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Patient or Aggressive self defense
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
October 10, 2026, Israel
There are self-defense schools, or Krav Maga, or Urban Combatives, or "Reality self-defense" whatever name you want to call it, out there that advocate different approach to self-defense, survival. I give credit to anyone who enters the field sincerely with the desire to help ordinary people protect themselvs. However, a cursory glance at you tube videos will reveal not only the wide divide between different schools who all claim to be the best and most realistic, but outright animosity, with insulting videos and counter-videos.
Allow me to add what I consider a crucial point here. I have been involved with martial arts for many years, decades, I have trained with, learned from, and taught the best of the best, from SWAT team leaders to world champions to people who survived violent encounters on and off the streets. These lessons are all incorporated in our style, IKI Krav Maga, which is not your standard classical traditional Krav Maga. What I have seen over this nearly half century period is that the internet and social media, cell phones, etc have changed the nature of how these styles are being presented, and how they are taught. Like I said, I have trained with the best, from counter terrorist experts to world champions, why am I mentioning this? To praise myself? No, but to say that I have seen the change, the transformation, from real martial arts to Image martial arts.
I trained with the British Thai Boxing champion, a sweeter man you will never meet. I trained with a street tough guy who grew up in the most violent part of Brooklyn, a kinder man I have rarely seen. I trained with the world Kickboxing champion, I trained with Bounty Hunters and counter terrorists, and people that participated in covert missions that still cannot be talked about, and ...they were all soft-spoken gentlemen.
But what do we see today? with the advent of social media, and commercialism, everyone is a Bad Ass, tough guy, it is all about image and postering, and the training has come to reflect this, after all, you can't talk the talk but not walk the walk, so we see everyone acting tough. The training is no longer true self-defense, but nothing more than a YouTube commercial, all about "likes" and "shares". The goal is popularity and money, not real self-defense.
I trained with a direct descendant of Yip Man, with people that knew Bruce Lee, I will not go through all the names now, this is not a "name dropping" of Who's Who in martial arts, this is just to show that I am experienced, and I see the change. Saiko Shihan Shigeru Oyama, disciple of the legendary Mas Oyama, never insulted or berated any student, never mocked anyone, never "put on airs". He just taught, humbly. And that is how they all were.
That is no longer the situation.
In this blog I am basically "cutting and pasting" a description that was attached to a video that I send out to our member on our Krav Maga online program.
I am not sharing the video here, it is an entire series, but it is based upon a training video of an Arab training hard to stab Jews. The video was uncovered by the Israeli police. To see our videos please join our online program.
The attack is fast, furious and brutal. There is no easy defense, and certainly an Aggressive Forward Motion would be suicidal. Fools rush in..
What I show in our videos is how I always begin with the Universal Block; in essence this entire drill is Universal Block meets Sticky Hands. Israeli-Chinese cooperation. Let us analyze this a little bit deeper.
There are styles that say - We MUST be aggressive, we must take preemptive strikes, we will not "Wait" for the attack. I saw a video recently where the Defender covers his head with his forearms and charges in, there are a lot of openings for him to be stabbed. To his credit, he admits this and says, "Yes, there are flaws, opening, but I will be attacking him very aggressively, he will not be able to fight me back.
Wel, let us think about that for a moment, that is like the old Japanese saying one blow one kill. I would say that is highly presumptuous. You admit there are openings, why would you assume that the attacker is less aggressive than you? He may be an out-of-control drunkard determined to get into the bar. But the man spoke with confidence and authority and he "looks the part" and people are turned on by that.
This appeals to many people, it sounds good, and like many lies it contains an element of truth which we also follow. There ARE times when we strike first, there Are times when a preemptive strike is called for. But many times, in fact most, not only that you will run into legal problems, but this over-enthusiastic approach will get you cut, and hurt badly, or killed.
It truly sounds great, and one of our former instructors in England said, "I will not have my students 'wait' for the attack'", and he had worked as a professional door man/bouncer/security. Now the fact that he worked the door and got into a lot of fights, and at one point even had his teeth knocked out, is not proof that he knows what he is doing, or that he knows the best way to handle a situation.
In most situations it is impossible for me to know the exact nature of the knife attack, where it comes and where it goes, a knife can move fast, up down, all around. From the perspective of the Defender it is very unpredictable and very elusive. I am most certainly not being "passive", nor "waiting for the attack", my approach comes not only from my decades of experience but from Counter Terror courses, working with police and Israels' top experts. This comes from real experience.
Aggression is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Krav Maga and Combatives training. Many think it means just charging in, hitting the guy and overwhelming him, but that is not the right way. As I teach, I begin with my forearms up in the Universal Block position but cautious and mid-level. This allows me to adjust. From here I keep my eyes closely on him and I flow with his attack, it is Chi Sao, Sticky hands, which I learned from Sifu Chow.
I am moving away from his center of power, from his CORE. I assume he is stronger than me, this is not a body-building contest, I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is the stronger person here. (he can hold his trophy), but here I will be extending his arm and Staying the Heck away from his Core! it will be my Entire body against his arm, and his arm will be away from his core power. I am not going to face him head-on, I will fight my fight, not his.
If I feel he is still too strong, I can kick and disengage. But when you are holding on to that arm, remember this, you are in a storm, you are in a Tsunami, you are holding on that arm with the knife for dear life, your life. Imagine yourself as a dog chewing on a bone. You will NOT let go, no matter what, until you are ready.
Self-defense is a matter of being smart, and careful, and anyone can succeed, you do not to be a cross-fit champion. IKI, the perfect system for imperfect people, for all types of attacks, wherever you may be. Stay safe.
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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