Protecting Fingers

Gershon Ben Keren

Wed 3rd Apr 2013

Fingers need to be protected. I’ve had fingers broken, tendons ripped etc. and when this happens, it becomes difficult to punch, grab and even block successfully. I see fingers as one of our weak points, and they’ve always been a target for me; if an aggressor’s fingers are splayed, and their hands are available, then they’re something I’ll grab – forcefully bending them back gives you one of the simplest and easiest wrist locks/controls you’ll ever get. When you understand this vulnerability, you’ll want to protect them, and it’s one of the reasons why you’ll want to keep them close...Click To Read More

Terrorism & Personal Safety - The Next Steps

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 29th Apr 2013

Most of us rarely think about our personal safety; muggings, abductions, and sexual assaults happen to other people, not to us. We trust in our common sense to keep us safe, believing that we would never behave or act in a way that would put us – or anyone who may be with us e.g. friends, children etc - at risk. This is the way that most people think before they themselves become the victim of a violent assault. Sometimes afterwards they console themselves with the thought, that even with the correct information and training, there would have been nothing...Click To Read More

Boston Marathon, Terrorism & The Future

Gershon Ben Keren

Sat 20th Apr 2013

It’s been one hell of a week in Boston. We had the terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday (both Patriots Day and Tax Return day), leading to high speed pursuits, a locking down of large parts of the Greater Boston Area, and the eventual death of one of the brothers believed to be responsible for the atrocity and the capture of the second (I write this early on the morning of Saturday 20^th, so I’m writing from what the media have reported on to date). Despite the desire of many for the execution of the captured terrorist, I am...Click To Read More

Mobile Phones & Personal Safety

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 15th Apr 2013

Whenever I conduct a seminar or training session on personal security and self-defense, there are always some common questions that people ask and/or some common pieces of “advice” that people have been given concerning their own safety – I was teaching a group last night where one of these came up; whether you are safer talking on your mobile phone, when in a potentially dangerous situation, or not. Firstly, the definition of risky and dangerous situations needs to be examined. Normally when people ask this question they cite the situation as being on their own, late at night, on a deserted...Click To Read More

Saving Face - Conversations About Date Rape

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 8th Apr 2013

People become aggressive and violent for a variety of reasons. One is to save face, either to themselves or to others. It is sometimes possible to talk someone away from violent actions but the route you take may not leave the person room to save face, which leaves them feeling compelled to continue justifying their behavior(s), which in turn can cause them to start to become emotional and aggressive again. Finding a way to let a person preserve their dignity, and give them a face saving way out is an important part of conflict resolution. To not do this, means...Click To Read More