Krav Generation’s club ambassador Vish, a father of two young children, shares his thoughts on a recent incident in which someone attempted to abduct a child right in front of her parents.

‘PARK CREEP: Warning to parents after man tries to grab girl, 5, in park as cops hunt creep – what a terrifying news headline. As a parent I am instantly thankful that nothing like this has happened to my children or friends/family. My thoughts then turn to the parents of that particular child and I can only imagine how they felt during this experience – it must have felt like forever but was luckily over in an instant.

Unfortunately, such incidents aren’t uncommon and ‘stranger danger’ isn’t going to disappear any time soon. One part of the article that struck me is that the person was stopped by parents and bystanders, which is great. But I can’t help but wonder how did a stranger get so close to the child in the first place and why did no one notice or intervene before the attempted abduction took place?

Krav Maga isn’t just for adults

Perception and awareness of your surroundings is something which Krav Maga really instils in you. You quickly become consciously aware of everything going on around you, no matter where you are or what you’re doing – from walking down a street or shopping in the local supermarket to waiting for a train, visiting a museum or enjoying a meal in a restaurant. 

My daughter initially joined Krav Generation because she wanted to do what her daddy did. But over the last few months this has evolved into her learning the art of self defence, not just through kicks and punches but also through heightened awareness of her surroundings and being confident to use her voice.

She now walks around more alert to what’s happening around her and actively steps away from situations where she sees potential problems. Her younger brother, for instance, is very boisterous and also has epic temper tantrums – before learning Krav Maga, my daughter would inevitably end up being in the middle of ugly situations. Now she knows to simply walk away from her somewhat unpredictable toddler brother if she sees a tantrum brewing. Yes, this scenario is within the family environment and the ‘danger’ is limited, but the change in my daughter and her understanding of someone else’s behaviour shows that she is successfully applying her new knowledge to distance herself from what she perceives as a dangerous situation.

Self-defence skills give kids greater confidence

In an ideal world my daughter will never be caught up in an abduction attempt like the one in the article. But if, for whatever reason, my daughter was grabbed by a stranger I’m confident that, thanks to Krav Maga, she wouldn’t be shy to use her voice and shout/scream to be heard or kick and punch, she’d do whatever it takes to get away.

I would say I observe my surroundings well, especially when I’m out with my children, so I do not foresee a situation where a random person could get too close to my kids – I’m not glued to my phone (unless I’m taking videos or photos of their antics) and I never wear headphones, I make sure I can both see and hear them. 

Of course, I’m not always going to be there to look after them, certainly not when they are older and allowed out without adult supervision, but I know they will have the skills to be able to look after themselves – once he’s big enough my son will also be learning Krav Maga!