School Address
165 (Unit E) New Boston Street
Woburn MA 01801
Krav Maga Yashir is the system/style of Krav Maga taught by 5th Degree Black Belt, Gershon Ben Keren, who in 2010
was inducted into the Museum of Israeli Martial Arts in Herzliya, Israel. He is alos the author of three Amazon
best selling books on Krav Maga. His full-time school is located in Woburn, Massachusetts, just north of Boston.
165 (Unit E) New Boston Street
Woburn MA 01801
True improvisation means being able to recognize in the moment something in your environment that could be used as a weapon either offensively, defensively, or both. Learning how to improvise is somewhat different than learning hos to fight with everyday objects e.g., learning how to fight using a chair is not the same skill as being able to recognize something in your environment – for the first time – that could be used as a weapon. This means that improvisation is largely about being able to recognize what could be used as an offensive/defensive weapon i.e., weapons of opportunity. Krav Maga teaches and develops this skill by having practitioners be able to categorize and classify objects by their resemblance to others.
Krav Maga uses six different classifications to help practitioners identify what weapons of opportunity may exist within an environment:
This could mean that if you are attacked with a knife, you would want to identify a “shield” like object, such as a bag, large laptop, or chair to defend yourself with. Using this system also directs you as to how to use an object e.g., often self-defense instructors will instruct their students to put keys between their fingers in order to make an “improvised” knuckle-duster, however a key has more resemblance to a knife, than an impact object, and so should be used to cut, stab and slash with. To read more about improvised weapons please click here.
It should be noted that an improvised weapon is still legally a weapon and may harm a claim of self-defense is used. This is less likely if an aggressor is using a weapon e.g., using a chair to “defend” yourself with against somebody with a knife is likely to be looked on as a reasonable use of force, however smashing a bottle and using it against an unarmed assailant is going to be looked on less favorably, even if they started the confrontation; modifying an object to actively turn it into a weapon demonstrates a certain level of knowledge and intent to cause harm. Again, as with all claims of self-defense the context and narrative of events is important, and if creating such a weapon was necessary in order to survive the incident then your actions may well be seen as justifiable.