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you are not that guy
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
January 7, 2026, Israel
I trained with Prof. David James some years ago, I admire his street savvy and streetwise tactics. In many ways his style is on the same protectory as IKI. We certainly share the same goals and have reached many similar conclusions. As such, I quote some of his wisdom. While the message is the same as I have been preaching for years, it is good to hear it confirmed from another legitimate source. So I will use his words as a springboard for an important message.
He discusses a recent case where a 61-year-old man got killed in a street altercation in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Strange for me to think of 61 years old as old, but then again David James himself is a few years older than me, thus we are both this category, and hopefully with age and experience comes some life wisdom and some fight wisdom.
Prof. Dave discusses how it was foolish of "man of this age" to be engaging in a street fight. Notice we use the word fight, and not self-defense. There is a difference. The man in question, facing a young aggressive attacker, did not just try to defend himself, he tried to "Fight" him. Let us think about that for a moment.
There are many styles out there, some of whom are led by men I consider personal friends and whom I think highly of, but they are advertising, and teaching, Fighting systems. I see young, tough, Israeli guys, out and about around the world selling their seminars, mocking other styles and calling themselves "Krav Maga Fighters", a term that to me is a contracdiction in terms. You are either a Krav Maga practitioner, or a fighter, they are two different concepts.
I have done plenty of fighting in my day, in the dojo, in the ring, and also on the street, but I do not teach fighting systems per se. I have always loved sparring/fighting, that was always my favorite part of class. Back at the Oyama dojo I put up with all the katas and various drills eagerly waiting for the last segment of the class, the fighting. I paid my dues with hospital visits, St. Luke, St. Vincent, Roosevelt. But Krav Maga is not about fighting, it is about surviving a violent encounter. It is about getting home safely.
Professor Dave is stressing this point and using the death of this 61-year-old man as a teaching point. He said the younger man confronted the older man, who was working as a bouncer, the younger man punch, the older man threw up his hands, but he was not able to block, he was not able to bob-and-weave, he was not fast enough or agile enough. He got punched in the face, lost his balance when the guy hit him, he thought he was fast like he was back in the day, but the attacker was not 61 years old, try to handle a 22-year-old from the ghetto. The older man went down, hit his head, went into a coma, and a few days later died.
Now what was the guy thinking, Prof Dave asks, he is thinking...back in the day I could handle this punk, Im still that guy, No, you're not that guy, tremendous ego, and memories, You ain't that guy anymore, you have to approach things differently. You have to know when it's time to change things up, Keep it real. You're not that guy anymore, humble up. Don't think you can fight everybody, don't be a Fighter, Avoid the fight, go first, and it will be over. No negotiations, take the shot. Look for the Window of Opportunity, are you training to fight? to show off to the girls? to look good? time to humble up. Take the window of Opportunity, and it will be over. Stop playing games with these knuckleheads, "you don't have to be no bad ass"
In our own words, be a Krav Maga defender. You can train to fight, but are you looking for a street scuffle? for what purpose? to impress others? to impress yourself?
We are not kids anymore, we seek the very small Window-of-Opportunity, and we strike first, and it is over. That is how we train.
If we are lucky, we grow old, we will not be in the shape required to fight a hungry street boxer looking to rob us, we need to be smart, as Prof Dave says, it's time to change things up, and that is what IKI is all about.
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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