WHENEVER I’m out in the streets, there’s just so many agitating factors that I need to take into consideration. Unwanted looks. Wolf whistling. Catcalls. Sexual harassment in all its dirty forms. I’m certain that every woman, and woman at heart, out there feels the same.
For myself, a lady in her early 20s with quite a big appetite for adventure, the streets can be a dangerous labyrinth. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes this imposing society forces us to just use our weapon of last resort — our cynicism.
As luck would have it, I got an invite to a Krav Maga class. Without thinking twice, I said yes. All I knew about it then was that it was military-style self-defense training, nothing more and nothing less.
Later, I discovered it's more than that.
Fast forward to the workshop day. As I waited alongside the ladies of BPO company Telus International Philippines, who hosted the event, Dindo De Jesus walked in. A soldier-type in cargo pants, he was the International Krav Maga Federation's (IKMF) regional director in Asia, and he was all suited up to instruct the class.
After a few warmup drills, Dindo asked us to arrange ourselves in pairs. I partnered with Kerry, a stunning girl from another media company. He told us to try and steal touches from each other’s shoulders and waist (maniyansing, in other words), all while trying to defend ourselves.
We circled around each other, trying to attack and defend at the same time. From there, De Jesus began teaching basic self-defense moves, from prevention to release from an arrest.
Each move was demonstrated with a few numbered steps. They were easy to learn, as they were all deeply rooted in your instinctive reactions to the particular situation.
For example, when an attacker comes swiftly with a knife pointed at your chest, your natural instinct is to back off, stomach tight, upper body leaning forward and your hands shielding your face. So what happens next? Go figure.
De Jesus explained that Krav Maga is a way to take those reactions and weaponize them.
“Krav Maga is not a martial art, it is a self-defense system, based on a person’s normal instinct, and from that we create a defense and series of tested techniques,” he explained. “What we’re trying to do is to create healthy paranoia, to give an understanding that these natural reactions can be used as a self-defense.”
The first basic move is prevention. This includes countering an approach, throwing open palm punches (friendlier to manicured nails, by the way), some groin kicks, and then running away.
But prevention is just that — prevention.
The next move is to evade an attacker, in case they get up close and personal. This included a series of side steps, hammer punches, throat punches, groin kicks, and then running away.
The last fundamental gesture is to make use of any available object — a shoulder bag, a wallet, a chair — to counter your attacker's own weapon. The most important reminder is to keep the elbows locked while using the object as a shield.
When the odds permit, it’s necessary to release your stronger hand and throw a throat punch, an eye gouge , or a groin kick to get away.
In the last few minutes of our class, the instructor made us run across the room before exchanging positions with our partners (attacker to defender, and vice versa) over and over again, to stimulate aggression.
I hadn't worked out for the past few months. In my two hours practicing Krav Maga, I felt my muscles become tight again. It wasn’t nearly enough time to master everything, but I could feel I was killing it.
“In the Philippines or anywhere in the world, there would be attacks and assaults every day. So, it’s nice to know something than [nothing] at all," De Jesus said. "You have to [be] strong and survive, and survival is more accessible when it comes out natural[ly].” Krav Maga, in other words, must become more than a martial art. It must become an instinct.
When given the right knowledge to respond, females can become even more confident, even in circumstances you can't control.
I've always been an upbeat person, but now, I feel more courageous than ever. So, today, if you try to approach me maliciously in the streets, expect some serious aggressiveness and a few punches and kicks coming your way.
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