (By the way that technique is still being taught today, nearly 25 years after I discarded it, and the Traditional Krav Maga "Purists" believe it is sacrilegious to question such techniques that were handed down from the masters of the 1960's). I was on a mission, to save lives, or to use the words from the Blues Brothers "We are on a mission from God".

That is a line that the late John Belushi, an American of Albanian descent, came up with. He used it in the film, as he and the bandmates wanted to raise money to save the orphanage in which they had been raised. For them, this became a mantra, a reminder that they are driven by something larger than themselves, a force that justified their chaotic behavior. The were on a mission from God, that was the only force they respected, it was their justification against authority that did not understand them and tried to stop them.

a rejection of societal norms and a commitment to a higher purpose

This idea that we are on a holy mission represents a rejection of societal norms and a commitment to a higher purpose. Jake and Elwood, The Blues Brothers, were outsiders, rebels who operated outside the boundaries of conventional morality. Their mission was not about following the rules; it’s about doing what they believed is right, regardless of the consequences. The “God” in the phrase isn’t necessarily a religious deity. It can be interpreted as a metaphor for a powerful inner conviction, a sense of destiny, or a belief in the power of music and redemption. The brothers are driven by a passion for the blues, a music that embodies struggle, resilience, and hope. Keeping the Blues alive was actually part of the message of the movie as a younger generation became exposed to the true original Blues artists such as Elmore James, Johnny Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown.

From Bluesmen to Rabbis

Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky - Rabbi Moshe Gottesman Z"L

I was blessed to have a wonderful principal and role model while attending HANC, the Hebrew Academy of Nassau Country. Rabbi Moshe Gottesman was "on a mission from God", he lived this mission, in fact his name, Gottesman, is German for Man of God. He was buried in Israel and I was privileged to attend his funeral and give my last respects to this great man. One of the students who eulogized our teacher was a student two grades ahead of me, later to become a very distinguished and well-known rabbi himself, Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky.

With tears in his eyes Dovid the Cohen eulogized our teacher and maintaining his amazing sense of humor even in the face of death said, When I was raising money to keep the school alive Rabbi Gottesman would say to me, 'Dovid, you know what your problem is?', and I would say, 'yes Rabbi, I have many problems'. But Rabbi Gottesman said, 'when you ask people for money for the yeshiva, the rabbinical academy, you ask for it like a beggar, like... please help us out, you don't believe in the cause enough, you have to realize that it is you who are doing them the favor by allowing them to participate in this holy venture, in supporting our yeshiva.'  

Dovid said this was a turning point in his life. he understood that he had been going about this in entirely the wrong way. He was on a holy mission, and he should see it as such.

And now to Krav Maga

And now let us phrase it in our context. Rabbi Gottesman was teaching Dovid, Rabbi Orlofsky, that "we are on a mission from God", and when you are on a mission from God regular rules do not apply, social convention does not apply, what other people think does not apply, you do what you need to do. You call people late at night, you come at all the wrong hours because you are on a mission from God. That is how our school survived under the most challenging circumstances, but that is a story unto itself, for another time. 

This is the attitude we, IKI Krav Maga instructors, must adopt. I will repeat that, we must adopt this, for we are truly on a mission from God. This is not a hobby, we are not teaching art, or music, or ping pong, (with all due respect) we are saving lives. Our responsibility is a heavy one and we must treat it as such. We must approach it with the utmost trepidation as one would approach a king with a request to save his people, his family.

We are on a mission from God, as a deity or as a concept, whatever your personal belief. The idea, as stated, as that you are motivated by a higher force, a higher purpose. You may be a Nihilist, an Atheist, a Deist, or a devout Pagan, Jew, Christian or Muslim, or Humanist, but we are all on a mission for God.

When you are on a mission for God, when you state this, you are declaring that your life has meaning, you are free of limitations, you are pursuing spiritual freedom. You are refusing to bend to other's ideas. What? Krav Maga class again! We are all going to a party! You are free of such restrains, you are following your heart, pursuing your passion without compromise, with unwavering dedication. You do not need to confirm to other's expectations, (You should be a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer!)  You will pursue your goal even in the face of setbacks, challenges, and adversity, which all Krav Maga instructors face.

As an IKI Krav Maga instructor you will overcome obstacles and make a difference in the world. It’s a call to action, a statement that I am here and I matter, it is a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.

The legacy of Jake and Elwood Blues, and their divine mission, continues to inspire us.

MosheKatz2024

Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.

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