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To Be Understood
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
November 2-3, 2026, Frankfurt, Germany- Israel
There was a problem with my flights, bookings, train connections. I arrived home late last night but put on my agenda to call the airline first thing in the morning.
I make a point to be a good customer. Sometimes students who host seminars ask; perhaps we can save a few dollars and fly another airline, there is a sale on EasyJet, or you can get a stool next to the toilet on Fred's Air. But the answer is no. I have loyalty to my airlines. And in exchange for my loyalty I expect loyalthy and serivice in return. It works both ways. As my dear Aunt Esther, may she rest in peace, used to say, "to have a good friend, you must be a good friend."
To expect good service, you must also be a good client. And so, I am. It is very important for me to main a high customer category, Gold, Platinum, etc.. Remember, loyalty runs both ways, it is a two-way street.
I called up and explained my problem very clearly. The young girl on the line can the expected answer; this is not my department, there is nothing that I can do. Go to the website, there is a compliant form that can be filled.
I replied that I remember my dear father, may he rest in peace, describing what it meant in his day to "file" a complaint at the bank where he worked. The "Complaint file" was in fact the garbage bin, the Trush Can.
I told that after being a customer since I was a child, and a gold or platinum member for over ten years, I expected more from her. I wanted to speak to a human being, not an online form.
Eventually she consented to film out the form herself, submit it, and personally follow its progress, putting in an "Expediate Matters" on the file.
Once her attitude improved, and went from "Nothing can be done", to, "I will do something about it", my attitude softened as well.
I told her, imagine you are in a foreign country, you do not have command of the language, your ticket is not showing up on your phone, the site is not providing you with the proper ticket. How would you feel? and then to arrive home and be told to fill out an online form which you have already done in the past with zero results?! How would you feel?!
She became more human, not the automated AI machine that employees are being molded into. I thought about this, my first goal was to be understood, to be acknowledged that I was wronged and that I deserve a fair response. Whether or not that response will be satisfactory is another story, most likely it will not, they cannot erase the aggravation, at best one can receive a voucher or some fairly useless "miles". but the first step is to be heard and understood.
As I walked to the local market, I thought of how that applies to Krav Maga.
When I began martial arts training the approach was very traditional, very uniform, one size fits all; Upper Block, lower block, hip throw, front kick. There was no individuality. You are standing in a row kicking, and the more similar you are to the students next to you, the better.
But our Krav Maga is not like this. The first step is for the instructors, the Krav Maga Researchers, to listen. We need to be like the Complaint Department at the airport should be, (Not as it currently is), first Listen. Acknowledge that the customer is angry, is hurt, is in pain, is tired and frustrated. Don't put him down with "fill out a form, and send it online". (I told the young girl, in my experience that is the same as writing a detailed latter, putting it in an envelope and throwing in out the window and "waiting for the response".
Our first step is to listen, to let the student know, she or he, has been heard. We hear their story; we feel their pain. They will not be given a Kata, a form, to learn, we will apply our concepts to their unique predicament and circumstances. We will listen carefully; we will ask them to describe in detail what they must deal with. It is not for me to tell a person in South Africa how to live their lives, it is for me to listen, and to try and come up with something that might possibly help. But first, I must listen, but first I must acknowledge their pain, and then I must use my many years of training and research to try and find something that I can build around that person; their circumstances, their age, their gender, their abilities. We do not use the One Size fits All approach. Each person is unique, Pavlina at age 14, petite and innocent, is facing different challenges that Martin who has a leg problem. Tomasz is strong and solid, but Jessica weighs little more than a toothpick.
Lena is strong and fast, but thin, there is little weight to "throw around". Nadja, is still new and hesitant. Christian is more intellectually inclined but has the technical understanding. Peter if powerful, with a kind nature. Each person is an individual; each person has a personality.
It is our job as instructors to be the "Complaint Department", to acknowledge the pain, to listen, to let the student know they are "Heard", and then to get to work to find the best, most optimal solution, for them.
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
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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