The knockout game. How can Krav Maga training help.

First let us state the obvious: despite what the media calls this, it is not a game.  There is nothing playful about trying to knockout an unaware, unsuspecting victim.  In case you do not know what we are referring to, in a nutshell the knockout game is a string of unprovoked attacks that young men and women carry out in public on unsuspecting victims trying to knock them out in a single sucker punch.  The attacks have been springing up all over the country with a few recent attacks here in San Diego.  The obvious question is how can Krav Maga teach you to protect yourself and loved ones against these random acts of severe violence?

Krav Maga is an amazing self defense system, but it cannot teach you to defend what you cannot see.  But what Krav Maga does give you, in addition to valuable self defense weapons, are two key elements that can help you avoid this or any other violent situation.  The first is awareness and the other is self assurance and confidence.  Being aware of your surroundings and potential dangers is a way to ensure that you are always vigilant and are not caught unaware of the immediate danger.  After all a sucker punch is only that if you never saw it coming.  The knockout game, as the name implies, is nothing more than a game for these attackers.  And as most games it has an element of competiveness where participants try to outdo each other in their “feats”.  Therefore for the “game” to be valid there has to be an audience, a crowd of young individuals ready to witness the knockout.  It could be a large group or small group with a camera phone ready to capture the “action”.  So if you see a suspicious group, walk the other way, cross the street or temporary seek shelter in a nearby business.  Remember that Krav Maga first teaches you to deescalate or avoid the conflict, and only if you cannot then you must do whatever needed to act in self defense.  Secondly, being more aware of the attack will less likely result in an immediate knockout if the punch were to land (not to mention that your full contact classes will prepare you to better handle taking punches).   This would mean that you would have the ability and the tools needed to fight back and make the attackers wish that they did knock you out when they had the chance.

And finally, for the more abstract solution to this problem, let’s go back to the point of self confidence and assurance.  Confidence is not just a matter of self perception.  It is also sensed by others and could be a deterrence to a potential attacker.  A person who walks with his head held high, an assertive stance and a confident demeanor is less likely to be attacked then a scared person that walks with his/her head held low.  So how do you develop confidence?  The answer is continuous training.  Krav Maga training doesn’t just condition your body, but it also conditions your mind and alters your character to be more perceptive to your surroundings, and be more confident in your demeanor knowing that you have a wealth of life saving skills in your possession.

Train Hard. Stay Safe