Krav Maga or Pepper Spray

Krav Maga Practitioner :: Gillan Divecha

Pepper spray or OC (Oleoresin Capsicum), is a chemical compound that aggravates the sensitive membranes of the nose, throat and the eyes – where it could result in temporary blindness.

Pepper Spray is widely used by security personnel for riot / crowd control and by individuals for personal protection. Pepper Spray has also seen success as a mode of defense against attacking dogs and wild bears.

In “An Appraisal of Technologies of Political Control” published by The European Parliament Scientific and Technological Options Assessment, it is said that : “The effects of pepper spray are far more severe, including temporary blindness which last from 15-30 minutes, a burning sensation of the skin which last from 45 to 60 minutes, upper body spasms which force a person to bend forward and uncontrollable coughing making it difficult to breathe or speak for between 3 to 15 minutes.”

For people with an history of respiratory ailments, asthma, or those on prescribed medication, there exists a real risk of death.

Since 1990, The Los Angeles Times has reported over sixty fatalities associated with the LAPD’s use of pepper spray.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also acknowledged 27 deaths in custody of people sprayed with Pepper Spray – this is in the State of California alone.

So far Pepper Spray comes across as a very potent deterrent when dealing with danger.

How would KRAV MAGA rate against this seemingly simpler alternative of self-defense ?

Let’s consider the following situational examples :

The Parking Lot :

A woman, about to enter her car in a semi-deserted parking lot, is suddenly attacked.

There is NO TIME and NO CHANCE for her to unzip her hand-bag, rummage through its contents (purse, Driver’s License, money, make-up, Pepper-Spray. . .). She is repeatedly kicked, punched and finally pushed to the ground. Her assailant grabs her car keys – drives away with her car and her belongings including her bag with the Pepper Spray inside – unused.

She is fortunate. The assault could easily have escalated to carjacking / abduction, sexual assault and ultimately homicide. The total time duration for the assault ? About as long as it took you to read this !

As KRAV MAGA practitioner, the lady would have had multiple choices of counter-strikes available to her. She could have also used her bag as a weapon and if it had a long enough shoulder-strap, utilized the same as an effective form of restraint around the assailant’s throat or wrists.

The Side Walk :

A man walking home after a long day’s work, is oblivious of a threat in the shadows.

His assailant springs out, hooks his elbow around the back of the man’s neck – a perfect head lock – and wrests him to the ground. The man is kicked, punched and knifed. The attacker frisks his victim’s pockets. Among the articles he finds Pepper Spray. He hoses the man down with a full 7 second blast emptying its contents on its owner and scoots with the loot – into the shadows.

The victim, barely alive is left bruised, battered, bloodied – his senses of smell, sight and taste are ablaze.

The total time for this attack ? About as long as it took you to read this.

Beginners at KRAV MAGA classes are taught effective defend and destroy tactics for precisely such an attack.

Let’s consider instances where the alleged victim has enough time to spray an intended target.

The Night Club :

At a Bangalore night club recently, there was the instance of a woman having to deal with the unwanted attention of a local lout.

She Pepper Sprayed him good. However, the spray, picked up by the interior air-conditioning was circulated to a different part of the place resulting in several innocent patrons screaming their way out nursing burning eyes, noses and throats.

At The Movies:

In the midst of an interesting film, you are suddenly acutely aware of a groping hand.

In this instance you have more than enough time to inconspicuously slip your Pepper Spray out, aim and fire !

However, considering the close proximity of seats in cinemas, you run the risk of Pepper Spray dissipating rapidly to other innocent viewers around you – including you! There is nothing worse than being shot by your own bullet – figuratively speaking.

As the opening lines of this article read, Pepper Spray can be lethal. There is therefore a high possibility that your intended target, by virtue of being too close, could be in for a deadly dose of Pepper Spray. Did you want to warn him or waste him ?

Sometimes all it takes is a discreet, well executed wrist-lock to stall any groper in his tracks, and KRAV MAGA will teach you plenty.

In An Airplane :

We’re not even talking 9/11 style misadventurism here.

In view of the strict security measures at airports across the planet today, the chances are you’re going to find yourself seated next to a drunk and disorderly fellow passenger instead.

First of all, airport security standards and flight safety regulations prohibit the carrying onboard of certain liquids and aerosols – your Pepper Spray would never make the flight with you as carry-on cabin baggage.

Dealing with an intoxicated and unruly passenger in the seat next to yours, on a long-haul flight can be nothing short of hell. Calling for the assistance of an attractive flight-attendant could sometimes aggravate the situation with the intoxicated individual now spoilt for choice.

Once again, a discreet, simple yet excruciatingly painful wrist-lock can prove to be an superb sobering agent.

Unlike Pepper Spray, your KRAV MAGA hand-to-hand combat skills cannot be taken away from you by airport security.

When walking down a street, a stranger asks you for

• The time,
• Directions,
• Loose change.

In the seconds that you are initially distracted, he or an accomplice strikes. There is almost always NO TIME to reach into a bag or pocket to remove and effectively aim and use Pepper Spray (or another defensive weapon) against your assailant(s).

Remember, your Pepper Spray works best against your attacker’s eyes, nose and throat. But his knife or gun will be put to equally effective use against any part of your body.

• What if he is wearing a mask and protective eyewear ?
• What if you do pull out the Pepper Spray, but in the heat of the moment, spray in the wrong direction – possibly at yourself ?
• What if the attacker knocks your can of Pepper Spray out of your hand ?
• What if your can of Pepper Spray does not work ?

These are far too many “what ifs” for anyone’s comfort.

All our lives we have depended on our limbs – our legs and arms, hands and feet to walk, climb, carry, grip, hold. . . KRAV MAGA enables us to sharpen these basic skills to accurately and effectively punch, kick, jab, grapple, grip, throw . . .

Krav Maga is a simple, efficient self defense system which underlines one’s natural movements and practical skills under realistic exercise situations. This is why KRAV MAGA is the choice of 25 international armed forces and multiple security agencies across the globe.

When confronted with the business end of an attacker’s knife or gun, when faced with the true threat of a blade between the ribs or a bullet in the brain, will you depend on a little can of spray to save your life and see you home safe ?

KRAV MAGA will give you that chance – that fighting chance !

MYCATQUOTE

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