2023 has been an amazing year for Krav Generation!

December 19, 2023

As we approach the end of the year, thoughts naturally turn to what we’ve achieved in the last 12 months. It’s been an exciting year of growth, with some fantastic opportunities and, best of all, meeting and training with so many wonderful people. Krav Generation students come from all walks of life and that’s part of what makes every class dynamic and so much fun.



Krav Generation’s first anniversary and so much to celebrate


June marked Krav Generation’s first anniversary. The real celebration was reflecting on the fact that we had achieved our goal of working with over 90 students and seeing just how far they’ve come! Students who started with us in June 2022 have achieved three gradings, with a 100% success rate – well done to everyone for being so brilliant! Eleven students passed their P1 in November 2022, seven passed their P1 to P3 in March 2023 and 12 students graded this September achieved their P1 to P3 patches – we are so proud of you!


Krav Generation also welcomed two fabulous Krav Maga and Mixed Martial Arts instructors – Andrew and David – who passed their Civilian Instructor course and Kids Instructor course and gained their G1 patches. Their enthusiasm and commitment to sharing their knowledge of self-defence really elevates the quality of the classes we provide and helps ensure a positive experience for everyone. Meanwhile, Vish, our wonderful club ambassador, passed his P3 grading and is now training to become an instructor next year – he’s going to absolutely smash it and will be a real asset to the Krav Generation team. That team is integral to our growth as a club. Having started with one venue in Addlestone, within six months we were able to open a new venue in Cobham, along with several smaller venues in Surrey.



Krav Generation won an award!


The Runnymede Business Awards were launched this year in recognition of the borough’s standing as the most competitive outside London. Featuring seven categories, the awards are a great way of celebrating diverse and innovative businesses operating in the area. Following a rigorous judging process of over 75 nominations, Krav Generation made the shortlist. Invited to the awards ceremony held at prestigious Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel on 26 May, it was a fantastic surprise to win the award for Start-up Business of the Year. 



Krav Generation goes back to school


Throughout the year Krav Generation has been invited to run classes in a number of primary and secondary schools, including Sayes Court Primary School, St Paul’s Primary School, Salesian School, Danesfield Manor School and Reeds School. We delivered self-defence training to both students and staff and we’ve also helped a number of students to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.


And we haven’t neglected our own learning. The Krav Generation team has been busy working and training with Ciaran Shihan, former World Koshiki Karate Champion and Director of Dojo Woking, and Siukee Wan, author of Wing Chun Sil Nim Tao. It’s so inspiring to explore different disciplines and learn new skills and techniques. 



Private classes have gone from strength to strength


We’ve worked with over 40 individuals to provide 1-2-1 self-defence training. They include VIPs, police officers and civilian staff, MOD employees, NHS staff and retail employees. We’ve also been delighted to support Your Sanctuary, a local women’s refuge that works tirelessly to help vulnerable individuals and victims of crime, and we’re proud of the small contribution we can make in helping women feel more empowered. 



Looking ahead to 2024


We’ve had a fabulous year and cannot thank everyone enough for supporting Krav Generation. There are lots of new plans for next year, including a series of special events, scenario-based workshops and kids holiday clubs, plus we’re opening our Esher venue in January – it’s going to be busy and we can’t wait!


