During a recent Krav Generation class there was an interesting conversation that got everyone involved. A student mentioned the increase in the theft of high value items from people travelling on the London Underground, particularly Canada Goose coats and personal belongings such as Apple Airpods and smartphones. It’s become a real problem – on the London Underground alone robberies have increased by over 100% in just six months. 

Just like we’ve seen shoplifters upping their game and stealing steaks in volume from supermarkets to sell on, there now appears to be a buoyant market for luxury and designer label items sold cheaply and no questions asked – it feels very much like a sign of the hard times we are currently experiencing. It used to be expensive watches that were being ripped off wrists – but where savvy people could easily conceal their watch under the sleeve of a coat or jacket, it’s a lot harder to hide a Canada Goose coat – desirable brands can act like a magnet.

Wearing a designer coat shouldn’t make you a target

Many of my students agreed that they sometimes feel vulnerable because of what they’re wearing or what phone they’re using in public places. It got me thinking and I decided to run a scenario-based training exercise. As The Standard’s article states, this spate of muggings means that it’s important to be aware of one’s surroundings and who is nearby at all times – it’s something that Krav Generation consistently teaches. So, for the next session I asked students to each bring along an old coat so that we could inject an element of realism to the lesson.

The session focused on de-escalation techniques and how to defend against attack. Students wore their coats and carried various personal belongings and we worked on their defence skills. As well as working in the studio, we went outside to a poorly lit area. With ears partially covered, to simulate wearing headphones or Airpods, we worked on their responses to being approached by a gang or threatened by someone with a weapon.

Whenever we teach a technique every student works with a partner. We take it slowly, allowing the muscle memory to form and, as it does so, the student’s response becomes increasingly smoother. At the same time, we are mindful to remind students that, despite learning defence techniques, they shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security or feel invincible. No one is.

Situational awareness is key

We train our students to respond appropriately to a situation. In this particular scenario situational awareness means understanding that certain places or environments can hold risks. Wearing headphones or Airpods whilst out and about makes you less aware of your surrounding and more vulnerable to attack. Keeping personal belongings out of sight means you are less likely to become a target. If an attack were to happen, we discuss escape and looking for viable exits. And then there is the one tool that so many of us forget – our voice and the importance of shouting to raise the alarm and attract attention.

Scenario-based drills enable students to use the techniques they’ve learnt but this time under a bit of pressure. This helps to train their brains to decipher information quickly in order to determine the best course of action in the given situation. And the muscle memory they have acquired from repetitive practice means they can respond rapidly.

Self-defence skills don’t turn us into superheroes

Whilst we hope none of our students will ever find themselves in a threatening situation, we want to students to be able to react instinctively rather than feel helpless. And on that note, I’ll finish by reiterating that we never EVER suggest to our students that we’re equipping them with superpowers, that they should recklessly attempt to disarm an attacker or enter into a fight. We can’t even promise that, in a truly threatening situation, a Krav Generation student will be able to perform defence techniques to a sufficiently proficient level to safely counter an attack. But what we can guarantee is that we give them with the defensive tools to do something rather than nothing. Sometimes that is all it will take to keep yourself safe.

Why not try a Krav Generation class yourself? The first session is absolutely free! Classes run in Addlestone, Cobham and Esher, with Leatherhead starting on 7 May.