 |
The Instructor
Valerie Blane
During childhood I learned a number of different martial arts and enjoyed them very much. Up until my mid-teens I thought that they would stand me in good stead if I ever ran into trouble. However, when trouble found me I realised that self-defence was a completely different matter. I was unfortunate enough to cross paths with someone who appeared charming on the outside, but who turned out to be a violent ex-con who had served time in one of London's most notorious prisons. Cue one dramatic escape (three years) later and I decided that martial arts was not going to help me outside the competition ring.
Krav Maga appealed to me because of its no frills approach to self-defence. The fact that the techniques had been tried and tested in extremely hostile situations by (amongst others) the Israeli Army, made me feel confident that they actually worked. Its based on natural reactions which means that the instinctive movements your body makes when under stress actually form part of the technique. Its easy to learn, which helps if you have limited time to train and also means that you don't have to wait years or even months to be able to defend yourself.
After a few years of training I decided to train as an instructor. I believe that this is such a good form of self-defence that it is really worth learning. As a former victim, I certainly would not waste time on something that I feel would not work! I have trained alongside people from all backgrounds, all shapes, sizes and ages and have seen everyone capable of learning the system.
I qualified in 2002 and train every year with the Israeli instructors when they come over. It is a requirement of actively teaching instructors that they keep their own skills up and of course we keep up to date with any new developments within the self-defence system.
I enjoy teaching very much and I hope that you will come along and join the class!
KM INSTRUCTORS COURSE 2002
Valerie Blane, kneeling, 3rd from left
Eyal Yanilov, standing, 2nd from left
