You enter a SkyTrain car, and immediately realize there’s just you and one other person. The doors close, and he begins to move towards you.
Walking down the street, a troubled and mentally unstable individual decides you are an excellent target.
Your intimate partner is growing more and more threatening every day. And you know you’re not physically capable of fighting them.
Roughly 20,000 women in B.C. every year experience some form of relationship violence.
Half of all of Canadian women have been victims of sexual or physical violence at one point in their lives, said a report from B.C.’s ministry of public safety, managed by Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth.
People of all ages, sizes, and genders may face insecurity and the feeling of being unsafe. Most do not have the confidence to be able to react in the event of random, unprovoked street violence or domestic abuse.
Jennifer Bajus, a Krav Maga Force F.I.R.E. Personal Safety and Self Protection Officer and Instructor, a member of the International Body Guard Association; and a Federation of Israeli Martial Arts black belt, has worked with people who have faced sudden random assaults, personal threats to their safety, and some who just want to improve their radar when in situations that they feel unsafe or uncomfortable in.
In Hebrew, Krav Maga translates to ‘contact combat.’ This martial art blends elements of European boxing, street fighting, and wrestling. Similar to many other martial arts, Krav Maga emphasizes the importance of steering clear of physical conflicts whenever possible. However, if avoidance is impractical or unsafe, it advocates swiftly concluding a confrontation.
Bajus has trained with multiple levels of self protection experts in Canada and the United States and has trained alongside members of the Vancouver Police Department.
“It’s about time that our community starts to take ownership for themselves about their own personal security. Instead of feeling insecure; instead of feeling fear walking down the street, or facing your partner, you should feel empowered. There are two types of violence and the potential impact differs from each other. Gaining the ability to detect and avoid a violent encounter, how to de-escalate and defuse, and ultimately how to deploy tactical and combative skills, when absolutely necessary and as a last alternative is important,”Bajus said.
Many situations where safety is an issue — is just common sense, she said. “Most people think, It’s never going to happen to me, or it’s not going to get worse. My aim is to make you into a ‘hard target’, instead of looking vulnerable. Sometimes it’s not a physical ability, but a mental one. It’s important to know how to ‘read a room’ or a situation, and know when it’s time to leave before things escalate.”
Working with international self- protection experts in the U.S. including self defense pioneer Tony Blauer and high profile Self Defense Expert Tim Larkin (who used to train US Navy SEALs), Bajus uses a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating the best of all worlds, but focuses her efforts on Tim Larkin’s Target Focus Training — one of the simplest, most realistic and impactful methods with results to safety. Otherwise known as TFT, its goal is to shut down a sensory system of the human body first then moves onto joint breaks and dismantling a predator’s brain which is where the ultimate danger lay. “I offer skills and tools that you won’t learn anywhere else as a civilian”.
“It’s important to have platforms like this, but it’s even more important that you empower yourselves, your peers, and the people around you.”
“Anyone can learn this regardless of size, age, gender, skill set, or physical athleticism. And you will be able to use these tools the moment you leave this course. Your body is your weapon.” Bajus adds.
Register online with the City of Delta via delta.ca/sports or call the registration line at 604-952-3000 to enrol in Saturday’s course (Jan. 27) or on March 17.
Go to kravmagaforcefire.com for more information.
