Watch the Gap
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

November 24, 2025, Israel

WatchGap
LIRRticket

I needed a bookmark to mark the page of the book I am currently reading, "History of the Jews of Italy" (a rather depressing book), and I grabbed an old ticket that somehow was lying around. It was from the LIRR - Long Island Rail Road. Makes for a good bookmark. And then I noticed the back side, the reminder "Watch the Gap".

I remember the first time I saw this sign at the railroad, and I thought it was an advertisement for ""The Gap", a popular clothing store at the time, after all there were advertisements everywhere I looked, at the train station, inside the train, wherever you looked they were advertising something, so...The Gap, the clothing store. Gradually it hit me that this is not the store. Rather, it was a warning, watch the little gap between the platform and the train, (obvious right?). That little space, that gap, is small, but one misstep and you could fall to the tracks, and then be crushed to death, a simple but very important reminder, watch the gap, watch your step, be safe.  It is a matter of life and death.

As I put my bookmark down, I thought about that. Watch the Gap. A constant reminder to travelers. Some will see it every day and there lies the brilliance of this reminder. 

I thought of the song...

You get up every morning
From your 'larm clock's warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There's a whistle up above
And people pushin', people shovin'
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train's on time
You can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay

You see, we are all in a hurry, we are "pushin' and shovin' and trying to get to work on time. And in the hustle and bustle of our daily routine, we become neglectful. We neglect that which is routine, obvious, mundane. We neglect our basic safety, and in our hurry to get on the train we might very easily not watch the gap, one wrong step and we are ...gone. Thus the brilliance in the simple warning "Watch the Gap". 

And so it is with self-defense. When I was younger, I thought it was all about doing more pushups, hitting harder, lifting more weights, being more aggressive. I went through all that, I fought full-contact, I saw the inside of many hospitals. Good times indeed. But as I grew older, and wiser, I realized that true self defense can be summed up in that simple phrase from our friends at the LIRR, Watch the Gap. That will save your life. 

Pay attention, look around you, pick up unusual behavior, keep your eyes open for suspicious looking objects and suspicious acting people, keep doing your pushups and hitting the bag, that is fine, but Watching the Gap - that will save your life.  

Moshe2021

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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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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