I have recently been invited to several JCC’s, chabads and temples to give talks on safety strategies the Jewish community should follow to stay safe during these very dangerous times. To put it into perspective, according to the data collected by the Department of Justice, anti-Semitic crimes are up over 300% since October of last year alone.
What I have learned by speaking with those who attend my talks, is that a high percentage of the community that find themselves in the path of harassments and assaults are advanced in age and/or physically limited through injury or sickness. Cowardice, sadly, is a common trait in bullies and terrorists.
Krav Maga is still useful even when the physicality of those learning it is compromised. Imi Lichtenfeld once said of his system, “you do not change to fit Krav Maga, Krav Maga changes to fit you. “ It must be noted that the assumption built into the system is that the defender is smaller, weaker and slower than the assailant. It assumes that he/she has every disadvantage. So what is the path to victory?
My instructor, a high ranking black belt directly under Imi, often said that since we are smaller, weaker and slower, the only way we win is by being smarter! What we are, in fact, building is not just a set of physical responses to potential threats, but a mindset and thought process which brings opportunities to succeed despite all perceived disadvantages.
Training Krav Maga helps the mind to recognize threats at the earliest point in the timeline of attack (situational awareness). It also teaches the student to constantly poll any and all targets accessible on the attacker, as well as read the terrain of the environment to best equip the defender with potential weapons, allies and exit strategies.
When presenting Krav Maga to older, targeted audiences, I remind them that the system is meant to be accessible. There is no need to be “in shape” or have certain athletic abilities to win. The system is focused on seeing the situation like a chess player sees a chess board…a Kravist stays a step or two ahead of the attacker, beating them with the ability to see any/all openings and attack the vulnerable targets exposed.
Every student progresses in their physical attributes over time, but victory is found by the power of the mind rather than the abilities of the body. It is important, therefore, to recognize that starting self defense training is not just based on being physically fit, but rather mentally and emotionally committed to protecting oneself and loved ones.
