Play for Real
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

September 3, 2026, Los Angeles, California, USA

PlayforReal

There is a line from an old movie, the context is not important, but it involved a confrontation. One guy says, "You ain't playin for real, my boy here will (implied, beat you etc.)"  but the words are interrupted. And the first man answers in a stern and very serious voice, "I only play for real."

That is how I approach self-defense.

I was once interested in the traditions of martial arts, 

I was once interested in the culture of martial arts, 

I was once interested in the artistic part of martials arts, I was once interested in the tournament aspect of martial arts, I was once interested in the finesse of martial arts, I was once...

but not anymore. Now I only play for real. Nothing else interests me. I am not messing around with technique, I do not care about lineage or forms, or tradition. I only care that people arrive home safely, not beaten, not humiliated, not raped, not brutalized, not killed. 

With IKI there is no playing around, there is "Hey man I mean no harm", there is no fantasy talk or fantasy technique. There is only simple practical training. 

I watch all the videos that pop up on social media and Youboob, and I scratch my head and wonder, can anyone really take this stuff seriously? but people do, they have no clue about reality, and that includes most martial arts instructors, and most Krav Maga instructors. They are playing around. But they don't realize it.

In the comfort of your dojo, or training hall, with your dedicated devoted students, you can pull anything off and no one challenges you. You might truly believe what you are doing is real, but with my years of experience and years of researching real-life cases and interviewing survivors, I look at these techniques, with their many steps leading up to the actual defense, and I just say No! this is not real, this is a game made to look to real self defense but it is not.

I do not play around. Everything technique must be simple, direct and immediately effective. Today I had a session with a man of 74 who has not trained in a long time. And yet, every technique that I showed him - he got the basic technique in his very first attempt. It was not black belt testing level but it was good enough to stop any street thug. This is real. We are not playing around. We are dealing with people's lives.

I have lived through wars, I have lived through terror, I have traveled the world many times over and seen and heard first-hand about real violence. I have the experience. My eyes and heart have seen the pain. I do not mess around, I do not play around. I ONLY play for real.

Your life, your survival, is all that matters. Leave the acting to Hollywood, and leave the games to children. 

MosheFlagSmallC

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

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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.

Books by Moshe Katz

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