Testimonals: Haganah Kids
A Testimonial from one of our members:
Our two girls, ages 8 and 10, started Haganah 5 months ago. Although physically fit and active children, the defensive techniques and reinforcing drills they have learned are already evident in their day-to-day lives. They are more cognizant of their surroundings and how to react physically in self protection. Case in point, wearing Healys (gym shoes with wheels) for the first day, one of the girls stepped out to exit our car onto an inclined driveway carrying a box of Krispy Kreme. The skates went out from under her and I watched in horror as she fell backward, sure she would hit the back of her head on the concrete and require an emergency room visit for stitches. However, due to her Haganah training on how to fall safely, she instinctively protected her head by going into a “side fall break,” landing on one arm, keeping her head up and protecting it with her other arm. She fell backward with no injury to her head. In fact, her head never hit the driveway. I caught the donut box and my daughter got up laughing at my good catch with merely a skinned knee and elbow!
No matter how tired the girls are during a school week, (and sometimes they say “I don’t want to go”) when they come back th’re energized, renewed and happy. The instruction they receive in self defense and protective offense techniques is real, practical, and I believe, fundamental skills regardless the age we live in. These techniques are reinforced in each subsequent class, with the addition of new techniques. They build strength through exercise and love punching and kicking kick bags and mats. Although not lacking in self esteem, being fairly petite girls, in a class with boys as well as girls, they are building self confidence learning that close contact doesn’t mean they will end up hurt – by learning how to protect themselves and realizing that size need not play the dominant factor in winning out of a bad situation. Ability, agility, coordination, focus and preparedness gained through repetition (“muscle memory”) and positive reinforcement gives them a real chance against an opponent, should they need to flee or fight in self defense.
Haganah is not window dressing as so many self defense classes are, or about getting colored belts to show off at school. It’s not about promotion no matter what – so that everybody feels good. In real life, there are only winners and losers. In Haganah, you move on when you are ready to advance on what you’ve built on. There are no egos, no hangups, no pretensions, no fancy shows. Haganah simply teaches children real, practical skills to use in bad situations. The instructors talk through various life situations that a child might encounter from either another child or an adult and follow up with demonstrations and instructions that make it relatively easy for any child who is interested to benefit in learning self defense and offense. Respect and discipline are of course important elements – both are expected in the class and are willingly given by the children.
My girls are totally committed and I can’t wait to see how strong they will be in the future.