Krav Maga has proven to be a very effective sport to learn how to escape from problems and be resilient in the offline world. How nice would it be if we could translate this to the online world as well?  

As a Krav Maga instructor, this is what came to mind a year ago. From our field of are we know a lot of contact and a lot of abuse is happening online, especially among young people, and resilience is key.  

Off-limits and the Dutch Krav Maga Society (IKMF, Nederlandse Krav Maga Bond) collaborated and created a programme for kids.  

The first step was a presentation to all instructors in the Netherlands. A group of 100 people came together and learned about the online challenges children face. In the presentation, the overlap between the online and the offline world was emphasised.  

One of the classic exercises in Krav Maga is how to defend yourself when being kidnapped. This physical exercise is the perfect moment to start a conversation about being in contact with strangers online.  

Many kids are participating in app-groups or active on social media while also being exposed to harmful content. The basic mindset is therefore that at these Krav Maga trainings, many children are active online and through Krav Maga we can teach them how to be safe online. A positive note, it also acts as a listening moment. As an instructor you’ll directly hear any problems these children may face online, and could directly offer help though contacting their parents or any other resource.  

Therefore, part of this programme is to actively inform these instructors where to refer to in case of problems online. As the amount of children interested in Krav Maga is increasing, more children will be reached. 

The eventual product developed was an instruction on how those who instruct children can include online resilience in their physical training sessions. Offline situations are compared to online situations to stimulate conversations about online safety. A collaboration with Sociaal Veilig has also begun, which is a party, led by a professional from the Dutch Police (Rotterdam, team sexual violence), who is already very active in providing education and workshops.  

This programme will be further developed in 2025.

Find out more about the work of the Dutch Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness-raising initiatives, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or explore similar efforts by other Safer Internet Centres across Europe.