THE READY ROOM

Personal safety is about more than knowing how to defend yourself. It is about developing the knowledge, skills, physical capacity, judgment and mental resilience to respond effectively to the demands and challenges of life. Cyrus teaching at Spartan's annual Family Day Introduction To Self Defense Workshop. The world we live in today is different from the one many of us grew up in. The way we work, travel, communicate and interact with others has changed. Our environments ha

There’s a dangerous myth that violence is something that only happens in “bad neighbourhoods.” That if your home is in a nice suburb, if you drive a luxury SUV, if you shop at Whole Foods and live in a detached house with a trimmed lawn - you’re safe. That’s no longer true. If it even ever was. Since 2022, we've been seeing a sharp rise in targeted crimes in so-called “safe” areas - break-ins, carjackings, and home invasions aimed not at random opportunity, but at lifestyle

In our Danger Plus One series, we’ve explored the critical assumptions that shape our mindset for effective self-defense: assume your attacker is armed, assume they are trained, and assume they are stronger. Now, we arrive at the final—and perhaps most vital—assumption: assume they are not alone. This concept, introduced to me by my instructor Amit Himelstein, has profoundly influenced how we train at Spartan Krav Maga. Violence in the real world is rarely a one-on-one encoun

In our Danger Plus One series, we have established two critical assumptions for self-defense: assume your attacker is armed and assume they are trained. These principles shape our mindset, forcing us to approach every encounter with caution, strategy, and a sense of humility rather than reckless overconfidence. Now, we come to the third key assumption: assume they are stronger. This is not about inferiority. It is about reality. No matter how strong you are, there will always

In our Danger Plus One series, we have already established a fundamental rule: always assume your attacker is armed. This mindset forces a cautious and strategic approach rather than reckless engagement. However, weapons are not the only factor that can escalate a confrontation. The next critical assumption is this: assume they are trained. A common mistake people make is underestimating their opponent, and I’m no exception. During my most recent training trip to Israel, I wa

It's been a while since I've written something, so I thought I'd get back at it by sharing one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my Krav Maga journey to date. This comes from my instructor, Amit Himelstein, who introduced me to the concept of "Danger Plus One." It’s a mindset rooted in a simple, yet profoundly impactful principle: if you find danger, assume there’s more. Like the cockroach theory in business—where seeing one roach signals the likelihood of many mor

The concept of balancing the pen and sword extends beyond the studio or the street. In our daily lives, we face conflicts and challenges that require us to choose between diplomacy and assertiveness... Mastery in life, just like mastery in self-defense, lies in judgment. It’s not just about being strong or smart; it’s about being wise. This wisdom comes from experience, from making mistakes, and from learning when to fight and when to walk away.

In this installment of our blog series, we'll discuss the second pillar of Krav Maga training: the tactical element. As Sun Tzu stated in the Art of War, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory." Here, strategy defines the overall objective, while tactics delineate the specific actions taken along the path to success. Developing tactical behaviour is an essential aspect of Krav Maga training that yields benefits that reach far beyond the studio walls. It ser

"I must remember, 'I am here today to cross the swamp, not to fight all the alligators." - Rosamund Zander This quote came across my social media feed the other day and it resonated profoundly with me so I figured I would write about it. Specifically, I wanted to show how this quote encapsulates the essence of Krav Maga. Krav Maga, at its core, is a pragmatic and efficient self-defense system that equips individuals with the skills necessary to protect themselves in a variety

So you've finally decided to try this thing called Krav Maga. Eager and excited, you walk into your first class with a mind full of expectations, which promptly gets doused by a full blast of reality. Don’t lose heart. Much like mastering any skill, your Krav Maga journey will meander through a series of distinct phases, each marking a significant evolution in your progression and understanding of the system. Scientifically, it's called the Competency Model. I playfully call