Saving lives - one groin kick at a time

I have this stubborn streak in me and it runs pretty deep. It is not often that I find the courage to back down from my own belief system long enough to hear the advice being offered by others. But luckily, I allowed the universe to intervene on my behalf and I actually listened to my friends as they relentlessly, yet gently, coaxed me into attending a women's only rape prevention seminar held at my Krav Maga gym last week. It turned out to be an incredibly empowering and amazing experience.

At first I really didn't want to go. Being faced with all the emotional baggage that stems from learning about violent attacks was not something that interested me. I was knee deep into avoidance and being confronted with the reality that 1 in 3 women will be attacked in their lifetime, was really something I was willing to never know. They say ignorance is bliss. But in this situation ignorance is stupidity and can lead to me being an unwilling victim. To be perfectly honest, it really came down to me not being comfortable with exposing my vulnerability. I was sure that some crazed and emotional reaction was going to be ignited within me when I was charged with creating a mock attack scene.

I hadn't realized just how much my life was benefiting from my Krav Maga training until I found myself needing to push past some mental barriers. During the seminar, I was able to tap into an emotional and physical strength I wasn't aware I possessed. The drills were designed to push us past our comfort zone and to test our boundaries. Even as I was shaking, I felt safe enough to expose my inner weaknesses and play full out in each scenario. All of the stress drills we performed in Krav classes were now part of my muscle memory and the fear of the unknown wasn't as scary for me as it was for some others.

As I watched these women, these fellow soldiers standing next to me in this fight to protect our bodies, I saw them break down and then pick themselves up and carry on. They were fighting with their own mental limitations. The same fight I endure each time I glove up and take to the mats during class. To be a part of their transformations was a phenomenal experience. Through the tears, the doubt, the uncertainty, they found the strength from deep within to knock the monkey off their backs and move forward in their lives.

When we got to the final drill, the actual physical attack by the instructors, I could barely contain my excitement and my anxiety. They were in these padded suits and we were going to be able to kick them with full force. I was excited because I was going to be able to finally feel the affects of all my Krav training and unleash it on an attacker. My anxiety came from the thought that I would freeze up and not know what to do - rendering all my time training Krav worthless. Since there were only two of us in this seminar that had trained Krav Maga, I felt that we had to represent and I felt the pressure to perform.

We lined up and one by one the women found themselves faced with a single attacker. Countless groin strikes were delivered with force and purpose. The unleashing of the groin kicks and eye strikes are the best weapons we have against an attacker. These women were incredible. With each groin strike they delivered, they were taking back their lives and destroying the demons trying to take over.

Then my turn came. As I closed my eyes, one of the instructors leaned in and whispered into my ear, "You better be ready." Adrenaline instantly poured into my veins and my senses were on fire. I knew something was coming. I was attacked and I fought back. I delivered groin strikes and elbows and knees. I could hear everyone cheering and it felt great. As my attacker was going to the ground we got tangled up and I rolled to the floor as well. I popped up instantly thinking I was done and happy with what I achieved. Just as I was about to celebrate, another attacker charged me. This time I wasn't as prepared. I didn't have all the combos in my head and I was taken off guard. I had to work off instinct rather than focus on technique. I wasn't drilling it, I was fighting back. It was awesome.

Some of these women have now found their way into our Krav Maga program. With each class, I can see their inner strength deepening and their empowerment growing. I feel so much pride having been a part of this program. This is truly an amazing experience every woman should partake in. And learning to send vicious kicks to the groin is a super fun bonus!