Being a lady today can be tough, and often times very dangerous. Unfortunately, even though we might hope that people are honest, good and harmless, we’ve been forced to admit that, at times, we live in a scary society. Being attacked is a real threat for women, and knowing how to protect yourself is key to staying safe and possibly protecting your life. Here at Her.ie we know the value in educating yourself. After some research, and recommendations from past pupils, we contacted the team at Krav Maga Ireland to learn some steps in defending ourselves. So, what is Krav Maga? Krav Maga is the official training of the Israeli Defence Forces (who happen to be one of the only arms in the world to conscript women) and has been adopted by international security agencies including the FBI and DEA. The skills taught in Krav Maga focus on fast and natural responses to the threats people are likely to face from an attacker. As opposed to basing the skills on strength, students are taught the importance of being aware and instinctive to their surroundings. We caught up with instructor Patrick Cumiskey, who told us how he originally brought the technique to Ireland twelve years ago, as he saw an alarming gap in the market: “There really was nobody teaching normal people how to protect themselves. “Our classes are 30-40% girls, and they’re always mixed, because we feel it’s very important that girls train with guys.” Patrick believes this technique of mixed training really helps build up women’s confidence in a fun, safe environment, while they train with a range of different guys. Patrick, who is also a trained psychotherapist, became a Krav Maga instructor thirteen years ago, and has gone on to instruct the Irish military, the UN and more than 17,000 members of the public in the defence style since opening his centre in Dublin. So, what’s his top advice for Irish women in protecting themselves? “I think it’s really important for Irish women to realise they can protect themselves. Some women are genuinely afraid they’ll get hurt if they try defending themselves, but all the statistics, all the research shows that even with the most horrible bad guys, if you give a convicted fight back - the chances of escaping are very high.” As well as learning some basic core skills of self-defence, Patrick insists that planning for your safety is vital for combating violence. “We teach a lot of mindfulness, a lot of self-awareness. I always ask women, ‘how long do you spend getting ready to go out? “Then I ask them how long they spend planning coming home, and nine times out of ten, it hasn’t really become a priority beyond planning a taxi. If you look at the military, they spend 50% of their time planning coming home as they do on going out on a mission. We need to get people thinking of the whole picture.” Well, we want to help you start planning, so your safety skills are as hot as your outfit. We’ve teamed up with Patrick and his team to bring you some top safety tips that you can easily adapt into your own routine for protection. Each week, we’ll analyse a new skill and demonstrate the method in protecting yourself from a possible attacker. So, to get us started with week one, we’re looking at creating a safe distance with personal space. For more information on Krav Maga courses available in Ireland, contact Patrick via his website here, or check the team out on Facebook here.