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Solve Problems
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
July 23, 2026, Lod Airport, Israel
There is an old Arabic expression, and I am sure there are similar expressions in every language, - fil muskela, binhilha, if there is a problem, we shall solve it. There are also expressions such as, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. i.e. we will deal with that problem, if and when it happens.
But there is another approach. That approach is to take every measure to avoid the problem in the first place. If I am looking at two candidates for a job, one says he is good at solving problems as they arise, and the other says, I will solve your problems before they arise, before they happen. I will hire the second candidate. I like to avoid problems. I like to solve problems before they happen, before they cause me hardship and frustration, before they cause me pain. While solving problems as you go along, winging it, can be fun for some, it can also be costly, and in some cases, deadly. We need to learn from experience to anticipate what has not yet happened.
When it comes to running a large corporation, anticipating problems is a matter of the survival of the company. You can't just go on putting out fires, you need to anticipate the fire and prevent it from happening. Putting out a forest fire can be done, but at a great cost, to the animals, the trees, the land, and the fire fighters as well as the budget. Planes flying over the forest and spraying water does not come cheaply. Animals caught in a deadly fire...better to follow the advice of Smokey the Bear; Be careful, don't leave a fire burning, don't toss out a lit cigarette. Only you can prevent forest fires. You need to solve the problem before it starts.
With Krav Maga self-defense it is not about money, or forest fires, it is about your life. When you are attacked it is too late to begin lessons. If only we had some warning!
We do.
We have had ample warnings. but we chose not to listen. We chose not to anticipate problems that will occur, but rather to rely upon luck and chance, and faithful mantras of "It won't happen to me", as such things only happen to others.
At work we would all naturally hire the person, who when asked - What can you bring to this firm? Answers - I will solve problems before they emerge, yet in our own lives we deliberately put on blinders, like horses pulling a carriage in Central Park or downtown Vienna, as we trot along blindly on a familiar route, hoping for the best.
We have the warnings, it is called "The Daily News", "The Times", we read about home invasions, rape, stabbings of tourists in downtown of major cities, and yet...nothing, we do not heed the warning. We are blind to our own well-being. We are like a dog on a leash that needs to be pulled out of the street in order not to get hit by a passing car. How long?
Two candidates sit before us, What can you bring to this firm? We ask, one says, I have experience, the other says, I have learned from experience to anticipate problems. One says I can solve problems when they arise. The other candidate says, I can solve problems before they happen.
I have a memory; my dear Uncle Seymour Katz of blessed memory is being honored. Some sort of business award, but he passes on the honor and thanks...his secretary. This was long ago, before cell phones, before computers. The most efficient way to find a phone number was via the rolodex. I can picture him the podium, a problem arises, he says, he feels anxious, nervous, confused, stressed, he calls out to his secretary, Get me what's his name on the phone now!
She answers, "Mr. Katz, I have him on hold".
That is why he was such a great success.
Solve problems before they happen.
Rolodex, the fastest way to find a contact, phone number.
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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