Nobody should live in fear, not in their own home nor out and about in their local community. Unfortunately, for many older people that is exactly what happens. Visiting outdoor spaces and venues, travelling by public transport, even living in less favourable areas, can have a profound impact on how vulnerable the older generation feel, particularly in relation to feeling unsafe and being at risk of crime.

I’m sure that it comes as no surprise that theft and antisocial behaviour is on the rise – be it verbal abuse on a bus or a snatch and grab of a phone or bag on the street. Police resources are stretched, the report of an incident often goes no further than being given a crime reference number, and the likelihood of perpetrators being prosecuted are slim. All this feeds into ever bolder and more blatant activity by those who know they can ‘get away with it’ and, consequently, the perceived risk of being in public places increases.

It's a situation that can have a major psychological impact on an elderly person’s wellbeing. The knock-on effect is that it often prevents them feeling part of a local community. In addition, the winter months can lead to reduced social participation because it’s dark by 5pm. Even opening the front door when the doorbell rings can feel risky for some people.

Statistically, younger people are far more likely to be victims of crime and violence when out and about. That is not to say that elderly people aren’t targeted, but they are less likely to put themselves at risk compared to younger people who, for instance, are more likely to spend an evening out on the town. And this is the tragedy. The issues that can come with ageing, such as reduced mobility and/or loss of hearing, have a horrible habit of making older people feel more vulnerable and feeds the fear around personal safety, a feeling that can easily take control and impact how they live their lives.

Equally, there are older people who lead very active lives – but just one incident can jeopardise their lifestyle. Which is exactly what happened to Len (not his real name).

Meet Len, our oldest student

Len is in his eighties but still incredibly young in spirit. He retired some years ago but has always kept himself active – having a dog ensures that he gets out and about every day. He regularly walks in a particular recreation area. It’s a popular spot for parents with young children, many a child has mastered riding a bike in this park, it’s a well used route for people walking to and from work and, with several supermarkets and a museum close by, there is plenty of folk – a perfect place for Len to enjoy a daily stroll with his dog.

But that all changed one morning when he was confronted by a man who quickly – and for no reason – became aggressive towards him. Len was hit and, because he was recovering from an operation, was unable to defend himself. Naturally, this incident really knocked Len’s confidence. He was worried about walking his dog again and, even worse, he hated to think that he was vulnerable.

Len could have allowed this to completely undermine his way of life but, thank goodness, he didn’t want that to happen. He decided to do something about it and he started looking for a self-defence class. Len booked a trial session with Krav Generation and he loved it! After that first class, in which he learnt several useful self-defence techniques, he felt more empowered and was relieved to feel his confidence returning. We also spent some time talking about his experience and discussed how we could work on other techniques that would help him feel confident and able to defend himself in the future.

Len has since become a stalwart of the club and is a fantastic ambassador. He often borrows the words of Alexander Pope – “a little learning is a dangerous thing” – and adds his own twist, “in the case of self-defence a little learning is invaluable”. He is now encouraging friends to join the class and we are planning to run some specific workshops for older people in the future – watch this space!

Self-defence classes really are for everyone!

It's fantastic that since joining Krav Generation Len has been able to continue living his life the way he wants to live it and knows to defend himself should another situation arise. The odds are it won’t, but his experience perfectly encapsulates our belief that it’s better to know self-defence and not need it, rather than to need it and not know it.

Not only that, coming to class is a great opportunity to meet people from so many different walks of life, people who go on to become friends. And it’s good exercise. Age is just a number, it should never be seen as a barrier to trying things and acquiring new skills – don’t write yourself off, why not join us for a trial session. Who knows, you might just enjoy learning how to kick some a**!