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The Final Decision is Yours
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
October 15, 2026, Israel
Growing up in Israel one develops a certain way of thinking, which is true of any country. That way of thinking affects and impacts one's entire life in ways that we can never anticipate. I see this in my life and in the lives of my brothers. There is a certain mix of survival mentality and Israeli military mentality. Defeat is not an option, giving up is not an option, failure is not an option.
We grow with stories about heroic commanders leading troops into battle with the cry of "After me!" that the commander leads by example and is the first to face the enemy and often the first to die. And when he falls in combat another soldier will rise up and take his place, becoming the new commander. There is not time to send for a new leader, the message to us kids was very clear; each and every one of us must be prepared to take charge if and when needed, this is the Israeli way of thinking.
Just recently, with the attempted hijacking of September 30, we saw this; the captain went down, a plumber took over, an insurance salesman took charge. Soon the plane was in the control of an ad hock Israeli team, and the suspicious local staff was being guarded and kept "secured". Ordinary people took command, people who had never met before became a team, authority and responsibility was delegated among the new crew. This is the Israeli way of handling a crisis.
This is something which cannot be planned in advance. The entire premise is - Think on your feet, do not follow a written manuel. That is how every war in Israel has been won, by the initiative and creativity of the soldier in the field. And this is how I teach Krav Maga.
Many ask for a "plan", a Color-by-Numbers guide, but that is not how I think. Self-defense is not a Kata, a pre-arranged form. Life is initiative in the chaos, thrive in the chaos of war and stress. That is why I teach tools, just as Israeli soldiers learn tools. And in the moment of truth, we use those tools and improvise.
I give you tools, I give you the initial reaction so that you can survive the initial stab, the initial attack, the initial threat, but then, how to continue, how to follow through, that is yours! As with the Israeli army in the field, at the moment of truth, when your life is on the line, the Final Decision is Yours and yours alone. It is your life. It is your decision. At that moment I will have hoped that I prepared you well, but at this point it is your life, your call, your decision.
At that fateful moment you see and feel the situation. Your instructor is not there with you, the Grand Master is not there with you, your commander is not there with you. You are the only one now with all the facts.
In training we study real life cases. In training we work on techniques, but when "it" actually happens, all I can hope for is that I have trained you well, and that I have trained you to make wise decisions under stress. There is no way anyone can fully anticipate every detail of every future situations, that is why we teach concepts and tools, rather than memorization.
In 1967 and again in 1973 the Egyptian army trained by rules and manuals, Israel trained with concepts and improvisation. The results were undisputed absolute Israeli victories. This is how IKI Krav Maga works.
When an attack happens, your instructor will not be there, at this moment the leadership has passed on to you. No one can correct you, or control you, it is all in your hands. The instructor must train his students well and then learn to let go, to trust the students that they will make good choices if and when that moment comes, for in the moment of truth, the Final Decision is yours.
Moshe Katz, 8th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt Hall of fame, USA and Europe. Public speaker, published author of 15 books on Krav Maga and related topic, international seminar presenter.
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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