Combat Krav Maga Unit 545

05/22/2025

There have been two different hatchet attacks at bus stops in the last month here in Tucson. One person died, the other caused serious injuries. I always try to incorporate what is going on in our immediate community into training.
Last night we worked hatchet defense in a closed dark hallway. So let’s talk about it a little bit.
In both of these scenarios where people got attacked with hatchets at bus stops, it was extremely tragic yes of course, but also extremely preventable.
People were not paying attention to the people around them, and not heeding the danger signs.
When you have someone who is yelling at the air, being aggressive and is on drugs, you shouldn’t stay at the bus stop and hope for the best.
Is it really better to take your chances with someone who is already behaving violently, and potentially get attacked? Or is it better to move away from that person and keep your distance? You might be inconvenienced by having to wait for the next bus, but at least you have a better chance of staying alive.
Everywhere has drug problems now, but we are 45 minutes from the border of Mexico. It is especially pronounced here. Combine that with people having untreated mental illnesses and it can be a recipe for disaster.
The other situation was a lady coming off the bus with her head in her phone. Dude thought she was taking a picture of him and grabbed her phone.
Obviously this person feels comfortable enough to take someone’s personal property, or they’re in such a mental state that they don’t even know what they’re doing. Either way, why would you engage with that person when they have already proved to you that something is wrong with them?
Getting your phone back is not worth your personal safety, or potentially getting killed.
Don’t get it twisted, I’m not blaming the victims.
I am saying that if people are educated about red flags in human behavior, more aware of what is going on around them, and trained in avoidance, these situations can be prevented.
Stay off of your phone and pay attention to the people that are surrounding you. Avoidance is prevention.

03/31/2025

People in general are lazy these days and expect improvement and results to happen with little effort.
Especially with self-defense, if you are not obsessed with training and teaching in the most realistic manner, you are doing yourself and your students a disservice.
Don’t take the easy road.
Take the road the challenges you, because that is where the growth, learning, and improvement happens.

Maga

02/21/2025

Physical techniques are secondary to being a master of prevention.
A lot of violence is preventable. Knowing the signs of what to look for, red flags before it happens, situational awareness, paying attention to what is going on around you, walking away from a confrontation, keeping your head out of your phone and paying attention to the world around you, and learning verbal de-escalation skills can prevent 98% of social violence.

Are you out in public right now scrolling on your phone? Do you have any idea of what is going on around you, who is in your vicinity, what the dynamics of people’s interactions are? Are you actually in reality, or living in your phone and doing an occasional scan of the real world?
Simply being aware and interested in the life that is going on around you can allow you to see a potential threat coming and thusly avoid it.

01/16/2025

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show has started and with that comes a spike in s*x trafficking. Many people probably don’t realize this, as traffickers try to keep their victims out of the public eye. The massive influx to Tucson for the largest gem show in the world brings with it a market for exploitation as well.
Here are some signs that you can look out for and some resources.
Traffickers usually move their victims around frequently, so if you see something suspicious it is best to report it immediately to the Tucson Police Department. You can also call the national s*x trafficking hotline number above.
Hotel and motel workers can be especially effective in aiding s*x trafficking victims as they are usually found in hotel rooms where they are forced to service clients.
Some things to look out for:
A young woman with a much older man
Someone deliberately avoiding eye contact
Someone who works excessively long or unusual hours
Someone with few or no personal possessions
Someone acting especially anxious or paranoid

A s*x trafficker will usually not leave their victim alone and will always be around. If someone attempts to speak to the victim, the trafficker will usually step in and speak for the victim as they are the “dealmaker” and want to protect what they see as their property.

If you are a keen observer, you can usually see that the victim is very uncomfortable, fearful, and behaving with trepidation so as to not anger their trafficker for fear of repercussions.

if you see something, please report it. Many of these girls and women are being held against their will.

