If you’ve ever found yourself in a threatening situation, you know how easy it is to become so disoriented — your heart pounding, thoughts crashing into one another — that you are, as the old cliché goes, paralyzed by fear. While the hope is that none of us ever have to experience something like this, the sad reality is that some of us will be thrust into these environments and situations. Nevertheless, through a mixture of training and preparedness, you and your children can be better equipped to come out on top of the scariest scenarios.
Whereas some martial arts are predicated on showmanship and aggression, Krav Maga is rooted in the idea of real-world situations and efficiency. Developed for the Israeli Defense Forces by a Hungarian-Israeli martial artist named Imi Licthenfeld, Krav Maga prioritizes an ability to avoid life-threatening scenarios in the first place, and engage the attacker only after it becomes clear that exiting the situation is not an option.
At Warrior One in Chaoyang, Von Ng, head instructor and China Director of Krav Maga Global (KMG), uses the guiding tenets of Krav Maga to teach students how to thrive in a world that isn’t always so predictable, and unfortunately, isn’t always so kind.
Speaking to beijingkids, Ng describes KMG x Warrior One’s approach as such: “For kids, our lessons always focus on dealing with issues that are relevant to their age groups. In addition, we teach them street smarts, how to deal with peer pressure and stress, and making good decisions about their safety. We also teach them how to deal with bullies versus how to deal with adult attackers.”
He goes on to explain that, “Our classes will always include age-appropriate striking and defensive skills, mindset and practical knowledge — which includes situational awareness, violence prevention, stranger danger, good decision-making, etc. — as well as simulation training, and progressive stress inoculation.”
It was precisely this synthesis of intellectualism, creativity, and self-defense that caught Alessandro Rolandi’s attention, and led his kids, Clara (13) and Amedeo (10), to enroll in classes at KMG x Warrior One.
“I was always interested in martial arts, but not in the combat form,” Rolandi tells beijingkids. “When I read about Krav Maga, it had both an interesting pragmatic level, but also an interesting idea of exploring the psychology of defense and fear.” After doing a bit of research, he came across KMG x Warrior One and decided to see if it was something his son and daughter might be interested in.
“When I saw they had the program for kids I came over and met [KMG x Warrior One owners] Von and Yonina. They were interested in the idea of creating skills to be able to defend yourself, but also to work on the psychology of when one feels threatened or in a complex situation. This is what I was looking for in an approach for kids. On a practical level there’s knowledge of the body, sensible knowledge, but their main idea is to deal with a difficult situation in a smart and creative way.”
According to Rolandi, Clara and Amedeo are rather independent, and signing up for lessons was ultimately their decision. However that was a year ago, and to this day they happily wake up every Sunday morning, eager to learn new skills and techniques.
“I am passionate about spy movies, anime, and cartoons and so I enjoy Krav Maga because I feel a little bit as if I was learning skills and tricks of that kind,” says Amedeo. “And the moves really work! You can defend yourself, hit, and run away.”
When asked why she enjoys attending Krav Maga lessons, Clara states that, “Although it is physically hard, it is taught in such a way that it is fun and useful.”
No matter the reasons why they participate, Rolandi has certainly noticed its effects. “I’ve seen that my kids have gotten attached. With both of my kids, you can see that energy coming out at the end, you know. They’re happy, they’re funny, even in the way they’re dealing with the tough moves, it makes them laugh. So I like what it brings out in them.”
When asked if he’s noticed any change in his kids’ confidence levels, Rolandi points out a unique distinction about his son and daughter. “My kids are untypical in the sense that my daughter is more interested in boy’s things, my boy is interested in a more feminine world. So my daughter has always had sort of excessive energy. She’s mainly intellectual, but she has this excessive energy, and I found that Krav Maga gives her a place to combine the two things.”
As for his son, Rolandi mentions that, “he doesn’t do the typical masculine things like playing soccer, so bringing him here, it was a way for him to explore something we, internationally, con-sider masculine. I told him you can learn different things, you know, it’s intelligent, but it’s not aggressive in that masculine way. So I think psychologically, it’s very reassuring for my son and my daughter.”
KMG x Warrior One has a range of classes including KMG Krav Maga, Boxing, Kickboxing, Kali, and more for every age and skill level. Contact them today, and protect yourself tomorrow.
KMG x Warrior One Contact Details
Address
SHANG Building
Basement 1, Jin Shang Building, No. 20, Xinyuanli Xi Lu, Chaoyang DistrictPhone number
15010514712 (Eng)
15010246131 (中文)
info@kravmagabeijing.com
info@kmgchina.cn
KMG_BJ
This article appeared in the beijingkids November 2019 Beijing Baba issue
1 Comment
Wow that sounds really cool.
👍