Head and shoulders of a boy wearing a hoodie, he's avoiding looking at the camera.
By Mark Hurel April 29, 2025
The Netflix drama 'Adolescence' has helped bring an important conversation to the fore – the negative impact social media and influencers are having on young boys and the rise of gender-based violence. Krav Generation runs self-defence classes for children and young people and teaching discipline, self-control and respect for others is one way in which we can help more positively influence youngsters.
By Mark Hurel April 16, 2025
The UK is considered one of the safest countries in the world when it comes to gun-related crime. Unfortunately, despite our seemingly tight gun laws and regulations, crimes in which guns are used are becoming more common. Should we be worried about guns? A crime survey by the Office for National Statistics released in September 2024 suggests a reduction in offences involving firearms and that replica and BB guns are the weapons most used. Yet still we hear of awful incidents happening – the recent trial and conviction of Nicholas Prosper , who was able to easily obtain a shotgun after faking a gun licence, has highlighted weakness in our gun laws. Why so many shootings? The motives behind shootings can often be linked to declining mental health or personal issues in the perpetrators’ lives. More recently, some incidents have been connected to online movements and social media. Efforts are being made to counter gun crime, including information sharing between police forces and more robust background checks on applicants for firearms licences, but the dark web has given rise to a market for guns that can be acquired illegally. Which means all kinds of firearms can find their way into the wrong hands. And that is evident in drive-by shootings or fights that escalate in public places – incidents in which innocent people going about their daily lives can be killed or injured. Laura, the owner of Krav Generation, knows all too well how it feels to be caught up in a dangerous situation involving a gun . At the time, she had little knowledge of de-escalation techniques but the little bit of knowledge she had gained from self-defence training gave her the confidence to tackle and subdue the gunman. What would you do if someone was pointing a gun? This is exactly why we include scenarios involving guns at Krav Generation. It may seem silly, it may seem ridiculous to even contemplate the possibility of coming face to face with someone pointing a gun, but it happens – it happens to normal people, people who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. And we want to give our students a fighting chance if, God forbid, they are ever caught up in a violent or life-threatening situation. So, we teach how to deal with weapons and how to disarm an attacker. We teach real defences for real situations – always with the hope that those skills will never actually be needed. Inspired to find out how you can learn the skills and techniques to protect yourself and your loved ones? Get in touch and join us for a free trial session
By Mark Hurel February 19, 2025
Did you know that your employer has a specific duty to protect you from work-related violence and aggression? This includes both verbal abuse and physical attacks. And this duty extends to anyone working as a contractor, a freelancer or on a self-employed basis. The Health and Safety Executive outlines all the details surrounding this. If you work in high-risk environments or there’s a history of workplace violence, then your company should be providing self-defence training. Learning self-defence techniques helps individuals to better protect themselves in the event of physical threat or assault, potentially reducing the severity of harm in a dangerous situation. Krav Generation is often approached by companies and groups to deliver specific workplace self-defence workshops. These workshops are designed to meet the specific needs of the business, its people and the environment in which they work. Krav Generation empowers a team of estate agents As an example, we recently worked with a leading estate agency. Naturally, staff are generally required to attend house viewings on their own and often in the company of people they may never have met before. Thousands of property viewings happen up and down the country every day without incident, but it’s not without risk. The highly publicised case of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh , who disappeared in 1996 after showing a property, remains a chilling reminder of the risks of lone working. This particular training session was tailored to our client’s working practices, the situations in which staff might find themselves and sharing the most appropriate self-defence techniques for typical scenarios. We also incorporated education about personal safety – easy and obvious things that we can do to prevent ourselves from becoming a target, from body language to situational awareness. All aspects of the training were accessible to all members of staff – men and women, older and younger, fit and less fit. What participants said Feedback from the class was incredibly positive and we’re delighted to have made such a difference to the staff at this particular company. Comments included: “Really well put together class, I took away invaluable information and techniques.” “Many thanks for organising the self-defence course… it was really useful and I am actually taking my daughter to one of Krav Generation’s group classes next week.” “I really enjoyed the class last week, thanks for organising it! The instructors were great and made us feel at ease. I feel so much more comfortable knowing that if something were to happen, I can try a few of those techniques to protect myself. I thought that the class was a good length of time to really put everything into practice but also not information overload.” “A very practical class designed to get you out of trouble and to safety. Really well managed and digestible, lots of fun and confidence inspiring. Lots of good tips to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.” “I really enjoyed the self-defence class and learnt some useful tips should I ever be in that type of situation (hopefully not). Laura and the team really made me feel at ease and were hands on teaching the techniques.” Feel confident, feel safer in your workplace with self-defence At Krav Generation our goal is to give people the skills and knowledge to deal effectively with potentially violent situations. Whilst the risks of, for example, being alone in the office or walking to your car at night can never be eliminated, there are ways to minimise such risks and, in many cases, avoid the possibility of becoming a victim altogether. Knowing self-defence is empowering. It gives you confidence, it means you don’t need to feel nervous or scared. If you find yourself in a threatening situation, you will be prepared to respond to it appropriately. All of us are our own best defence against violence. If you’re an employer, don’t wait for one of your team to become a victim of crime before providing them with the personal safety knowledge they should have. Contact Krav Generation and give them that knowledge now! And if you work for a company and believe that you and your colleagues would benefit from self-defence training, share this article with your boss or line manager, encourage them to get in touch !
