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Questions Answers 2025
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
August 14, 2025, Israel
Good evening Moshe,
Thank you for your reply and for the attachment. While I am happy with the offer and the pricing, I have some concerns about how effective I would be as a coach learning solely from the videos. That said, I plan to take my family to a Krav Maga class tomorrow night, and I will consider the options based on their experience. If they enjoy it, I would like to continue taking them there while I start training online until I feel confident enough to train them myself or to offer supplementary support.
I have a couple of questions: First, DVDs are no longer a preferred medium. Can the videos that are currently available on DVD be downloaded instead?
Secondly, do you offer specific training sessions for children and the elderly?
Kind regards,
D.
Close to midnight,
Dear Sir,
First, there are more than one kind of Krav Maga. To be honest, with regard to the general type of Krav Maga, I don't like it, I don't endorse it, and I don't advise anyone to train in it. I spent enough years around this field to know, what we have evolved is very different from what I was exposed to. For me it was a learning experience spanning forty years, and that is the experience that I bring to the discussion, and that is what I offer.
I will explain.
Most Krav Maga these days is "Bad Ass wanna be". A lot of aggression that does not serve the needs of the students who simply want to get home safely, a lot of knees, elbows, hard hitting, yelling, postering. I admit that many falsely believe that this is true Krav Maga and everything else is a watered-down fraud, but I disagree. and I have backed up my arguments with techniques and explanations. Most of these styles do not understand the original purpose of Krav Maga and the people who developed it, these were not MMA type fighters, just simply Jews who did not want to be killed. We are a gentle peace seeking people.
You ask about the young and the elderly. No, classic traditional Krav Maga is not for them. But that is not what I teach.
How strong are the young? How fit are the elderly? We don't know, it differs. What I offer are concepts and easy techniques that work for the average person. My saying is "The perfect system for imperfect people".
As it is concept based, it is adaptable to any age and any person, even people in wheelchairs, even people who have suffered physical disabilities, and even mental disabilities.
In most Krav Maga schools the student must become like the teacher, who is usually former military, a cross-fit athlete, a body builder, someone whos' entire life is devoted to fitness. That is not you, that is not your family, that is not the average person. And yet it is the average person who seeks Krav Maga for personal safety. Bottom line - I strongly and firmly believe that traditional Krav Maga methods will not serve the needs of the people seeking them. I also know that many walk away soon after joining because the atmosphere is...negative, not nurturing. We don't go to class to be bullied by tough guys, we go to class to learn how to avoid that very idea.
Our Krav Maga would most likely be in a conflict with any school you joined, in fact, if you used our techniques they would "convince" you of their futility, and you don't have the knowledge to argue with them. So if you are going to attend some local American or European school, I would not recommend signing up for the IKI online program. It will just create a conflict.
Our style is based on concepts that one can apply in any situation. Our techniques are based on instinctive gross motor moves, not on memorized techniques that one must spend countless hours ...memorizing. You don't need to be the image of the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine to make our techniques more for you. (and we have countless real life example to back this up.)
You mention, "If they enjoy", well, they might. They might also enjoy "Kung Fu Panda" and ice cream. To me the key point is will it help them, and you, stay safe and alive. My goal is not to please; my goal is to get you home safely. I am not an entertainer.
The sad truth is that for the unexperienced novice it is almost impossible to know if a school is good or not, that is why a dad always helps a son purchase his first car. What I try to offer are logical explanations, based on a lifetime of teaching.
Most Krav Maga, and most martial arts, depend upon a high level of skill, as well as Strength, Speed and Precision. We reject that approach as being impractical for nearly all people. When I teach a technique, I explain the logical foundations behind it, and you can be the judge as you think about it and try it. It must work for the average person in the most stressful situation. and it must be something that you can gain the foundations of fairly quickly. If it takes 5 years to become proficient, what will you do until then?
I want to explain something, this is not about trying to make a sale. It is late at night in Israel, I am tired, I showered and I was getting ready to relax, but I saw your message and decided it was important to write back. My fee after PayPal commissions, currency exchange and taxes in two countries (duel citizen) are less than $12 per month. If someone offered me $100 at this hour of the night, after a very hot desert day, to write a long letter, I would politely decline, but this is about lives and the loss of life. It is about human dignity, so I answer, at any time of day or night.
I find most Krav Maga impractical, and that is why I have moved on and taken the concepts to a different level, one that has thankfully received worldwide recognition, from police, military, "ordinary" people, young and old, healthy and handicapped. And I am never satisfied; we keep working on improvements.
In practical terms, we do have a Vimeo page, and all the DVDs are available for immediate download, for you I would recommend the "Anti Bullying" DVD. Our online program covers a myriad of topics; not all are relevant for each member. Some are more suitable for women, some more suitable for security guards, some for military, some for schoolteachers, but we cover everything, 365 days a year. And, as you can see, as long as God gives me the strength and time, I answer, each person individually. There is no AI, just I and my assistance from above.
with many blessings,
Moshe
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
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