Piece of the Puzzle
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International


August 2, 2019, El Al Business lounge, Lod airport


We are all trying to complete the puzzle of life. We are wandering through the stories of our lives, the streets, the alleyways, looking for the missing piece to the puzzle, the piece that will complete us, make us feel happy, fulfilled. We want meaningful lives, or for some, at least happy lives.

We are looking for the perfect life partner, the perfect song, the perfect avenue of expression. We want it so badly that we are willing to force it, to make it work. When we force it, it will never look or feel right. It will be "forced". Like a forced smile, one can tell the difference. 

We pose for the camera, we smile for our profile picture, but those who can see, those who know us best, see that it is fake. There is a forced smile and a real smile. 

Picture the following. You are working on a puzzle. The pieces look pretty much the same, it is a challenging puzzle. You make a lot of progress and now just one piece is missing. You find a piece, not sure where it came from but close enough. You try it, at first it does not fit. So you put it in your mouth and chew off a piece. You rip it off with your teeth. Now you press it into place. Almost there. You squeeze, you push, and finally it fits. Done. The puzzle is complete. Sigh of relief. 

Enter the Housekeeper

The housekeeper comes in, sweeps the floor and finds a piece of a puzzle. Hey Joe, do you need this, or should I throw it out?

Joe takes a quizzical look, checks out the piece, removes the chewed-up piece from the completed puzzle and gives this one a try. It is a perfect fit. Now the puzzle really looks right. It IS right. 

And now the interpretation of the analogy. When things in life are forced they look forced. A force relationship will never bring you the joy you yearn for. A compromise job will not fulfill you, and, a bad Krav Maga technique will not solve your problems.

I often see very poor Krav Maga techniques; bad mechanics, illogical movements, and yet people continue to teach these techniques and believe in them. Why?

Because they do work, when you force them. Use enough speed, enough muscle and you will be able to force the technique to work. But it is not natural, it is "forced". In the dojo where you have the time and the right conditions you can make it work by simply overpowering your opponent. But it is still not a good technique, there is a better way to solve this situation. And when you see the better technique it will be like when you find that true missing piece of the puzzle, the one the housekeeper swept up.

When you find the right job, the right partner, the right place to live, it will not be forced. You will not have to fight it or force it, it will feel right, it will be right. 



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