German Women Take Self-Defense Classes to Fend Off Migrants

On February 8, German residents will attend a traditional carnival in Cologne, which is now in the media spotlight after New Year's attacks on the city's female residents.

Hundreds of criminal complaints were filed by women in Cologne and other cities across Germany accusing small groups of purportedly Arab and North African men of robbing, threatening or sexually assaulting them on New Year's Eve. According to recent reports, the police have registered more than 700 complaints.

The country's authorities are going to set up a security center for women in the city as well as organize additional lighting on the dark streets. However, some Cologne female residents decided to ensure their safety by themselves and started to attend self-defense classes, a RT correspondent reported.

For instance, many women started to learn Israeli Krav Maga techniques. The number of those wishing to attend self-defense classes has more than doubled after the attacks in Cologne.

"More and more women want to attend self-defense courses. The number of those wishing to attend our classes has more than doubled. Here, they can learn effective techniques of Krav Maga," a combat instructor Bjorn V. told RT.

"Women no longer feel safe. You can feel much calmer, when you know that you can protect yourself," a course visitor explained.

"On Facebook, many people ask me where to learn this martial art. Events in Cologne definitely changed a lot," echoed another.

Krav Maga is a self-defense technique worked out for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It includes various combat techniques from aikido, boxing and wrestling and teaches how to counter-attack in a real-world situation.