🌵 *xtrafficking

01/09/2025

https://warlizardtactical.com/course/level-1-lifesaver-bls-250111/
One spot left!
This course will provide you with Basic Lifesaving (BLS) skills for self and buddy aid beyond the typical Boo-Boo kit using the trauma care algorithm used by NATO forces and the US Military.

You will:
Evaluate a casualty
Control Massive Bleeding – tourniquet, hemostatic agents, wound packing, etc.
Manage an obstructed airway
Intervene for respiratory trauma
Hands-only CPR (MICR)
Prevent/Manage Hypothermia and Shock
We will also cover trauma kits and building a good IFAK.
This class contains hands-on practical exercises using props and training partners.

January 11 @ 9:00 am - 3:30 pm MST
$125.00

This course will provide you with Basic Lifesaving (BLS) skills for self and buddy aid beyond the typical Boo-Boo kit using the trauma care algorithm used b ...

10/10/2024

Join me for Free community Krav Maga this evening at Tucson JCC!

09/24/2024

For this month’s Fitness Feature, 💪🌟 we’re highlighting Krav Maga, one of our dynamic class offerings that pushes your mental + physical strength to the limit within a supportive group atmosphere! 💥💥💥 Check out what instructor Jenna Herder has to share about how Krav Maga has inspired and shaped her life for the better:

“Training Krav Maga for the last 19 years has given me such a deep connection to Israel and the Jewish people, it is only natural that I finally found my home at the Tucson J. This is the most incredible place to belong, work out, and be a part of such a beautiful and welcoming community.

Being able to teach Krav Maga to the Jewish community is my absolute honor and privilege, and what I was meant to do. Self-defense is a basic human right, and I am proud to be sharing my knowledge with the Tucson community.”

🗓 Join Jenna in Krav Maga the 1st + 3rd Sunday of every month from 9-10am! And if you’re curious about this empowering form of self-defense and community building, try a ✨ FREE ✨ class Sundays, Oct 10 + Nov 14!

👉 Learn more + register at bit.ly/kravmagatucsonj

08/19/2024

Trauma that has not been dealt with in the proper healthy way leads to all kinds of adult relationship malfunctions. Just a few ways it can manifest itself in clusters in relationships, be it friendships or romantic, are as follows:
-Not being able to set boundaries and enforce them when they are crossed.
-Allowing people to speak to you in a disrespectful manner because you are afraid of making them feel uncomfortable if you say something about it.
-Knowing that you should be treated better in the relationship, but feeling like you don’t deserve it.
-Adopting the other person’s irrational thoughts or requests as your own in order to try to justify their behavior.
-Staying in a dysfunctional relationship just because you have “been through so much together”, when the reality is you have been through so much because of their bu****it.
-Thinking that if you would just change your behavior, they would be nicer to you.
-if you are being abused, thinking that you might actually deserve it.
So what can you do to help yourself? Seek professional help. There are so many ways to access therapy nowadays, be it in person, online, over the phone, or zoom.
If you are in a relationship that is not healthy, chances are you are not going to get the other person to get help. You need to start helping yourself. Getting therapy, reading books about the subject matter, listening to certified mental health professionals on YouTube, podcasts etc.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Seek education. Once you start learning and helping yourself you can then start to grow and make changes in your life and in your relationships.
You can learn boundary setting, how to start valuing yourself, red flags in relationships, and why you accept the kinds of behaviors from others that you do.
Don’t expect other people to change, the change in your own life starts with you.
Self-defense is not just physical.

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08/16/2024

Head slam from mount. Grab the back of your head and pull up as hard as you can, do the crunch of a lifetime and engage all of your neck muscles to come up as hard as you can. Slam your arms down onto theirs, if you can pin their arms to your chest great, but it’s not completely necessary. All we’re trying to do is to keep them from being able to post out on the ground when we go to buck them over. Pin the Foot, buck to that side, post up, strikes, groin shot. Push yourself up on their knees, throw the legs away in the opposite direction and exit to the rear so they can’t kick you in the face on the way out.
Good job teaching Rachael!