One of the Christmas gifts I received this past year was a gift certificate to a self defense class. Since I travel all over the world and sometimes do it alone, my family felt I should get some training on how to defend myself if I ever get into a threatening situation. I was signed up for a six hour Krav Maga class. Krav Maga is a style of martial arts designed for on the street self-defense. Krav Maga is famous for its pragmatic approach to self-defense. Technique training ranges all the way from proper punching and kicking to gun disarms and defending against multiple attackers. It was created by the Israeli military. All photos are courtesy of Krav Maga.
The thing that was repeated over and over to the nine of us who were in class that day is that we want to be able to get out of any threatening situation and go home ALIVE. The goal is to go home and be with your family. It’s as simple as that.
We spent a lot of time in the class learning how to hit, kick, and get out of different scenarios. My thought was if I get myself into a situation where I have to fist fight my attacker, I have already lost, and I still believe that. I was the oldest and weakest woman in class. The other women were really, really strong with hard kicks and punches. I came away with many bruises and sore knuckles, but at least I know how to arrive home alive.
Some of the basics that are learned are
1. Use your body language and voice to let a would-be attacker know you are prepared for them.
2. If someone gets in your space or makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t apologize to them if you tell them to “back off.”
3. Give them any valuables that they might want.
4. Avoid situations where there could be danger lurking.
5. Don’t be an easy target. Be prepared in case you are attacked.
Granted, the class was six hours long (I left 15 minutes early), and there was a lot more info than those five bullet points I just made. My suggestion to you is that all women (and men) should take a self defense class just so you know how to get out of a threatening scenario and to give you the confidence and knowledge you need to defend yourself. Google self defense classes in your area. They are out there. You just might have to search for them, but I highly recommend taking a course. I can tell you that I have been in some threatening situations during my travels, and I wish I had taken a course like this sooner.
Take care.
A great reminder!
Good for you! I, too, am older and an easy target. I have cans of hornet spray throughout my house and I carry a can in my purse. It shoots up to 27 feet and disables your attacker so you can get away. Just a thought.