The Herald Sun reported recently that Melbourne childcare centres are giving self defence classes to little tots, offering a modified version of Krav Maga, using play, games and self-defence moves to increase children's safety awareness and protect them from paedophiles, bullies and other threats.

The safety of our children is of course paramount but is this going over the top slightly? Of course children need to learn, at some point, that the world is not necessarily a nice and safe place, but at this age, really what will self-defence do against an adult bent on harming them? Will they be able to throw them over their shoulder and get them in a neck hold? Will they simply go and practise their new skills on smaller siblings and friends in the playground?

Apparently the self-defence taught in these centres is a combination of stranger danger awareness, smart thinking and appropriate action. Dynamight Kids founder Leann Webb, who runs the classes said children were not being taught to use their fists, but to identify danger and react appropriately.

"It's not about hurting other children, but being safe," she said. "It might be using their voices to say 'Stop' and running away from danger, as well as self-defence skills."

The situations or self-defence problems addressed are largely problems that will be experienced in the playground with other kids in aggressive play or bullying. However they do also address some problems associated with adults.

Situations include being pushed; being sat on, hands around the neck, bear hugs, wrist grabs, shirt or back-pack grabs and hair grabs.

During the classes, the children will learn how to do the following:

• Identify and avoid danger
• Use their voice
• Run away to safety
• Use emergency techniques including biting, scratching, knuckles and stomping
• Defences against being touched or hit
• Protect themself with palms, pushes, punches, knees and kicks
• Roll and fall safely; and
• Get off the ground

However, the classes say they are based on a modified version of Krav Maga, the Israeli self-defence technique based on military combat, so clearly there is combat aka fighting involved.

In addition to learning self-defence in a physical way, Dynamight Kids say that their program develops life skills, including strength, balance, coordination, agility and speed, using drills, games and activities that have been custom-designed, or drawn from gymnastics, wrestling and general fitness programs.

To be honest the jury's still out on whether this is a good or a bad thing, particularly if it's using techniques such as biting and scratching which most parents spend a large part of their life trying to stop their toddlers doing.

Clearly there are some aspects that are beneficial and useful for all kids, but boys who like to fight anyway may well learn a few choice moves for using against other kids aggressively as well as defensively.