Krav Maga Darwin

Well done Lachlan 🙏🏻👊🏻

RIP Andy 🙏🏻♥️ 😪

OC spray isn’t the answer. IMHO 😉

I jumping on ABC Radio tomorrow morning to chat about the proposal to allow 16 and 17 year-olds to carry OC spray for self-defence.

My thoughts? We need to be careful not to confuse carrying a tool with having the skills to stay safe.

Real self-defence isn’t about becoming better at fighting. It’s about becoming better at avoiding the fight altogether. Decision making is the key.

Self Protection starts long before violence starts.
Most violent incidents don’t begin with physical assault.
They begin with:

Poor decisions

Escalating emotions

Lack of awareness

Misreading situations

Peer pressure

Alcohol or drugs

Ego and embarrassment

Fear

By the time someone reaches for pepper spray, dozens of opportunities to stay safe have already been missed.

Real self-defence looks like this:

👀 Situational awareness, noticing danger before it notices you.

🧠 Emotional regulation, keeping your head when everyone else is losing theirs.

🗣️ Communication and de-escalation, talking your way out whenever possible.

🚶 Decision-making, knowing when to leave, who to call, and when to act.

🥊 Physical self-defence, only when you have absolutely no other option.

Give a scared, emotional teenager OC spray without these skills, and there’s a real chance they’ll make a bad situation worse.

Teach them confidence instead of fear.
Teach them awareness instead of paranoia.
Teach them judgment instead of gadgets.

Because the goal of self-defence has never been to win a fight.

The goal is to get home safely.

(And let’s be honest… most teenagers already lose their phone, their keys and one shoe. I’m not convinced adding OC spray to the list is the silver bullet.)

Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts. Keep it respectful 🙏🏻 we’re all on the same team when it comes to keeping our young people safe.
Dannie