MANILA, Philippines -- Riding a taxi to work, school or to your favorite hangout? Skills to defend yourself against rapists, robbers and other criminals may come in handy.
On Sunday, March 17, International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF) Philippines will hold a seminar titled "Defense Against Threats and Attacks When Riding a Taxi Cab," where the group will teach participants how to fight against common assaults and threats that happen inside a taxi, such as being forced at knifepoint.
The seminar, which is open to both males and females, will be held at the LTO head office at East Avenue, Quezon City.
Filipino instructor Dindo de Jesus, IKMF's newly appointed regional director for Asia, noted that being observant can save your life, as this will not make you an easy target.
Before riding a taxi, he advised passengers to make sure that it is "legitimate" by looking for signs such as a yellow license plates, clear markings on the car's body, and a driver in uniform or proper attire.
Upon riding, get the taxi's name and plate number (and the driver's name, if possible) and send these details to a family member or close friend in case any untoward incident happens, he added.
"Know your route, and if the driver changes it without a good reason, ask him to stop the cab and step out," de Jesus said.
Answering the question "where should one sit in a taxi?", he replied: "Sit at the back side."
According to de Jesus, this spot inside the taxi will keep you safe from an assault from the taxi driver since his seat will serve as your shield. And before he can attack you, you can already defend yourself by strangling him with his own seatbelt.
Items such as pepper spray may also be a great help, he said.
"Be aware of a sudden unlocking of the doors. If someone opens your door, give him a kick towards his body, run out of the cab and shout for help," de Jesus said.
Krav Maga is a practical and tactical system developed in Israel that teaches how to prevent, deal and overcome all kinds of attacks. General principles of Krav Maga include counterattacking, targeting a person's most vulnerable points such as the eyes and throat, and neutralizing an opponent as quickly as possible.
IKMF Philippines has held a number of seminars aimed at helping civilians how to defend themselves from rapists and carjackers, among others.
It also holds regular training sessions at its branches at the Summit Wellness Center at the Tektite Building in Pasig City; at FTX Fitness Exchange in Salcedo Village in Makati; and at Planet Infinity in Quezon City.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
