2024 has got off to a great start as Krav Generation opened another venue. In the planning for some time, we launched our self-defence classes at Esher Rugby Club at the beginning of January. 

When we announced the classes a few months ago, we were inundated with requests to book a free trial session. It doesn’t guarantee everyone will turn up, but we were completely taken aback by just how many people came to the opening night.

Fun for all the family

We kicked off with our Parent & Child class. This class was added to the timetable in response to a huge demand by parents who wanted to attend an activity with their children and develop a new kind of bond with them. It was quickly evident that this class will deliver a really positive experience for all participants and it will be particularly beneficial for children who suffer from anxiety – research has shown that, post-pandemic, this is a very real and common issue.

Our class helps to build up children’s confidence whilst they have the security of knowing their parents are close by. After just one class, we could see how even the shyest and quietest children were happily mixing with others and not needing their parents quite as much as they thought. We’re looking forward to seeing them really grow in the coming weeks and months – and we’ll make sure the grown-ups have fun too!

Youngsters bursting with energy

The Kids & Teens class was next. This is another new class and it was fantastic to see that our hopes for this particular session were realised. The younger children trained separately but were within the same space as the teenagers. We spotted that they were all keeping an eye on what the older age group was doing, exactly what we hoped for. It means they can see and understand the discipline required of older students and how effective the techniques are – aspiring to be like them is a great motivator. Similarly, the teenagers were able to see younger children easily and quickly learning the same techniques, which is equally motivating ie ‘if they can do it, so can I’! The class was also effective in helping all students to be respectful of others and appreciate differences in age, size, strength and ability, something that they can apply beyond the class environment.

Rest. Repeat. Smash it!

Thankfully, we’d scheduled a short break for the instructors before the adult class started. It gave us the opportunity to chat with parents and the youngsters who’d just finished their class and the feedback was wonderful! Meanwhile, students for our adult class were arriving, a few nervous faces amongst them.

The start of any new class is all about putting people at ease. We always explain that students mustn’t do anything that they can’t physically manage or feel uncomfortable about. It’s also important to cover health and safety and to ensure that all students understand our expectations in terms of behaviour so that everyone remains happy and safe throughout the class. Having explained how the session would run, everyone was asked to bow, and the class began with a warm-up of light jogging, easy exercises and stretching, followed by a game, which gets the body moving and reduces the risk of injury. A mix of achievable fast and slow movements prepares students both physically and mentally before learning specific techniques. The game also mirrors movements used in the different techniques, so students are already developing muscle memory. Just as importantly, the game is a great icebreaker and really helps to break down inhibitions, shyness and embarrassment, all the usual barriers that often pop up when strangers meet for the first time.

After a quick break, we got down to the business of learning some self-defence, beginning with de-escalation and how to avoid engaging in a fight. Students learnt about situational awareness and how to use their voices to draw attention to a challenging situation. We then moved on to techniques that included recognition of reasonable force, listening to your inner alarm and preventing a stranger from invading your personal space. Students also learnt how to effectively stop a hit or slap, how to escape a knife attack, how and when to kick and prevent further attack and how to literally stop an attacker in their tracks.

As the class drew to an end, we did a quick reminder of all the techniques covered and set up a scenario-based drill in which students could put everything into practice. Always with safety as our priority, we reminded everyone to be mindful of their training partner and to go slow and controlled. The class finished with a bow – a sign of respect for each other and the instructors – and then the room erupted with enthusiastic chatter.

We finished on an absolute high. The students were happy and the KravGen team – Andrew, David, Vish, Taryn and myself – couldn’t have been more delighted by how our opening night went. Thank you to all of our students for making each class a joy to teach and thank you to the staff at Esher Rugby Club for being so supportive and helpful!

There are very few spaces remaining in our Esher classes, but do please get in touch if you’re interested in joining us!