When the last article finished, I had just finished advanced training in the Israeli army and had been working as a special operations soldier. I had wanted to be a combat instructor, but when the army selected me for field service, I had not argued and had accepted my fate. It was an honor to serve my country in any way, and field duty was among the noblest. I served well, and I had just been selected for commander and officer training.
I still wanted to be a Krav Maga Instructor for my fellow soldiers. Yet, how could I turn down the chance to take on additional rank to serve my country?
I debated the issue endlessly, asking the advice of those around me. I finally got a great piece of advice which made me decide my path. There are many soldiers who would be qualified to be combat soldiers, but few people had my skills for teaching.
An officer would work with a few dozen soldiers, but a combat instructor would work with thousands. Learning Krav Maga was a necessity for every single soldier, and teaching Krav Maga was my passion. I knew I could be effective for the soldiers and give them the tools they needed. Even my own commanders were recommending me for instructor training. This was my path, even if I had no idea how that would happen.
One day, my commander came to me that he had news. He had always been supportive of my goal of becoming an instructor and saw my potential. Therefore, he was happy to tell me that the higher-ups had finally agreed to send me to the instructor course. I would then return to be an instructor for the rest of the combatants of the Kfir 900th Infantry Brigade.
Dreams Do Come True
Although I had initially been disappointed by not being selected immediately for instructor training, it actually worked out for the best.
First, the real-world experience I had in the field made me a far more effective teacher. I know firsthand what dangers were out there, and could draw on those experiences to plan my lessons. I was extremely prepared to take the lessons I learned to my students, along with the lessons of the incredible people who had served alongside me.
Second, I was also grateful for the lesson I learned on the journey of achieving my goal. I learned to never give up on my goals, but to balance those personal dreams with the bigger picture. Even though I was determined to teach Krav Maga in the army, I never selfishly put my own wishes over the mission of the army, which was to protect the country.
Even when I was feeling extremely frustrated by military bureaucracy, I never resorted to outright insubordination, which would have resulted in a swift court-martial and military prison. I understood that wasn’t summer camp. This was the army, where we were under strict discipline and orders had to be obeyed. The safety of the country rested on my shoulders and nothing else mattered more than keeping my loved ones safe. Wherever I was placed, I vowed to be a good soldier who did what was expected of me, while still suggesting in any legal way possible that I be moved to the position I truly wanted.
Now, finally, all that work had paid off!
Becoming an Instructor
I was sent to the Wingate Training facility at an army base. I was quite pleased to see the level of professionalism and expertise of the instructors. I had worried it would just be lessons on fitness training and aggression drills, but the course had a strong emphasis on form and technique in the curriculum.
The course was extremely intense. We had 7-9 classes a day, endless training broken up by massive meals and periods of sleep.
We were constantly training, only having 20-30 minutes of rest a day, before we had to return to training. I had to go through rigorous training that tested my physical and mental skills to prove that I knew the material, but could also solve problems, improvise and lead others.
It was one of the most exhausting experiences I ever had, but it was definitely worth it. I learned a lot from the instructors there, like Alon Dagan, Matan Koreb, and Orrie Altar. (See note)
I did the course in May, and it was starting to be really hot (Israel is in the Middle East, after all) so we started to do our training at night.
The instructors would wake us up by coming into our rooms with sticks and megaphones, shouting for us to rise and shine. We had to snap out of sleep and be ready for training within a very short span of minutes. As miserable as this sounds, this treatment wasn’t hazing. It was teaching us how to adapt quickly, and flip the switch from calm to confusion to combative, one of the essences of Krav Maga.
I remember one drill with Alon, where we had to be constantly moving the entire time for two hours. We could not be still for a single second. I was sore for days, but the aching muscles definitely turned into muscle memory.
After five exhausting weeks, I was returned to the Kfir Brigade as a combat instructor. My dream had come true.
Now the real work started.
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Notes:
A big shout-out to Alon Dagan, who is not only a great teacher but became a fantastic friend to me. He is currently doing incredible work in Israel at Power Center Dojo and I can’t wait to see him again.
There were a few more instructors at Wingate who sadly can’t be named for security reasons, due to the vital work they are doing to keep the country safe. Happily, these heroes are not the type to seek the spotlight, because they have no need for validation. They do the work they do because they want to do what is right. They are protectors, and they want to help others.
I honor them every day by spreading their message and I know that’s all the thanks they want.
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