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Top twelve false points of Krav Maga
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
September 25, 2026, Israel
During my early days on Wall Street, I became disillusioned with the entire structure of Marketing and Business. I was pursuing a degree in Finance and Business while working on Wall Street for a prestigious company. During the meetings I recall hearing the names of familiar companies and products, but not once did anyone discuss the potential benefits, or shortcomings of any product, those were not issues. The only factors were quarterly profits.
Only later I discovered that the same is true for martial arts associations, with few exceptions. I was privileged to train with some of those remarkable "exceptions", and they passed their teachings and wisdom on to me. They came from many arts, many cultures and professions. One was a math teacher, another worked for Pepsi Cola, and another was sent from Japan to spread a true style of karate. I was taught to seek the truth in training, beyond style, disciple or country of origin.
Today I see Krav Maga becoming very commercialized and I want to point what I see as the greatest lies being spread. I set out to list ten, but I found that I had to point out twelve. Let's get into it.
1. Time - It takes many years to become proficient - Many martial arts are indeed arts and do require years of training same as it would be with the violin or piano, but Krav Maga was not designed that way. The original purpose was a simple system for soldiers to be able to defend themselvs against common attacks. Original students from the 1950's told me that the basics were learned in a matter of hours, not years. Today schools require students to sign long-term contracts from which they cannot get out, and the program is designed not to teach basic skills quickly but as a "hook" to get students to stay in the paid program longer. Many basic defenses are not even introduced during the first year but dangled in front of students to make them sign up for a multi-year program.
2. Fitness - Often fitness is the main component of the class. The reason for this is that the instructors really do not know much Krav Maga and they must find something else to fill in the class time. There is also the false notion that being fit equals being able to defend yourself. However, a knife slices through tissue regardless of how fit you are, in fact sometimes being fat actually provides a layer of protection that has saved many lives.
Real life violent attacks are short; they are not 10-round professional bouts. The only true advantage of fitness would be your ability to run away from the attacker.
3. Strength - Our techniques depend upon understanding body mechanics, not upon being able to out-muscle your attacker. If your technique requires superior muscular strength to make it work, it is not an effective technique. We begin with the assumption that our attacker is stronger than us, that is why he chose us. However, one can argue that a fit and muscular appearance could deter a potential attacker, but not everyone has the time, inclination or genetics for that. It takes years to build an Arnold Schwarzenegger type body, and even that fades with age.
4. Rank and Belts – Higher Rank Does Not Mean Better Self-Defense. “A high rank does not automatically make someone better at self-defense. A belt can tell you that you have completed a certain curriculum or passed a certain test. It does not tell you how you will react when someone attacks you unexpectedly on the street. Self-defense is not a belt, a certificate, or a title. It is the ability to recognize danger, avoid it when possible, and act effectively when necessary.”
5. Coordination - Many styles of martial arts require extraordinary coordination. Like the acrobatic performances of the Shaolin Monks years of training beginning at a young age, dexterity, finesses and fine motor skills are required. That makes for a great performance, but when you are fighting for your life, it is no performance. Our approach is brute gross-motor moves that do not rely upon superior coordination. Basic human coordination is enough for our style of IKI. If you can drive a car, you can learn our system. If you can ride a bicycle, you are capable of mastering our system.
Even a coordinated, well-trained person will struggle under stress. As a musician I know that playing a complicated song in my home does not mean I will perform it flawlessly in front of a live audience. Stress destroys coordination. In a violent self defense situation we must keep it Simple.
Simplicity – More Techniques Do Not Mean Better Krav Maga
An effective technique should be:
- simple
- easy to understand
- applicable under stress
- usable by different people
- realistically trainable
- based on the situation, not on choreography
6. Flexibility - When I began my karate training, I spent a great deal of time working on my split, stretching, I understood that this is the key to martial arts mastery. It turns out that flexibility plays almost no role in self-defense. There is no need to kick the guy in the head. For Mona Kimura in the ring, yes, very important, for us on the street facing a gun or a knife, not a factor.
7. Aggression - Aggression has a role in self-defense, but not the way it is taught. I find that outside of Israel this concept is totally misunderstood and that is partially due to the fact that many Israeli instructors use this is a false marketing gimmick. Israelis are naturally aggressive, just try waiting in line at the post office, we do not need aggressiveness training. What we need is "Controlled Aggression", how to use aggression at the opportune time and in the correct measure.
8. Memorization - I have trained in martial arts systems where a great deal of memorization was required, names of techniques in Japanese, Chinese or Korean, long sequences of techniques. We do not require any of that, we see it as a waste of time. If I call it the Universal Block and you prefer calling it The Outstretched Arms, fine with me. Or come up with a term in your own language, whatever makes it easier to learn, that is the goal, survival.
9. Secrets - In many styles the student is promised that as he reaches the highest levels, secrets from the masters will be revealed. The only secret we have is that there are no secretes, we are an open book, cards on the table. From Day One you learn everything you need to know.
10. Military Experience - Wars - Many Israeli instructors use their military ranks and alleged experience to promote their style of Krav Maga. They do not do this in Israel as we all know the truth; everyone served in the army, even Special Needs individuals have a place, and most exaggerate their military experience. (I single handedly defeated the Syrians in 1973, although I was still a child).
Having fought in a war and seen live action can certainly build ones' fortitude and ability to deal with violence but loading a tank or firing a missile is not the same as fighting off a knife attacker in the parking light. With all due respect, they are different situations entirely.
11. Fighting is the only option - Other than my training with Professor Arthur Cohen, none of my instructors discussed the option of getting out of a violent situation without the use of violence. And yet, that is the best way to avoid trouble. The idea of "Best defense - not be there" of the legendary Karate instructor Miyagi Sensei is valid. At IKI we teach many ways to avoid the problem before it becomes a life-threatening problem.
12. The class must keep moving, physically, it is a physical workout - In most Krav Maga schools I have seen all over the world, the motto is - Keep the class moving, keep the heartrate up, keep the music pumping, it is a sweat drenching high energy Bad Ass workout! but none of this has anything to do with real Krav Maga as it was envisioned in Israel. If teaching you to look both ways before crossing the street will save your life, that is true survival training. Survival is our goal, our only goal.
Our Krav Maga was born out of the reality of violence, in Israel and around the world, there is no hype, there is no show, there is just you and the world around you. For this we can train you. (See below for details to get started today).
Moshe Katz, 8th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt Hall of Fame, USA and Europe. Published Author, international speaker on survival tactics.
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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