A mother's hand clasping the hand of her child.
By Mark Hurel January 22, 2025
Krav Generation's Parent & Child class is designed to teach parents and children how to recognise a dangerous situation and learn the necessary skills to protect themselves and each other. It's also very effective in helping young children who are shy or have been bullied. Join us in Esher or Staines!
Older man walking a small dog in a wooded area
By Mark Hurel January 16, 2025
Krav Generation's self-defence classes are for everyone as Len, our most senior member, has proved. Following an unprovoked attack in his local park, he decided to learn self-defence rather than change his lifestyle.
Ambulance racing at high speed through a town
By Mark Hurel January 16, 2025
Emergency workers face physical and verbal abuse every day, they shouldn't have to work in fear. We run self-defence classes to equip them with effective skills and techniques to protect themselves on the job. Plus we offer a 10% blue light discount!
By Mark Hurel July 29, 2024
Many of us have probably felt nervous or threatened out in a public space, whether the person rushing up behind you turned out to be racing to get to a bus stop or the car moving at a snail’s pace alongside you was simply a delivery driver looking for the right address. But just imagine living in constant fear, always looking over your shoulder in case your ex is lurking or actually having to live day-in day-out with someone who is jealous, controlling and possibly violent. In recent years there have been far too many horrific crimes committed as a result of domestic abuse. Unfortunately, many victims are let down by a criminal justice system that seems poorly equipped to support them legally, there are so many loopholes that enable perpetrators to escape punishment. Having worked previously with Victim Support, I have seen it with my own eyes. A young woman with strangulation marks around her neck, bruising over her body, audio recording of her begging her boyfriend to let go because she can’t breathe, abusive text messages – sounds pretty convincing, right? Wrong, despite there being even more evidence of ongoing abuse than I’ve just shared, the police didn’t believe they had enough to make a strong case. Nothing short of a suspect admitting guilt would seemingly be evidence enough to secure a conviction. Shockingly, prosecutions of suspects accused of domestic abuse are down by 45% since 2015. And protective orders, designed to help protect victims from their abusers, don’t seem to be worth the paper they’re written on when they are regularly breached with little fear of further legal action. A ‘Joint Justice’ plan was launched jointly by the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service a couple of years ago to improve charge and conviction rates, but nothing happens quickly and resources, as we know, are severely stretched these days. Protecting yourself – what can you do? If you’re in a relationship with a partner who has become controlling or violent, or your ex won’t leave you alone, Clare’s Law – the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – is there for you. Through this scheme you can request information about your current or ex-partner. Official checks will be carried out by your local police force and any information relating to domestic abuse, controlling or coercive behaviour by that person will be disclosed to you. Importantly, the DVDS isn’t just for women at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse. It applies equally to men who are in an abusive relationship and extends to concerned family members or friends of those who appear to be at risk. The service is free and it’s completely confidential. The DVDS is a great initiative, I don’t think enough people know it exists and I hope this article helps spread awareness a little further. But a background search on a particular person isn’t going to protect you immediately, particularly if you feel vulnerable when you’re going about your daily life. The police-approved Hollie Guard app was developed for just that reason – whether you want to feel more secure when out and about or you’re concerned that you’re being stalked. And why not learn self-defence You’d be amazed just how Krav Generation students grow in confidence after just a few sessions – and sometimes, a boost in confidence is all it takes to change a situation. Not only that, you are literally arming yourself with the tools to look after yourself if, in the very worst-case scenario, someone tries to physically attack you. God forbid it should happen, but there are so many people out there who will say “no, he/she would never actually hurt or hit me” and then find themselves in fear for their lives. Please come and join us ! Yes, it can feel like a huge step to take – we get it, we understand. Krav Generation is a truly supportive community, you certainly don’t need to share your reasons for joining, and your trainers and fellow students will help you learn valuable self-defence techniques that could make a huge difference to your life. Need support? If you, or someone you know, is experiencing domestic abuse, please try to seek help. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free and available 24-hours a day – call 0808 2000 247. 
Young mother pushing a pram in a park
By Mark Hurel June 11, 2024
Krav Generation is running a four-week course for parents of young babies. Parents & Prams is designed to teach valuable self-defence techniques that will give you confidence when out and about with your baby.
Young male wearing a Canada Goose coat
By Mark Hurel April 29, 2024
Many of us wear designer clothing and use the latest tech gadgets, but did you know that certain brands are like having a target on your back? Canada Goose, The North Face and Apple in particular attract thieves and can mean personal safety is put at risk. Knowing self-defence can be very handy in such a situation.
Two teenagers facing off, one holds a knife
By Mark Hurel March 26, 2024
The use of knives by children and young people is being increasingly reported. From using a knife as a threat to steal valuables from another young person or, worse, killing someone during a party, knives are ruining too many lives.
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