Sun Tzu & Death Ground

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 29th Aug 2016

When dealing with armed muggers I teach people to first hand over the wallet. I do this for a number of reasons, but mainly, because in the mugger’s mind, they always see themselves leaving with the wallet – the variable being whether the victim is shot/stabbed or left unharmed (if they have acquiesced). Most people accept this approach, but now and again, some will kick back against it, arguing that they would be the person who would just act – almost without thinking – and try to disarm/control the weapon, and do what was necessary to prevent their assailant from...Click To Read More

The Usefulness Of Judo & Krav Maga

Gershon Ben Keren

Tue 23rd Aug 2016

There are some who paint a very simple story, concerning the evolution of Krav Maga, tying everything to one single lineage, without acknowledging the others who have played and continue to play their part in the evolution of the approach; to be fair to all those who have had a hand in guiding and influencing the development of the IDF’s fighting systems, it is more accurate to talk about Krav Maga as a common approach, that has borne certain distinct systems, or “types”...Click To Read More

The Men Should Just Stop Raping Women Argument

Gershon Ben Keren

Thu 18th Aug 2016

I was recently alerted to an article that had been published by Runner’s World on their online magazine, concerning the sexual assault/murders of three female runners that occurred between July 31st and August 7th. Although the article raised some good points about male culture and female harassment etc., it also embodied a very common and prevalent view, that because the rapist is to blame for their assault, it is up to men to stop committing sexual assaults, rather than for women to have to learn and take the effort to protect themselves from such predators. At first glance, this may...Click To Read More

Predators & Socially Awkward Situations

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 15th Aug 2016

Predatory individuals are the masters of creating and exploiting socially awkward situations; situations where we’re not sure what our response(s) should be. The sexual assailant who turns up at his best friend’s house, when he knows his friend is not home but his partner is, will take advantage of the fact that it would be impolite for her not to let him in – even when she may be suspicious of his intent and motive for turning up without any prior warning. The overly friendly person in the bar, who inserts himself into a conversation, will understand that most people...Click To Read More

Runners Safety

Gershon Ben Keren

Wed 10th Aug 2016

Between July 30^th and August 7^th, three women have been sexually assaulted and murdered, in three separate states, and whilst all of the victims share a seemingly similar demographic (professional women aged between 27 and 31), there seems to be little else to link/associate these murders (the modus operandi of the killer in each case was different), other than the fact that they were all jogging at the time when they were assaulted. Whilst there is a remote possibility that all of the victims share a common killer, it is more likely that this isn’t the case – it may...Click To Read More

Decision Trees

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 8th Aug 2016

A lot of people have an, “It’ll be alright on the night”, approach to personal safety and self-defense, believing that when put under pressure, they’ll rise to the occasion and develop on the spot, an effective plan/strategy for dealing with the situation. They may convince themselves that this is in fact how they work best, and it’s only when they’re in the worst position possible that they are truly creative e.g. that they’ll come up with a clever phrase or line, which will diffuse and de-escalate an aggressive confrontation, which is about to get physical. Unfortunately, where violence is concerned...Click To Read More

Humility, Respect & Martial Arts Cults

Gershon Ben Keren

Wed 3rd Aug 2016

I grew up practicing martial arts; traditional martial arts, where there was a great emphasis on the values of humility and respect. If you practiced martial arts as a child, you probably had a similar experience: you were not just there to learn physical skills and techniques, but to develop character. To become somebody who was honest, who had integrity, someone who knew what was right and what was wrong, and was prepared to stand up for what they believed in, etc. Not only would these things make you a better person, but they would also help to develop a...Click To Read More

Home Invasion (Part 2)

Gershon Ben Keren

Mon 1st Aug 2016

In last week’s blog, I discussed the profile and motivations of criminals who commit home invasions. In this blog article, I will look at the different methods that they use to gain entry to properties and access to victims, along with preventative steps that can be taken in order to deny them both. Unlike a burglary, where signs of occupancy act as a deterrence, for a home invasion to be successful, the homeowners need to be in the property, at the same time as the criminal(s). This means that a criminal has to gain an understanding of when people are at...Click To Read More