What To Do If You're Attacked While Your Child Is With You

Because protecting yourself is only half the battle — the other half is getting your child to safety.

Picture this: You're holding your child's hand in a parking lot. Or standing with them in line. Or walking to your car after a long day. And suddenly, something's not right. A stranger approaches, tension spikes, and in a flash — it becomes clear: this isn’t a misunderstanding. It’s an attack.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. And at California Defense Academy, we don’t just teach Krav Maga for you — we teach it for the people you love most.

So what do you do when you're under threat and your young child is right there beside you?

Here’s how to fight for your life and theirs.

1. Command them to run — NOW.

Your first goal isn’t to fight — it’s to get your child away from danger. Train them in advance with a “GO WORD” like:

“RUN TO THE TREE!”
“GO TO THE CAR!”
“RUN TO THE PERSON IN RED!”

Say it with authority — your voice needs to cut through the panic. Point. Shout. Repeat. Kids freeze in fear when they don’t know what to do. But if you’ve rehearsed this command, they’ll respond faster.

And yes — it’s okay if they’re scared and don’t run far. Just creating distance can give you a few critical seconds.

2. Put your body between them and the attacker.

Whether your child is in a stroller or standing beside you, position yourself as a barrier. This alone can make a predator hesitate — they weren’t expecting a parent ready to fight back.

This is where Krav Maga comes in. It’s a no-rules, no-nonsense self-defense system built for real-life chaos. It teaches you how to fight from any position — standing, on the ground, even while protecting someone else.

3. Focus on neutralizing the threat — fast.

This isn’t the time for a slow exchange. In Krav Maga, we train adults to:

✅ Target vulnerable areas (eyes, throat, groin)
✅ Disrupt the attacker’s balance
✅ Create space so you can escape — and reunite with your child

Your mission: stop the attacker, then run to your child and get to safety. Don’t stay and fight longer than necessary.

4. Practice scenarios. (Yes, seriously.)

We know it sounds intense. But practicing what you’d do if someone grabbed you while your child was nearby can make a world of difference.

At our Murrieta-based martial arts school, we include scenario training like this in our adult Krav Maga classes, because real life doesn’t happen in a padded room. It happens in parking lots. On sidewalks. At playgrounds.

We teach you how to fight while moving, how to scan for danger while protecting a little one, and how to fight smart — not just hard.

5. Teach your child how to help — in age-appropriate ways.

Even young children can be taught to yell, run to a safe adult, or describe what happened. Empowering them with simple, clear tools helps reduce fear — for them and for you.

You can’t control when danger shows up.

But you can control how prepared you are when it does.

We don’t just teach Krav Maga at California Defense Academy to help you punch harder. We teach it to help you live safer — especially when your child’s life is on the line.

Because knowing how to protect them is self-defense. And you deserve to go home safe — together.

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